Mulch, Mulch, Mulch that Winter Garden

Category: Winter projects | Posted: Sat Dec 05, 2009 8:56 pm

It feels like winter with temperatures going into the low twenties. I have been slowly through the fall adding back to the soil with the bean and pea vines, cabbage leaves and other garden left-overs. I also have an abundant source of leaves from the filbert trees that almost overhang my garden area(ivy hedge trimmings are another biggy for me to use as mulch). This week-end the leaves are finally all down from the trees, and I will get out the leaf-blower and rake and get the last of the leaves into the flower and garden beds. I don't want my soil exposed to the elements. The hard beating of constant rain will compact the soil's surface and leach nutrients from the soil. I try to get a minimum covering of 3 inches of composting materials (and often twelve inches or more of light leaves - the worms break them down by spring) Where I have my soil covered in composting materials it lays like a warm blanket protecting the soil that is alive with worms and beneficial micro-organisms.

My leaf source for mulch is very close to my vegetable garden ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

The first fallen leaves are already beginning to be worked into soil by quickly multiplying worms. It also helps protect my winter garden of primarily cole crops. I have a variety of Brussels sprouts, all-season cauliflower and kale as well as spinach, beetberry and broad beans. Next years project should be a portable cold frame to extend the cold hardy varieties of spinaches and lettuces.

I love worms! I don't believe that the benefit of worms and their castings can be over emphasized. They play such an important part in soil fertility. Worms are naturals at aerating the soil with their tunnels. They make minerals available to plants since their castings (poop) contain a diverse microbial population that helps increase soil fertility. It is a fertilizer that is naturally occurring, free (unless you choose to buy it in sacks at a local garden store ) water soluble and immediately available to plants. Worms do it for you so you don't have to do anything. "Yeh! for worms."

In September I planted my over-wintering cover crop of broad beans. I start the cole crops in July. I am not sure how this cold weather will affect them, but it will be fun to see. My cole crops usually hold up well until the temperatures drop into the teens. Snow helps to insulate them, but we have had none so far this fall. I don't harvest unless the daily temperatures get above freezing. The broad beans definitely got big enough to help do some valuable nitrogen fixing to the soil and maybe add a little organic matter. We've enjoyed several meals with brussels sprouts and kale makes the most lovely vegie lasagna. Wish I had taken the time to mulch between the broad bean and beetberry plants, but didn't think we would have such cold weather for such an extended period of time this early (a full week so far).

My vegetable garden as it looks today ( photo / image / picture from Jewell2009's Garden )

I love having a garden full of edibles even in the winter. It gives me such pleasure and comfort knowing I can still go out into the yard and get some fresh produce even when the temperatures dip.

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Comments

Frank wrote on Sun Dec 06, 2009 12:15 pm:

Worms are nature's gardeners :)

gfreiherr wrote on Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:29 pm:

I wish I could have a vegetable garden. I love fresh produce. We have a small lot with lots of trees.
I do a few tomato plants but that is all. Looks like you have a good size garden.

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