C le a n o u t th e


A f t e r h a r v e s t in g t h e v e g e t a b le s y o u la b o r e d o v e r t h r o u g h o u t t h e s u m m e r , it ’s im p o r t a n t t o c le a n o u t y o r g a r d e n .


L e a v in g b e h in d d e c a y in g p la n ts o r r o o ts c a n c a u s e a b r e e d in g


g r o u n d fo r p e s ts a n d b a c te r ia th a t c a n h a r m y o u r p la n ts n e x t y e a r . F a ll is th e p e r fe c t tim e fo r a g a r d e n o v e r h a u l b e c a u s e w a itin g fo r


w in te r w ill in tr o -d u c e a h a r d e r g r o u n d a n d fr o s t th a t c a n c r ip p le a p la n t’s c h a n c e s o f r e tu r n in g . F r o m m a in ta in in g y o u r g a r d e n in g to o ls to p r e p a r in g la n d fo r n e x t s e a s o n ’s p la n tin g , r e a d y -in g a g a r d e n d u r in g a u tu m n w ill p r o v id e a n a d v a n ta g e fo r a s u c c e s s fu l h a r v e s t w h e n th e te m p e r a tu r e s r is e a g a in .


C le a r th e g ro u n d F ir s t, y o u w ill w a n t to c le a r th e g r o u n d o f a n y th in g u s e d fo r la s t


s u m m e r ’s h a r v e s t. T h is in c lu d e s ite m s y o u u s e d to s u p p o r t y o u r p la n ts lik e tr e llis e s , to m a to c a g e s a n d s ta k e s . K e e p th e s e to th e s id e b e c a u s e th e y w ill r e q u ir e m a in te n a n c e b e fo r e th e y a r e s to r e d fo r th e y e a r . N e x t, it’s im p o r ta n t to r e m o v e d o r m a n t o r d e a d p la n ts , fr u its a n d


v e g e ta b le s . I n s p e c t th e m fo r s ig n s o f d e c a y o r d is e a s e b e fo r e a d d -in g th e m to


y o u r c o m p o s t p ile . I f th e y a r e c o m p r o m is e d , th e y s h o u ld in s te a d b e b u r n e d o r d is p o s e d o f. T h e M o r to n A r b o r e tu m r e c o m -m e n d s c o m p o s t s h o u ld a v o id d is e a s e d p la n ts a s it m a y s p r e a d to n e x t y e a r ’s c r o p .


4 – F a ll 2 0 2 0 E d itio n


W in m te r p re p O n c e th e g r o u n d is c le a r e d o f p la n ts , th e


F a r m e r ’s A lm a n a c s u g g e s ts th e s e s te p s w h e n p r e p a r in g y o u r g a r d e n fo r w in te r . G e n tly till th e s o il to r e m o v e in s e c ts w h o


h a v e la id c la im to th e g a r d e n to a v o id th e ir in tr u s io n d u r in g s p r in g a n d s u m m e r . A d d a la y e r o f c o m p o s t, le a v e s o r a g e d


m a n u r e to c r e -a te a b a r r ie r . Y o u c a n im p r o v e y o u r s o il b y s o w in g a c o v e r c r o p lik e w in te r r y e . I f w e e d s h a v e b e c o m e u n m a n a g e a b le , c o v e r


th e m w ith b la c k p la s tic o r c a r d -b o a r d th r o u g h o u t th e s e a s o n to s u b d u e th e m . I f y o u a d d flo w e r s to y o u r g a r d e n la n d s c a p e ,


n o w is th e tim e to p la n t s p r in g -b lo o m -in g b u lb s fo r a b e a u tifu l a p p e a r a n c e n e x t y e a r .


C le a n E q u ip m e n t Y o u w ill w a n t to c le a n y o u r p la n t-


s u p p o r tin g e q u ip m e n t fr o m e a r lie r u s e w ith a b le a c h a n d w a te r s o lu tio n to e r a d i-c a te d is e a s e s . D o n ’t fo r g e t to c le a n u p y o u r o th e r


g a r d e n in g to o ls lik e r a k e s , h o e s a n d s h o v e ls to m a k e it e a s ie r to g e t s ta r te d n e x t y e a r


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