Whether you’re growing veg over the winter months or have decided to wait until the spring, there are one or two things worth doing in the garden right now.
1. Make a leaf mould
If you start now, it should make a nice mulch (find out why we love mulch) to use in the veg patch in about a years time. So, get out there this weekend and gather ye autumn leaves while ye may. All you’ll need is a rake, a big bin bag and a couple of rectangular planks of wood to use to pick up the leaves in nice big quantities. Pop the leaves in the bag (and any grass clippings if you’re mowing the lawn at all), add a little sprinkle of water if it’s dry, prick a few holes in the bag, tie it up loosely and pop it in a sheltered spot where you’re happy to leave it for a year or so.
2. Add manure to empty veg beds
If you can get your hands on some manure, then add it to the soil now to give it a nutritious boost before spring planting. It’s such a great source of nitrogen that is particularly good for growing any leafy greens. But do it now while veg beds are empty as you don’t want to be applying fresh manure to plants that are growing in the spring. (If you do decide to use manure in the spring, make sure it’s well composted manure, not fresh).
3. Build a compost heap
If you haven’t already got one on the go, now is a great time to start, and you’ll have some lovely compost to use in about 18 months time. Not everybody has space for composting, but if you do have even one free square metre, it’s worth getting yourself a compost bin and popping any grass cuttings and raw veggie scraps in there. If you want to give it a go, have a read of our composting guide from earlier in the year.
