Getting ready to start a new season of planting is always so exciting. I love planning what I am going to plant and watching my seedlings grow. As you get closer to getting those baby plants into the garden it is time to prepare your raised beds for the new season.
Harvest & Cleanup
Depending on which season you are transitioning to and what zone you live in this may look a little different. I live in zone 9b so I pretty much have things growing in the garden all year. The harvest and cleanup step for me is a delicate dance to harvest and preserve the last season crops as I cleanup and prepare for the next season. This is normally staggered over about a month for me due to working full time.
When I harvest my plants I try to also cleanup their areas at the same time. I utilize the no dig and regenerative methods in my garden. In these methods you do not dig up plants when they are done producing. You would cut the plant at the soil level leaving all of the roots in tact and disturbing the soil as little as possible. Your soil has its own microbiome and disturbing it with digging and overturning can have negative impacts. There are bacteria, fungi and bugs living in the soil and can be killed if the soil is disturbed too much. In addition, leaving all of the old roots in the soil let them decompose and add back more nutrients back into your soil.
This is also the time to ensure that there are no weeds growing in your garden. In my area in the spring is when I get the most weeds appearing in the garden due to this being prime weed growth in other areas due to winter rains. During the summer it is too hot and dry for a lot of weeds.
This fall I got a lot of my plants in a little latter than I would have liked so I have a plant or two that may stagger into this planting season. Also the fall/winter transition for me also has plants that continue on through the summer such as garlic and onions. As such I cannot completely clear out each bed as I get ready for the next crop.
Repair
From season to season there are many maintenance tasks that are best handled after your beds are cleaned out. Items to ensure are ready for the next season include irrigation, plant supports, and even the raised beds themselves.
As you are cleaning out the beds it is a great opportunity to look at your irrigation and ensure that all of it is working order. This year while cleaning up I found one of my drip hoses that had been frayed and had to be replaced. My irrigation is on a timer and runs in the evening. I am not normally outside when it is running. Take the time to turn on your irrigation and ensure you haven’t sprung a leak and all areas or getting water.
Take stock on your plant supports and see if any of them need repair or replacement from the prior season. I had a few tomato cages that had to be put back together as they fell apart when I was removing them last year. I also had to replace the netting on my large arch. This was a pretty easy task of laying out the new netting and just attaching it to the hooks.
Amend the Soil
Next step is to amend your soil. In this step you are adding in more nutrients and providing a topping of compost to help feed your plants. On a cleaned our raised bed I will spread a layer of Dr. Earth Organic Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer. This is an organic fertilizer that will add nutrients and microbes back into the soil. This is especially helpful in feeding new plants. I also use this because it is pet safe and I have a pup that loves to come eat dirt in my garden. They are OMRI Certified as well. OMRI is a non-profit company that reviews items for use in organic production. You can read more about OMRI on their website https://www.omri.org/
Next I will add a layer of compost. I use Dr. Earth Natural Choice All Purpose Compost. The compost provides more nutrition back into the soil and will discourage weed growth. It will also help to retain moisture. I will also use my worm compost but the amount depends on how much I have ready.
If I am planting tomatoes or peppers in the area I will also add in some crushed oyster shells. I used the Down to Earth brand Oyster Shells. They provide calcium into the soil which is essential for preventing blossom end rot of tomatoes and peppers.
Plant Supports
I prefer to put up my plant supports prior to planting my seedings as long as I can still get to the area to plant the seedlings. My arch is very large and spans two raised beds and I move it every spring to a different set of raised beds. It is much easier to move and place when I don’t have to worry about damaging plants. Also, i know where to plant my climbing plants such as my pumpkins so they can start climbing right away. The other supports are tomato or pepper cages and my cucumber trellis. I have large cages and it is easier to align them when I don’t have to work around tender seedlings. The cucumber trellis I tried to install it after the seedlings were in and I damaged one of them.
Prepared Raised Beds for the New Season
Preparing raised beds for a new season will ensure your seedlings have a new home to go into. Make sure to plan accordingly depending on the size of your garden to ensure your raised beds are prepared when your seedlings are ready to be plants. This year I had to work around a lot of rain and have had to do some cramming to get everything ready. I still need to do some weeding in the pathways but that will have to wait till I get all the seedlings in the ground.
Other articles you might be interested in starting your garden:
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