Topics: Gardening, Wind Energy, Honeybee Population, Green Businesses, Energy-efficient Roofs

Guests:

Cheryl Long , Editor-in-Chief, MOTHER EARTH NEWS

Cheryl discusses keeping your garden soil in tip-top shape for the winter by planting cover crops; harvesting veggies sooner by using low-cost "quick hoops", a mini-greenhouse for your garden; the declining honeybee population; and home-scale wind turbines.

John Simonetta , Owner, Proforma Simonetta Freelance

John educates about the many print and promotional item solutions available for businesses and organizations wishing to go green, to show that businesses do have eco-friendly options — from clothing to printing to promotional items — to meet any business need. John has been in the marketing business for more than 10 years and writes a twice-weekly blog on the greening of the promotional items industry.

Keith Lyles , Owner, Superoof

We talk with Keith about upgrading existing roofs after an insurance claim; investment grade roofing; Energy Star roofing for tax credits, and more.

Listen Now!  

Veggie production slows to a feeble crawl as winter sets in, but below ground, microorganisms in the soil keep working year-round. To support this process, you can mulch over beds with leaves, grass clippings, straw, or another biodegradable material, or grow cold-hardy cover crops. 

Letting your beds go through winter naked is a cruel option that exposes soil to the triple threat of compaction from rain and ice, erosion caused by wind and water, and nutrient loss from leaching. Mulches and cover crops cushion and protect the soil, and as they decompose they improve the soil's ability to retain nutrients by increasing its organic matter content.

Use leaves, stockpiled grass clippings, old hay, or whatever you have to tuck in your beds for winter.

Consider Your Options

At this late date, mulch is the most practical option for most of us. Use whatever you can get your hands on, and pile it on thick. You can keep mulching all through winter if you don't have snow, because there is no such thing as too much winter mulch. In spring, when you want your beds to dry out and warm up, simply rake the mulch into pathways, or pile it up and re-use it later on, when your plants are up and growing. 

Hardy grains including oats, rye and wheat make great winter cover crops because their extensive roots do a good job of improving the soil's structure, and they will often germinate in cold soil. If you have a small garden, try sowing small patches using handfuls of whole grains purchased at the health food store. The seeds will sprout during mild breaks in the weather. In spring, you can chop the plants into the soil or pull them up and compost them.

Nitrogen-fixing legumes are an even better choice, particularly hairy vetch, Austrian winter peas and crimson clover. These crops need a bit of a head start in fall (planting dates range from September in the North to October in the South), but if you can get them established before winter, you'll have a dream situation in spring. Simply use a sharp hoe to sever each plant at the soil line. Let the foliage dry into a mat for a few days, and then make openings in the mulch to plant your veggies.

What are your beds wearing this winter? Use the comments section below to share your favorite winter soil-soothing techniques.

Winter wheat grown from bulk-bin wheat berries make a fine winter cover crop in a small garden.

As the summer winds down, you may be ready to let some of your garden beds go until next spring.

But wait! Before you call it quits for the year, consider cover crops. Now is a great time to sow a cover crop or two that will enrich your garden soil over the winter. It's a remarkably easy and inexpensive way to improve your soil.

Oats are one simple choice for a fall cover crop. Just visit your local garden or farm supply store to pick up some seeds and get them in the ground now. The oats will grow quickly during the cool days of fall, and then winter temperatures will kill them in most regions, leaving a soil-protecting mulch. (In warmer zones, you'll need to turn the oats under in the spring to kill them.)

Other good choices for fall cover crops include Austrian field peas, barley, crimson clover, rye, vetch or winter wheat. If you need a source for seeds, a good one to try is Peaceful Valley Farm Supply. Want to learn more about cover crops? Check out these helpful sources:

Cover Crops for Home Gardens This cover crop cheat sheet from Oregon State University is a quick way to figure out what to plant when. 

Eight Strategies for Better Garden Soil This recent Mother Earth News article from writer and homesteader Harvey Ussery is a great overall summary of how to improve your garden soil, including specific cover crop suggestions. 

Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures This publication from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service explains all the details of cover crop use, especially as it relates to farmers and market gardeners.