Clean-Up Time!

 It is time to clean up your summer/fall garden!

Last July I was in a bit of an accident which left me incapable of caring and maintaining my garden. With the new year almost here, and my neck feeling a little better, I am slowly trying to clean up the mess from my summer garden. 

Some books encourage gardeners to keep leaves on the ground, but I have found in reference to a garden specifically, it is best to remove everything off the ground.  Old tomatoes and decomposing peppers only lend themselves to attracting pests and odd molds. 

Any kind of plant greens or vegetables that do not look moldy or covered in fungus I put into my compost.  I keep my compost as free from fungus and disease as possible by usually only putting clean and healthy greens into my compost.  I clip them into smaller branches to quicken the decomposing process.  Make sure to layer your compost alternating with green branches, kitchen scraps and dirt.  Keeping dirt on top of the kitchen scraps keeps little rascals out of your compost.

Clippings that may look suspicious, I put into my city's green waste can.

Once my soil is free of debris from my summer garden, I turn my dirt.  I mix in a large supply of compost and rabbit poop and then mix my dirt again.  Allowing the compost and rabbit pellets to sit for a month or so through January and February will feed my soil so it is energized and ready for planting when the weather warms.

Find some time to unwind and get your garden clean and ready!