by Sam Philips, Lisa Giroday and Maxim Winther | We are just now beginning to winterize gardens for the upcoming cold months. We’ll still be harvesting, of course, but there are a few steps to ensure your garden is loved and protected from now until spring, when we begin planting again. Here’s a list of things to do:

1. Harvest | Once frost hits, some of your veggies that are still in the ground will need to come out. Try to harvest before frost with crops such as lettuce and nasturtiums, which will turn to slimy mush once the weather gets frerezing. Keep in mind, however, that if you’re covering the crops with a hoop house or cloche, you’ll get a little extension. Same goes for arugula, spinach, and cilantro. Some of the crops that stay in the ground and can bear our winters are kale, overwintering broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and Swiss chard. If we get the mild winter we’re anticipating, just watch the weather and make a judgment call on when to harvest your arugula, lettuce, etc. – you may get a bit of extra harvest time.

2. Stake Large Plants | If you do have kale, Brussels sprouts and broccoli in the garden over winter, be sure to stake them, as the wind and rain can cause them to blow around – minimize this stress by securing your crops. Also, if you have broad beans emerging, stake those little ones, too, keeping in mind that they can grow to be about 4ft high!

3. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch | Mulching is when you cover the soil in a 3-4” layer of dried leaves – you can also use straw or grass clippings (in summer). It’s beneficial in both summer and winter months – in the summer to retain moisture, and in the fall for several reasons. Mulching helps minimize soil erosion with relentless winter rains, prevent nitrogen loss (macronutrient responsible for leafy growth), helps insulate crops, and provides a humidity layer on the soil’s surface so plants can still drink the water. In spring, some of the decomposed mulch can be incorporated back into the soil to add nutrients and maintain a balanced soil structure. Simply cover the soil 3-4” with leaves and leave a little space around the stalks of your plants, being sure to also cover areas without crops. If you have garlic that hasn’t come up yet, just watch for when it pokes through the leaves and make a little room for them to have access to light.

Check out our Youtube video on winter gardening for hoop house and mulching tips…

THE VICTORY GARDENS ARCHIVE