Principles & Examples for Putting Garden Beds to Rest in the Fall: Organic Matter Matters! 

Join this channel to get access to perks which focus on garden mentoring and member influenced videos: ru-vid.com/show-UCptL6_qMImyW_yZwiMjQdpgjoin The Modern Homestead Garden: Growing Self-Sufficiency in Any Size Backyard You can find it at these different locations... Thanks 4 the Support! Amazon: https:amzn.to/3Hfejue Barnes & Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-modern-homestead-garden-gary-pilarchik/1137153105?ean=9780760368176 Books A Million: www.booksamillion.com/p/Modern-Homestead-Garden/Gary-Pilarchik/9780760368176?id=7961563419439# An Autographed Copy of my book is at my seed and garden shop: www.therustedgarden.com/search?type=product&q=book My Seed and Garden Shop can be found www.therustedgarden.com As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualified purchases. Check out My Amazon Storefront for garden lights, seed starting supplies, fertilizer, pest management, books and more! www.amazon.com/shop/garypilarchiktherustedgarden I have Neem Oil, Peppermint Oil, Sprayers, Seeds and so much more at my shop...Please check out my Seed & Garden Shop for your gardening needs at www.therustedgarden.com Products I use and Companies I am affiliated with ... Vertical Gardening Towers GreenStalk Vertical Gardening: Use the Discount Code THERUSTEDGARDEN on GreenStalk 'Vertical Tier Systems'. Use this link and enter my code for the discount store.greenstalkgarden.com/?afmc=therustedgarden or this short link lddy.no/4eal AgroThrive Organic Bio-Fertilizers. Use my affiliate link and my code TRG10 to save 10% on your first order: agrothrive.com/?ref=M5o6fjdAruq_S Bentley Seed Company bentleyseeds.com HoseLink Retractable Hose Reels & other garden care products. Promotions will vary and I don't have a code. glnk.io/9wqr/therustedgarden Metal Raised Beds Check out all the metal bed design & colors (dozens) at Vegega. Here is my affiliate link: www.vegega.com/?ref=le64f3gm30 There is often free shipping and discounts. I have a discount code that is always 10% off, use the code TRG. However, it does NOT stack when current sales are active and equal to or above 10% on the site.

Looks great. I' m in PA . I have two small beds. My husband died in Feb, so I"m doing it on my own -- difficult -- but I'm pushig through. Everything youre saying is perfect instruction.

This has got to be one of the most helpful videos yet from any of the gardening channels. You covered it all and explained it so thoroughly. Thank you so much for taking the time to cover all details about enriching the garden beds.

You are the reason I became a successful and enthusiastic gardener !! I didn’t even own a house plant prior to your channel😂Keep doin what your doing Gary and thank you for motivating us all.

This was fantastic! Thank you!! I'm just starting to put my beds and in-ground garden to bed. Maybe a little late here in MN zone 4; but we're getting some nice weather this week and into the weekend. I guess it's better late, than never!

Gary, will we do the same for our containers, also? My garden consists of about 300 grow bags (due to extreme soil contamination from agricultural herbicides and pesticides). Also, will the use of compost allow insects to winter-over and overpopulate? Thanks for the excellent content on your channels!

GREAT VIDEO GARY. 👍

Good advice. Suggest running a lawn mower through the leaves. Broken down into smaller pieces, the leaves decompose more quickly, are easier to spread where needed, and stay in place vs clustering in a corner when the winds blow. Using this method, a 4 inch layer of leaves is totally composted by the end of June in Iowa Zone 5a.

All of my garden beds and containers are in use. As they are emptied out, I will be adding a layer of leaves, mostly maple and dogwood, and topping with compost. The rest of the leaves will be used to top off my compost bin, and fill two trash cans, covered with lids, for use as mulch or composting later in the season. I'll be harvesting potatoes in a few days, and planting Late Nagasaki Cabbage in their place. Almost all of my garden will have something growing throughout the winter.

Thanks Gary. I'll be watching.

