What happens to your food garden at the end of the season? Vital Veggies, Roger & Sally have all the answers. All good things come to an end and your veggie garden is no different. After producing loads and loads of fresh and delicious produce, it’s time to clear out the old and introduce the new. Let’s start our soil maintenance at the end of the growing season. It is a good idea to remove the tops of any plants left over from the growing season, shred them and throw them in the compost pile. Leave root masses to break down naturally these feed your soil, leaving the structure intact and aiding in aeration). If your raised beds are fairly new, you can expect the soil level to drop every year for the first few years as the topsoil/compost mix you initially filled the beds with slowly settles and the organic material breaks down. Top up with well-aged compost. The same vegetables should not be planted in the same place year after year. Rotate the types of plants from bed to bed as it lessens the need for pest control, reduces the spread of soil-borne disease And avoids nutrient depletion in the soil. Green manures (such as alfalfa and mustard) are wonderful in improve the soils fertility. For more great food growing information, head to the Vital Veggies website VITAL VEGGIES WATCH THE CLIP
