Winter Prep for the Urban Garden

These crisp and cool days of November have been a perfect time to prep our Urban Garden for the winter months and into spring. We gave the garden a good weeding; getting rid of all the bits that will choke new growth. A variety of herb seeds were sprinkled in the freshly turned soil. Chervil, a good cool-season crop, was added as well.

Kale is a strong green that loves this time and can grow well into winter. A tidy row of its small growth will winter and produce even sweeter leaves until it snows. The sweet mint has become quite large and bushy. It is aromatic and hearty. It’s a lovely holiday garnish and delicious in so many drinks and foods.

A few tips for your own urban garden:

:: Pull up dying plants. Clean up dead leaves. Add them to your compost pile.

:: Clean all weeds from the garden soil.

:: Till your soil and after a hard freeze cover areas with mulch or heavy plastic to decrease weed growth as well as protect topsoil.

:: Consider planting a “cover crop” – one you don’t plan to harvest. This will help keep topsoil from blowing or washing away.

:: Come spring, you will till this “cover crop” into the soil to provide valuable organic matter to enrich the soil.

:: Clean and sharpen your garden tools before putting them away for winter

Happy Gardening!