Gary, I too am in Maryland. I am in Western Maryland Zone 6b/7a and I have learned so many things from watching your channel. My garden was a great success this year and a lot of the credit goes to you. Thank you.

Perfect timing! I'm prepping my beds now being used for fall gardening for sleep. Also in Maryland! *subscribed*

Thank you my grand father compost in his garden. He cut up his plants then cover them up

Thanks, Gary!

Thanks Gary.

Great video. Thank you!

Such useful information for me as a beginner gardener, thank you so much 👌🙏

Beautiful

One of the best video thanks, I was just thinking about that now that I harvest my last pumpkin ❤

Enjoyed the video and found it informative.

I'm trying out the leaving the leaves as a mulch in spring. I am hoping this helps the soil during the dry season here in oregon. I also dug up some soil from the base of an old growth tree in the park and stuck in in my planter with biochar. It smells so good.

Mint roots happily travel around because they also travel around 1 foot deep

I'm just south of you in Virginia. I'm experimenting with cover crops in three of my larger raised beds. Two different seed mix. My cold compost bin is just entering it's 2nd year, so not going to dig out the bottom just yet. I pretty much do the same process. My neighbor has lots of trees dropping leaves like crazy and I always grab them to top off my other beds. I still have peas, beets, turnips and carrots growing. Going to be planting garlic the end of October. Great Video as Always!!

Awesome 👍

I started growing last year in containers of all kinds. I just did not want to dig and till my backyard. In central TX where I am is right in the middle of the blacklands so my soil is pretty beautiful actually. Just now planning a portion of my backyard going no till. Starting now in the fall so it should be ready by spring. I have a small yard so no compost now unfortunately. Just wanted to thank you again for these videos and the motivation (which my adhd doesn’t let me produce) hoping for a good spring 🤣🤷‍♂️

Thank you! I have limited time & was dreading taking out every plant esp the tom & peppers.

Great advice, although I highly recommend testing ph before adding wood ash and lime. Compost is pretty neutral, and leaves shouldn’t be an issue (though if you can shred them to ensure they won’t mat up, the better). You can go to your local university extension to ask about soil testing, or you can buy a cheap kit at a garden center. If you want to test for more than PH, say your soil is near an old building that used lead paint or near roof runoff with metals in the roof that may have contaminated the soil, then an extension service is your best bet.

Thanks!

Good job

Gary I followed you for some time now and have used you methods they absolutely work, my garden is outstanding always have plenty for my neighbors. Actually I'm already anxious for 2023 spring to get here. Do you have a second book out?

I do manure in the fall and compost in the spring.

Ok, I love the idea of Leaving roots and leaves for the microbiology of the soil. That said, I had a late showing of voles in my garden. Have been reading to clean out any roots, leaves, litter they may hide/overwinter in. Do you still suggest to leave it all? I have a compost bin I usually put everything in for next year. Trying to evict the little vermin and make it inhospitable this winter.

Hey Gary! I'm down to my last few bags of that 16lb holly food we got on clearance for $3.37 a while back. Recently Home Depot has put 27lb bags of Holly Tone on clearance, but not at the store closest to us, but the surrounding area stores, so YMMV depending on the specific store.

Just did this to my 5 raised beds & topped with Woodchips to hold in place. We’ve got really bad winds here 😢. 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

I was not able to get a hold of any leaves and grass this year to use In my garden so I am thinking that worm casting well be my best bet to replenish my beds for next spring, of course I did put compost down for my fall garden I am hoping It won,t be depleated by late fall early winter

PH. Wood Ash raises, pine needles lower. Theres always a balance. If anyone is worried or curious just do a soil test.

Hi Gary! I really appreciate all of your videos. Your advice has come in handy for this new-ish gardner. I found a fertilizer specific to some flowere, and the NPK are present. Higher in the N than the other two. Would i be able to use that for my vegetabke garden? Also, all i have are oak leaves. Are those appropriate to use? Thanks again for you gardening knowledge.

