Comments on: Do I need to do anything special to land this fall I plan to garden in the spring? http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/ Garden Tips Fri, 11 May 2012 13:18:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: stonefieldhill http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/comment-page-1/#comment-954 stonefieldhill Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:56:10 +0000 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/#comment-954 Are you familiar with "lasagna gardening"? It is a low cost, natural and effective way to prepare a garden bed for planting that is also less work than tilling. And fall is the time to start a new plot with this method. Start by mowing the area with the mower blade at the lowest setting. Save old newspapers and cardboard boxes (which you will have plenty of it you're moving). Lay them flat over the area you intend to garden and wet them down. Follow with a layer of compost - shredded leaves, grass clippings, lawn and kitchen waste (no dairy or meat!) and let it sit. You would be surprised how fast the paper materials decompose, especially with compost on top of it. I don't recommend tilling, because as you will see next spring, the paper products also help insulate the soil and attract lots of worms - which will aerate the soil and add plenty of castings as well. Tilling will disrupt the microecosystem of your new garden. In the spring, you can very easily dig furrows for seeds and transplant young plant starts into the rows - and as an added benefit, the layer of compost that was put down in the fall will also work very well as a weed barrier for your walkways. No extra mulching needed - it's already done! And the following year, rotate your walkways with your planting rows - it will give the bed soil a rest every other season. Each fall, you can spread your lawn waste directly over the garden patch to help amend soil with organic matter. I've been gardening this way for many years, and each year, the soil will get better and better. I definitely recommend avoiding any type of commercial chemicals, pesticides and herbicides in a garden. Certain vegetables, particularly carrots, will leach harmful materials (such as heavy metals) out of the soil and concentrate those in their roots. There are also many safe, natural alternatives for insect and disease control. I would recommend "The New Organic Grower" by Eliot Coleman for additional information. This has been my gardening bible for nearly a decade. Congrats on the new house and good luck with your new garden! Are you familiar with “lasagna gardening”? It is a low cost, natural and effective way to prepare a garden bed for planting that is also less work than tilling. And fall is the time to start a new plot with this method.

Start by mowing the area with the mower blade at the lowest setting. Save old newspapers and cardboard boxes (which you will have plenty of it you’re moving). Lay them flat over the area you intend to garden and wet them down. Follow with a layer of compost – shredded leaves, grass clippings, lawn and kitchen waste (no dairy or meat!) and let it sit.

You would be surprised how fast the paper materials decompose, especially with compost on top of it. I don’t recommend tilling, because as you will see next spring, the paper products also help insulate the soil and attract lots of worms – which will aerate the soil and add plenty of castings as well. Tilling will disrupt the microecosystem of your new garden.

In the spring, you can very easily dig furrows for seeds and transplant young plant starts into the rows – and as an added benefit, the layer of compost that was put down in the fall will also work very well as a weed barrier for your walkways. No extra mulching needed – it’s already done! And the following year, rotate your walkways with your planting rows – it will give the bed soil a rest every other season.

Each fall, you can spread your lawn waste directly over the garden patch to help amend soil with organic matter. I’ve been gardening this way for many years, and each year, the soil will get better and better.

I definitely recommend avoiding any type of commercial chemicals, pesticides and herbicides in a garden. Certain vegetables, particularly carrots, will leach harmful materials (such as heavy metals) out of the soil and concentrate those in their roots. There are also many safe, natural alternatives for insect and disease control.

I would recommend “The New Organic Grower” by Eliot Coleman for additional information. This has been my gardening bible for nearly a decade.

Congrats on the new house and good luck with your new garden!

