Prepping Garden Ben for the winter/next season

[ducks4you]

It's hard to know WHERE to post this. My garden isn't finished yet, but I'm thinking ahead. We ALWAYS grow tomatoes, this year I planted them and expanded my garden space, so they are growing where I have never had tomatoes before, in other words, I rotated them. I usually dig up and move 3-4 inches of soil from the garden and replace it aged manure--I have 3 horses and 11 chickens.

MY QUESTION: What about pulling up the crop remnants and burning them, then spreading the ashes? What do you think?

I Do grow other crops, as well.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

You want to be careful about where you use ash. Ash can change the soil pH. The only crop I would use it on is asparagus, as it seems to do well with it.

What I did this year for a tomato bed that worked really well was I dug down about 2' and then put some soil back -- I screened out the medium to large sized rocks -- (maybe 6-8" of soil), then a good layer of composted horse manure (3-4"?) then more soil and then near the top I put several inches of compost. My tomatoes went insane! I would recommend doing this. I did it in the spring though. If you have wet winters, you should wait until spring, otherwise all the nutrients will just wash away before your plants can use them.

Edited for grammar.

 

[ducks4you]

I hadn't thought about the Ph balance--thanks! I'll just tote the plant remnants to my burn pile. (I had it ALMOST burned down from the debris left after we re-fenced in our 5 acres--for the horses. THEN, we had storm damage--now it's 3 times larger than it was!)

I don't think I need to worry that the manure will wash away because I have 1/2 ft to 1 ft of topsoil already all over my property which already grows most things. I pretty much added the agd manure to get rid of the grass and weeds that were growing where I wanted vegetables and herbs to grow.

How about a cover, like used straw bedding over the winter?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Sure you could cover the beds with used straw bedding. I do that.

Good luck with your tomato bed next spring.

 

[injunjoe]

"Prepping Garden Ben for the winter/next season"

Who is Ben?

 

[ducks4you]

Pretty funny--glad YOU got a good belly laugh!

Want another one...watch a "The Lawrence Welk Show" 1970's episode. There's so much orange, you'll think they're going finish the show and go pheasant hunting.

 

[injunjoe]

That was a great show after that we watched Yee- Ha. Or was it Hee-Ha?

Just having fun and sharing some garden joy!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I don't know, but it sounds like I could use a garden Ben. Does he help out with all the garden chores?

 

[unaspenser]

ducks4you, just wanted to say the quote in your sig is beautiful. I have nothing useful to add about the garden that hasn't already been said, except that if you're done with Ben you can send him my way!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Hey, I get him first!