What to Do in Winter

(Page 3 of 3)

October/November 2007
By Barbara Pleasant  
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For example, if you get a good stand of hairy vetch growing in fall, simply cut the plants down in mid-spring (or pen your chickens on the bed), allow the foliage to dry into a mat and plant tomatoes right into the mulch.

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For all those “to be determined” spots, you can enrich the soil and prevent winter erosion by tucking beds in with compost, mulch or a hybrid of the method I call “comforter composting.” Piles of organic matter in any configuration will turn the soil’s surface into a compost factory. Several 3-inch layers of dead plants, chopped leaves, spoiled hay and other mulch materials will compost themselves when placed atop unemployed soil.

If you would rather make a mountain of compost from autumn’s haul of yard and garden waste, why not locate the pile in a place where it will travel across cultivated soil as you turn it every few weeks? A “walking heap” leaves a trail of organic matter in its wake, and nutrients that leach from the pile at various stopping points go straight into the soil.

Protect Your Trees

Mulches, compost piles and beneficial bug-havens all have one drawback: They provide snug, diversified winter quarters for mice, voles, rabbits and other small animals. As these animals run short of food in winter, they often girdle shrubs and trees as they dine on the nutrient-rich cambium just under the bark. If dogs, cats, owls and other predators don’t keep damaging critters in check, use wire cages to protect fruit trees and other high-value woody plants.

Use wire hardware cloth, at least 24 inches wide (go wider in areas with heavy snowfall), to make trunk cages. Just before positioning a cage, lay down a 3-inch wide collar of pebbles or small stones around the base of the tree for an extra measure of deterrence. Shimmy the cage down into the soil. Place additional stones around the base of the cage to help hold it in place. Or, make ground staples for your cages from wire clothes hangers cut into 6-inch pieces and bent into a U shape.

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Comments

  • Clea 9/27/2007 7:07:39 PM

    Awesome ideas! Good thought on the cheap dog food, though I worry
    about attracting pests like raccoons. My problem with sheet mulch
    or partially broken down leaves is that in my dry climate, they
    don't break down very fast. Guess I need to stick with cover crops.
    :)

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