I'm a new gardener with big dreams for my garden in my new home! I've spent the summer tackling a ton of weeds, but I still have more to go and I'm not sure if I'll get everything ready for fall planting other than a couple of trees I'd like to start. I have three large empty garden beds in the front yard and more to clear in the back. Would it be smart to mix in some compost and cover with mulch to help the soil over winter? My thinking is that it would set me up nicely for spring. Or is it better to just leave it and amend the soil when spring arrives? Thanks for your thoughts!
2 Answers
I always mix in my compost during the fall. Here where I live, we deal with a lot of snow and freeze-thaw cycles throughout the winter, so adding compost in the fall helps it settle into the soil nicely by spring. Plus, many stores have sales on compost as they want to clear out stock! If your soil could use compost, it’s a good move to add it in the fall and then reassess in spring. You can add more if needed later on!
I actually prepped my empty beds in the fall by covering them with black plastic to kill off any roots underneath. I put bags of mulch on top (still in the bags) to keep everything secure. Then, come spring, I just added soil and compost before planting and did the final mulching. It worked out well!
Interesting idea - thanks!