Been subscribed for a few years now -- your ideas and tips are 👍👍 ----- this time I'm gonna change it up a little --- this is an experiment --- I'm doing this BUT only about 1/2 the organic fertilizer -- then in 1 month the same amount again --- then each month same thing again --- until spring when I plant again ----- trying to see the difference (with a constant supply of organic fertilizer breaking down each month to feed my babies)! I'm hoping they'll get fat & sassy & obese with plenty to eat that's already in the ground for them. Also adding gypsum and alfalfa pellets 2 times(now & spring). Trying this because I don't have an endless supply of compost!

I have access to pine needles, but do I need to take the pine cones out of it?

THank you for this video! Im curious what you think about using goat manure instead of compost? The manure has not been fully composted yet

After finishing putting compost and clippings and ash on beds … do I cover them for the winter?

Gary, I'm afraid to use leaves because of insect eggs. The leaves around here have tiny holes

My basics are Oak Leaves and Alfalfa.

I'm putting all the chicken house bedding. & leaves

Gary regarding pot ash. Is ash from charcoal OK? Mind you 2 versions also being processed briquettes and lump/hardwood charcoal. Thx

Hi Gary Great video! What are your thoughts on the use of cover crops in the garden over winter months?

QUESTION: Hi Gary. I've learned a ton from your videos in my first two years of gardening. Thank You!!! Question: I close my beds the same as you but I've been covering them with tarps the last two seasons. I worry the nutrients will wash out of the compost and everything I add. I do try to water at least twice when above freezing through the winter. Is this a waste of time? Chicago. Thank You.

Gary, I found the video to be very enlightening and some of the responses lead me to my question. I have containers and I empty them into trash containers at the end of each season and start over in the spring mixing my soil and amending it at that time. What I would like to know is if I should be concerned with all the roots from the plants that are mixed in with my season ending soil? I generally pick out the large ones and disgard them, but the others are too numerous to sift out. What should I do? Thank you.

Gary, I have so many pine cones every year. How can they be used, composted?

Remember that some of us in the arid southwest don’t get more than a couple rains (if lucky) during the winter so it is important to water the soil regularly with these methods.

Are you using the tomato plant itself in your garden bed or just the roots

Perhaps u should.pull out dieseased tomatoes roots?

Should a traditional garden in the ground be treated the same way?

Would people who get to compost everything still have enough? I would think even grass clippings and everything in sum would still run out of compost, maybe you get the vegetable garden, but how do you give compost back to the lawns? What I'm saying is, all the plots you have need compost and generate compost each year, but is it a net positive? I guess with good enough land management Nitrogen and Carbon should be pulled from the atmosphere..

Hi Gary do u cover the bed with anything? I had been covering the beds with cardboard or a tarp to prevent winter weather washing away nutrients. Is this necessary? I’m in Maryland also. Thankd

I put leaves last winter and they didn’t break down. It was a mess in the Spring trying to plant within them. I don’t remind doing it.

Do you have advice for what to do with containers in winter? I have large plastic buckets and planters--with holes for drainage--that are pretty heavy. Should I cover with plastic so they don't fill with water, freeze, and then crack?

My tomato bed got terrible blight this year - would I put that garden bed to rest for the winter differently than this?

Would adding coffee grounds throughout the winter be beneficial? I know some people have concerns about the caffeine content, but I’ve also heard that that’s a bit of a misnomer. Love the content!

I have several large cedar planters that I have used for my garden. I was planning on covering them with tarps in the winter to protect the wood. Should I add the leaves/compost on top of the soil before I cover them or wait until the Spring? Thank You! Your videos and book are extremely helpful.

For the raised beds, after I lay down the twigs, branches, logs and uncomposted grass or leaves, can I add the dead tomato plants from this summer, before adding the middle layer of low quality soil? What about the soil I used in my container pots that I used for the tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and summer squash/zucchini? Can that soil be used for the middle layer? This will be my first attempt at raised beds. Waiting for them to be delivered so I can set them up. I live in SE Colorado where it's pretty arid. Should I make sure that the raised beds are watered on occasion during the winter? If so, how often? Thank you so much for all your great content!

