What to do with your garden after you harvest the last of the produce
Save the seeds
Instead of buying new seeds each year, some people like to save the seeds from their previous garden to plant them in the spring. After a person has harvested the last of their produce and they want to save seeds to plant in the spring there are a few thing they need to do. A person should make sure that the seeds that they want to plant in the spring are dried out and that there is not plant debris still connected to the seed. They should store the seeds in small labeled envelops. The envelops should be stored in a container that is airtight and that is located in a cool and dark place.
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Winterize
After a person has harvested the last of their produce they need to winterize their garden. Winterizing a garden is getting the garden ready for winter. Winterizing a garden is very important. A person needs to get their garden ready for the winter which in turn will also help when they are trying to get the garden ready for planting in the spring. There are several things a person needs to do to get their garden ready for winter.
Clean up
First a person needs to clean up their garden. Cleaning up the dead plants, especially the diseased plants can help eliminate some of the pests and diseases that could otherwise survive the winter on the rotting plants.
Another thing a person needs to do to clean up their garden is to remove the rotting vegetables from their garden that they did not harvest. They can add disease free vegetables to their compost pile.
Make compost
To get their garden ready for winter they should also make compost. Compost is very helpful to make the soil richer and help the future plants to thrive in the soil. After a person harvests the last of their produce they can take the left over plants that are disease free and mix them into the compost pile.
Removing weeds and leaves
A person should also remove the weeds and leaves form their garden. Just as with other diseased plants, pests and diseases can also live throughout the winter on weeds and leaves that are left in the garden. By removing these, a person can help their garden to stay healthy and get it ready for the spring planting.
Trim
If a person has any perennial plants in their garden they should take the time to trim them back after they have harvested the last of the produce from their garden. This is also a great way to get the garden ready for winter and help the plant grow better in the spring.
New plants
Some people live in areas that allow them to plant new plants once they have harvested the last of their produce. Sometimes they can start their garden over and plant new vegetables. Some people decide to plant other annuals such as flowers in their garden. Even if people do decide to plant new plants in their garden if the climate allows, they should clean up the plants that they are finished with as well as add them to their compost pile. Their soil still needs compost to help make and keep it healthy. Trimming annuals is also a good thing for them to do.
