How to Put a Garden to Sleep for the Winter
Question
What do I need to put on my garden to put it to bed for the Winter? I'm planning on using my chopped up leaves, but it there anything else I need to add to help the soil's nutrients?
I'm also thinking about putting a load of horse manure on my garden this year. I understand that if I'm going to do that, I also need to add some nitrogen or ammonia sulfate. Do you know how much I need to add, and is this correct information?
Answer
The Fall is the best time to amend the garden soil. Adding compost to the garden is highly recommended. Tilling in chopped leaves does create a problem with the soil. When ever you add a uncomposted item to the soil (chopped leaves), the bacteria that turns organic material into compost will use most of the nitrogen that is in the soil.
If you till in the leaves. use Zamzows Nutri-Rich as a source of nitrogen to feed the bacteria. Using horse manure is again adding an uncomposted product to the soil. Be very careful how much manure you work in to the soil as raw, uncomposted manure can, even in the spring burn tender young plants with too much ammonia. I would prefer that you compost the manure first before adding it to the garden.
Mike Stanton
Zamzows Nampa
1518 Caldwell Blvd
Nampa Idaho