Real summer residents joke that work on their site never ends, but nevertheless, in the last autumn month, it is worth doing several important things. Our consultant, TV presenter, author of books about the garden and vegetable garden, Andrei Tumanov, tells what must be done before the beginning of the winter period.
November 4 2017
At the end of the season, it is necessary to carry out a sanitary inspection and put things in order in the garden. This applies not only to plant residues, which should not be scattered, but it is better to bury them in the soil. For example, cabbage leaves, tomato and potato tops are best placed in feeding pits in the root zone of apple or pear trees. From above, plant residues need to be covered with soil 20 cm.
Most summer residents in the middle lane have not very fertile soils, so additional organic matter will not be superfluous. Do not be lazy to remove mummified fruits from trees: pests and pathogens of various diseases can hide in them. It is better to leave the garden clean and tidy for the winter – this will help to avoid problems next year.
Be careful with burning plant residues: firstly, smoke is the strongest carcinogen, and secondly, making an open fire in your summer cottage is prohibited by our legislation. With such cleaning, you can get to a fine.
Very often, summer residents harvest the last crop and stop weed control, but in vain. Many weeds are cold-resistant and manage to inseminate before a stable minus. Some, like woodlice, feel great under the snow. Therefore, do not be lazy to regularly walk through the area with a hoe and remove green parasites.
Now is the best time for pruning berry bushes: the foliage has already fallen and the skeleton of the bush is clearly visible. But pruning of fruit trees is better to postpone until spring.
Tidy up the greenhouse and clean it of plant debris. It is best to make sure that snow and excess moisture do not fall into it in winter. Freezing of the soil is a kind of sterilization against pests and fungal diseases, and snow will prevent this.
If you want to feast on young vegetables and herbs in the spring, then at the end of autumn you can sow cold-resistant crops before winter: beets, carrots and various types of salads. Just keep in mind that the number of seeds must be increased by 1,5 times. This is in case of extreme conditions. It is better not to use all the seeds, leave some for spring plantings. You can insulate plantings with phlox stems or dry leaves.
Very often rodents like to feast on the bark of young trees, so tie the stems of the trunks with glassine to a height of at least a meter. This material is too tough for pests, your plantings are under reliable protection.
Often, coniferous plants die in winter not from frost, but from the bright February sun, which burns out the needles. Lutrasil or any other light and opaque material that is capable of reflecting rays will help here. Wrap up the plants, especially on the south side.
If in the spring you are going to grow seedlings, now it is worth preparing the land for planting. You should not take it in a greenhouse or in a garden bed where related crops grew. For example, potato soil is contraindicated for tomato seedlings. Do not chase after too fertile soil, the lack of trace elements can be corrected with fertilizers, but on the contrary, it will not work. Everyone knows that overfed seedlings do not take root well in a greenhouse or in the open field. Therefore, observe the measure in everything. For seedlings, the land from the fields where the hogweed grows is ideal, it is no longer dangerous, and here you can borrow wonderful humus that the plants will like.