Prevention and Maintenance
Cold, frosty weather is here, and winter is on its way. What can you do in the garden right now?
Protect: Protect your winter veggies. Cover them with a row cover like remay (we sell by the yard) or a portable cold frame. Disconnect your garden hoses, drain, and insulate any outdoor faucets before it freezes if you haven’t done so already.
Cleanup: Clean and rake the leaves in your yard and compost them. Destroy any diseased leaves or plant material. Be sure to check out the City Of Eugene’s Leaf Collection Schedule for information on pick up in your area. Clean and oil your tools and other garden/yard equipment before storing for the winter.
Mulch: Mulch around your berries, and use composted manure and straw for your rhubarb and asparagus beds. Plant cover crops, or cover the beds in about 4 inches of leaves to help prevent soil compaction, winter weeds, and suppress early spring weeds. Mulch or add compost around your shrubs. This will provide insulation for root zones, help soil to resist compaction, suppress weed growth, as well as provide a slow break down that will release micronutrients and biology into the existing soil.
Pests & Diseases: Treat for slugs and snails now to lessen the amount of damage from them in the spring. Use an all natural control such as Sluggo, hand pick them out of the beds, or use traps. Keep an eye on when and how to treat your fruit trees for disease and prevention with this handy Fruit Tree Spray Schedule.
Planting: It is still an excellent time for planting trees and shrubs! If you haven’t yet planted your spring flowering bulbs or garlic yet, get them in the ground asap.