My compost pile we started 2 years ago started growing tomato plants. The entire top of our 8x8 pile is 🍅. What are your thoughts about straw?

What do you do with the soil in containers?

I have creeping charlies in my yard. Should I be careful to avoid using clippings from those areas in my garden? Or is it not that big of a deal? Thanks.

Good info. I usually put alfalfa pellets down in the spring. Would it be useful to put them down now, under the compost?

will covering with cardboard hurt or help? trying to reduce ghe amount of weeds in the sprung. zone 8b so no snow layer

Can you start a cold compost pile in the fall? I’m in south Jersey zone 7a Also, do you put the potash, lime, granular, and leaves/clippings on top of mulch you had laid in the spring?

I cleaned up all my raised beds for winter, amended with my own compost and some of the beds got some chicken manure worked in. To finish, I took straw that had been in a storage area, broke it apart and scattered over the top. I noticed now and then areas of straw that had a grey dusty appearance, which I think was mold. The straw was not exposed to rain. Now that I have finished, I have been thinking about this and wonder if I just added mold spores to my garden soil. Any advice? I could go out and pull all the straw off. If I do this, can I add to our compost or should I get rid of it? It is Nov 2 in Michigan, so I need to do whatever might be necessary real soon. Thank you.

I have 3 big keter raised bed self watering planters, so no worms. Should I go buy some worms? Or just buy some compost?

Do you have to remove all the old fine roots from the compost or can these stay in?

Hi Gary, I have a plastic bag of grass clippings that I didn't need to use so it just sat in the bag and rot. What can that be used as ,if it's any good at all. The bag was tied so no sunlight reached it and it went into the bag green.

I bought some ever bearing strawberry seeds when do I start them inside in 7a zone. I have june bearing strawberries but I never get any so I wanted to plant them in containers off the ground so hopefully I can get some. Also is it to late to dig up my strawberry bed and thin out the plants ?

Wondering if you got any advice on a mole problem

Hi Gary, thanks for the video! This is my second year gardening. I didn't know what I was doing last year but I'm following you this year and trying my homemade compost. Do I need to put mulch on top of the compost? I get quite a bit of snow in the winter and have been seeing green algae in the spring when I don't put mulch. I didn't see you put mulch on top of your compost, so I'm not sure. Also, doesn't mulch prevent winter erosion of the soil?

Thanks for another great video. This year I had some tomato horn worms. I discovered early enough to prevent devastation, but that was diligent checking, hand picking, and plopping in soapy water. I always rotate my crops, but I’m still freaked by them 😆. I’ve read that in order to prevent them from returning next year the best solution is tilling the ground in that area. I haven’t tilled much in many years as I’ve been focusing on seasonal amending to improve the soil. In this case, should I till or might there be a more effective solution. Do beneficial nematodes get rid of the horn worms? Thanks ~ 4b Upstate NY

What do you do with invading roors from trees ?

I discovered root knot nematodes were in my raised beds. Any suggestions as I prepare them to rest over winter?

I put tulips in one of my vegetables beds,can I still use this method? I will be pulling the bulbs up after they bloom .

Gary my squash suffered bad powdery mildew..I just put my beds to rest but I pulled the entire thing out..could I have composed that without issue?

Great video Gary! Quick question - I have alphala pellets. Should some of those go down now or better in the spring?

What’s wrong with covering the garden bed with a tarp after putting leaves down?

Do you still use alfalfa pellets?

What’s wrong with raising the ph? We have alkaline soil in ground but my raised beds are compost, etc.

My lawn is professionally treated quarterly. Should I NOT use the grass clippings? It was last treated in August. Also can I use the neem cake powder to put my beds to bed?

What would you recommend for those of us that can have something growing year round?

Great Video Gary. How important is it to further break down leaves before putting them on beds? I always hear of people recommending cutting them with a lawnmower before puting them on their beds. Is it necessary?