in my area, there have been many articles about putting your garden to bed.
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
October 18, 2010 11:18am CST
What are you going to do with your garden bed once all the harvesting is done? Some people plow it under.
Other interesting ideas have come about. One is to put 3 inches deep of newspapers. Then a few inches of compost, and then a layer of dirt. Supposedly keeps grass and other unwanted weeds from coming back. Supposedly you can extend your garden doing that without having to fight sod.
What ideas have you heard, used, or read about putting a garden to bed?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@GardenGerty (157462)
• United States
19 Oct 10
I have put down tarps when I have extra, and that kills out weeds. I have also heard of taking used carpeting down, as the moisture penetrates but the weeds do not grow. I have been putting the grass clippings down on various planting beds in my yard. I also am looking forward to next spring as I have a glass door that I can use for a cold frame on my bricked in bed next spring.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Oct 10
I like the last idea. I'll be looking for glass doors in yard sales and digging my bricks out of the grass. Thanks and take care.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Oct 10
I'm trying to expand my garden without buying equipment or gas. I also need my garden to go higher because we're swampy here. So I thought it was a neat idea. If I do it every year, it will be a higher garden and maybe have some decent drainage.
@celticeagle (158615)
• Boise, Idaho
20 Oct 10
We always tilled it all under and let it go until the next year. That way all the vines and so forth make for better soil the next season. And we let the vegetables that go bad and so forth go back underground as well. And, of course, the ground is tilled again several times the next season.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
20 Oct 10
Many people till the plants and vines under. They're saying to remove the rotted veggies so the next year, the rot won't continue if it is a disease. Otherwise you need a really, really hot compost to kill rot.
The many till times helps to kill weeds that can totally distroy a garden and everything else around it such as bind weed and/or kudzo, etc.
You didn't have a perenial garden or a winter one did you? (winter garlic, winter onions, you plant them in the fall and they come up next year, perenial would be every year stuff like rhubarb, some types of sage, many types of berries) Or like me, were you just talking about the annual garden?
@hvedra (1619)
•
19 Oct 10
We often cover any exposed, unplanted parts because our soil is quite sandy and prone to erode. We also cover some of the dormant plants, like rhubarb, with a big pile of compost or manure to protect them and feed them.
It can also be a good idea to protect some plants from damage from severe frosts. We nearly lost our bay the first year we had it but thankfully it has become a lot more hardy.
Of course, we have some plants, like Jerusalem Artichokes which stay in the ground even in the winter until you dig them up to use them.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Oct 10
All terrific ideas for people to refer to. There were many sunchoke/Jerusalem Artichoke discussions going on here for a while. Thanks and take care.
