burn. Do not compost. Leaving the plants to fall on their own has several benefits. First, this provides an overwintering place for beneficial insects such as native ladybugs (the Asian kind look for warm places in and around the house). Secondly, the fallen foliage collects snow, protecting the root crown of the perennial from freeze and thaw damage. Thirdly, the spent foliage will return their nutrients to the soil to nourish a new season of growth. Should you cultivate? Recent studies show that this is only useful if there has been an infestation of some unwanted creature that might have laid eggs in the vicinity. Other wise, leave the soil undisturbed. Now is a good time to add a top dressing of compost, topsoil or the fallen leaves from your trees (mulch them with your lawn mower to help them decompose) and you can do this with the spent plants in place. They will break down over winter and do their part in making healthy soil for growing in next spring. This is also a good time to divide perennials. The soil will still be warm enough to promote root growth before freeze-up so plants get a good start in spring. Fall dividing and planting shows where there is room to accommodate new plants. Remember, this is general advice. There may be areas of your garden that might need special attention, and you should seek local advice on these issues.
Don’t just rake your leaves, mulch them and spread them over your garden.
Vegetable gardens Because vegetable gardens are used intensively, they pose more of a problem in maintaining soil health. Firstly, most of the vegetables are foreign to the soil in which we grow them. We plant them in tidy rows to support our own needs, and to keep the resulting weed growth down, we till the soil. There are both plusses and minuses to this. Tilled soil makes it easier for roots to establish, and neat rows makes it easier to harvest, and manage weeds and insects.
Most kitchen and yard waste can composted into valuable mulch. localgardener.net
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But each year the plant must establish a new eco system. Harmful nematodes and other foes have not yet located their presence. But as time goes on, things change and the crop that did so well in year one begins to fail. Gardeners deal with this by rotating their annual crops, moving them to different locations each year. Exceptions are the perennial crops such as asparagus and rhubarb or herbs such as mint and thyme. Clean up old foliage which may contain disease and insect eggs. Dispose of it. Pull any emerging weeds. Till in areas where there were insect infestations. Now is the time to add compost. If you don’t compost or you don’t have enough, purchase it at the local hardware or garden centre. You can dig it in; 2 to 3 inches in depth is a good rule of thumb. Anything deeper may not allow the cold to penetrate far enough to kill overwintering disease and pests. You can add more once the ground freezes. The goal is to develop soft soil with good tilth. Tilth is the ability of the soil to hold air and moisture. Adding organics helps this as it encourages the activity of microbial life and in so doing releases the nutrition into the soil in a form that plant can use. If you squeeze a handful, it should hold its shape for a few minutes when you open your hand. q 2021 • 13
