Putting my gardens to bed

Last summer was a challenging summer. It started out well, and then we got a month of rain. Bugs were just unreal, and fungus and other diseases seemed to thrive.

Spend some time now for a more successful garden next summer. For the past several weeks, my main goal has been getting my gardens in shape for winter and ready for summer gardening. It seems as if during the summer, we plant and weed and grow, and then in the fall, we just breathe a sigh of relief and quit. Or -- should I say -- that is my tendency.

I start planting tomato seeds in January in my work room, so from then on, I garden every day. When that final freeze comes, I want to relax. A little preparation now can cut down on problems and work next spring.

Be sure to clean up your garden site. Many garden pests that give us fits in the summer like to spend the winter in debris left from our garden plants. One crop that we really need to clean up is tomatoes. Last summer was a real trial for the tomato grower. Many had really poor tomato crops, and for those who were able to grow tomatoes, it seemed as if the tomatoes just weren't as good as normal.

I pull as many of the roots as I can. Some won't pull, so they will have to decompose through the winter. I rake down the rows and get as many of the leaves and branches as I can. I also like to till down each row as well. In between the rows I have cyprus mulch, so I pretty much leave it alone. It is a good idea not to put your old tomato vines and such on your compost pile. We actually burn ours.

It is best to rotate your crops, but most of us don't have the space in our garden to rotate. For this reason -- I can't stress it enough -- be extra diligent about cleaning up where you grew your tomatoes. Stir up the soil if you can. I cleaned up one spot where I had about 125 tomato plants and planted some other crops such as beets, lettuce and spinach. I'll just till it under come spring.

Other crops, such as green beans or peas, I normally mow and then till under the clippings. Okra is a little different. I use my bush hog on the okra. After mowing it in the fall, I leave the roots in the ground and let them decompose. Normally by spring, they are pretty much gone. After my corn is done, I mow it and disk it into the ground. If you don't have a big mower and disk, I'd use a corn knife and chop it off as close to the ground as I could. Remove the stalks, and till down each side of the roots. They should decompose. You can put the stalks on your compost pile.

If you have weeds in your garden, mow them off if possible. I ended up with a bunch of weeds in our hill garden. I mowed them off and then took our blower and blew as much of the debris and seeds off the garden as I could. Worked really well. I know I can't get all the weed seeds, but just a little will help.

If you have never had your garden tested, now is a great time. Stop by the extension office in Jackson or down at Benton. You can pick up the little container to put your test soil in. Instructions will be on the container.

Dig your test sample and drop it off at the extension office. It will cost you $12 or $15 dollars or so. Not sure how much, but it's worth every penny. Once you get the results back, you may want to amend the soil even this winter, especially the pH.

If you use garden hoses, now is a good time to drain them and roll them up for winter. After I roll them up, I screw the ends together so bugs or dirt can't get in the hose. It's a good idea to put a dab of lubricant on the hose ends. Rub it around the male end.

I have a number of shut-offs in my watering system, so I open them all if possible. I also have a couple pressure reducers and filters, so I open them up and let them drain. Several years ago, I failed to open some of them, and they froze and burst. If possible, I try to drain all my supply lines. Mine are mostly that black plastic, so they can freeze and most likely won't burst, but it's best to drain.

Check your hydrants and make sure they are not dripping. If there is a slow leak they will freeze up in cold weather. I have one that shuts off, but it won't drain back, so it will freeze. I have wrapped it with hose insulation but also put a heat tape on it. It does the job. I plug it in during the fall, and it stays on until it warms up in the spring. It has a temperature gauge in it, so it doesn't heat when the temperature is above 34 degrees, I believe.

I've mentioned this in the past: Clean up your garden tools. If they have dirt on them, brush it off or wash them. After mine are clean, I usually spray them down with WD40. I buy the liquid WD40 and then use a spray bottle. Put some oil or such on your wood handles. The wood not only will look better but also will last longer. If you have the time, sharpen your hoes and corn knife. One thing to do, for sure, is clean up your pruners and oil them. Spray a little WD40 on the springs and joints.

Have a good one.

Until next time.