]]> By: grannygrunt28391 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/comment-page-1/#comment-953 grannygrunt28391 Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:40:56 +0000 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/#comment-953 Your best bet to be ready for spring is to till the spot and add some compost to enrich your soil this way the ground is open and it allowes the rain to soak in better. I would buy a soil test kit to see specifically what your soil needs if anything since this is a first timer. You can never go wrong with adding compost. Then till it once more in the spring and your ready to do. Suggestion either build or buy a compost bin this way you'll always have some on the way. First check to see if the city you live in has a grant and can provide a compost bin that is discounted sometimes they'll have them for almost 1/2 price See how in the page of URLS OR How to Build a Compost Bin University of Missouri Extension...this link gives several variation of types to build. See ingredients for compost pile below link Your best bet to be ready for spring is to till the spot and add some compost to enrich your soil this way the ground is open and it allowes the rain to soak in better. I would buy a soil test kit to see specifically what your soil needs if anything since this is a first timer. You can never go wrong with adding compost. Then till it once more in the spring and your ready to do. Suggestion either build or buy a compost bin this way you’ll always have some on the way.
First check to see if the city you live in has a grant and can provide a compost bin that is discounted sometimes they’ll have them for almost 1/2 price
See how in the page of URLS
OR
How to Build a Compost Bin
University of Missouri Extension…this link gives several variation of types to build.
See ingredients for compost pile below link

]]> By: world and all its' contents http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/comment-page-1/#comment-952 world and all its' contents Fri, 03 Apr 2009 12:06:11 +0000 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/#comment-952 It depends on the size of the plot. If it is small you can dig it and get out as many of the perennial weeds as possible. Then spread a thick layer of manure over the plot and dig that in so that is just below the soil line. You can then forget it until early next year when the cycle of vegetable sowing begins. If it's a large plot you can do the same but substitute the spade and fork for a rotorvator. This time next year your freezers should be full. It depends on the size of the plot. If it is small you can dig it and get out as many of the perennial weeds as possible. Then spread a thick layer of manure over the plot and dig that in so that is just below the soil line. You can then forget it until early next year when the cycle of vegetable sowing begins.
If it’s a large plot you can do the same but substitute the spade and fork for a rotorvator.
This time next year your freezers should be full.

]]> By: Rottie Mom http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/comment-page-1/#comment-951 Rottie Mom Wed, 01 Apr 2009 04:02:18 +0000 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/#comment-951 I wouldn't recommend using a weed killer where you plan to grow vegetables. There's a possibility that the weed killer won't completely "disappear" from the soil and you could be eating it with the veggies. Rototilling a good layer of compost into it is a good idea. Till it again in the spring to discourage weeds. I wouldn’t recommend using a weed killer where you plan to grow vegetables. There’s a possibility that the weed killer won’t completely “disappear” from the soil and you could be eating it with the veggies.

Rototilling a good layer of compost into it is a good idea. Till it again in the spring to discourage weeds.

]]> By: windgate http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/comment-page-1/#comment-950 windgate Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:33:48 +0000 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/#comment-950 You can use a heavy duty weed killer. But some that really do the job you can't plant until several months later. But in all reality, you don't need to do anything until spring. Unless you want to give your self a head start to remove tree's etc... I once worked for a place that does there own farm work and had a Flower and vegetable stand. They used the heavy duty weed killers before. But gave up on using them. The expense (and wait) is not always worth it. You can use a heavy duty weed killer. But some that really do the job you can’t plant until several months later. But in all reality, you don’t need to do anything until spring. Unless you want to give your self a head start to remove tree’s etc…

I once worked for a place that does there own farm work and had a Flower and vegetable stand. They used the heavy duty weed killers before. But gave up on using them. The expense (and wait) is not always worth it.

]]> By: moonlight http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/comment-page-1/#comment-949 moonlight Sat, 28 Mar 2009 07:33:05 +0000 http://millysgarden.com/gardentips/garden-landscape/do-i-need-to-do-anything-special-to-land-this-fall-i-plan-to-garden-in-the-spring/#comment-949 You can rototil the area and mix in come organic compost at the same time. That way, come spring the soil should be ready to go! You can rototil the area and mix in come organic compost at the same time. That way, come spring the soil should be ready to go!

]]>