To get your vegetable garden ready to make it through the winter, you're going to need to clean up well during the fall.
Good garden care in the autumn makes it much easier to start growing again when spring returns.
It can be tempting to put off your fall chores until spring, but don't do it.
After all, you can expect to be pretty busy when the growing season starts up again.
It's useful to get some of the work done well in advance.
As you finish your harvest and rows of your garden open up, it's a smart idea to plant what's called green manure.
This cover crop won't be harvested.
What it will do is protect the soil under it.
When you prepare the garden to plant in the spring, just till the cover crop right into the soil.
This way, your topsoil stays put, and you add organic matter to the soil in the spring.
Cover crops also provide shade to keep cool season weeds from growing.
Plus, you can plant it in each area as you stop using it - there's no need to plant all at once.
Buckwheat is a useful summer cover crop.
In the winter, more farmers use rye or crimson clover.
There are many other options you can choose, according to your preference.
Another option is to prep your soil in advance.
Take the time to till in the fall, and you'll be able to get started again earlier when spring arrives.
After all, the soil is often too wet early on, even if it's warm enough to start planting.
So, many of us put off tilling or turning the soil until we don't have to work with mud.
If you do decide to do your tilling in the fall, remember to cover it with a good organic mulch to prevent winter weeds from growing and topsoil erosion.
If you grow perennial vegetables, the fall is an important time.
You need to prepare them to survive the winter.
Remove frost killed stems and leaves to keep them from spreading disease or providing a home for insects.
Then, protect them with a blanket of mulch to keep the cold from killing them.
This also prevents frost heave from pulling your plants up by the roots.
Taking the time to prepare your vegetable garden for the winter saves you time and helps you keep your soil healthier.
It might take a little bit of extra work, but it's worth it in the long run.
So don't just leave your garden when the cold weather comes.
Get it ready for the next growing season by doing a little bit of work now.
You'll be happy you did.