Why I mulch my garden in the late fall

by Aimee

Clara and I have been making it a priority to get outside every day in the afternoons, even though it now requires a warm jacket and boots. That burst of fresh air is a necessary jolt after a busy morning and a reminder to slow down, breathe, and tune out the noise for a bit.

She skips around the yard, chasing the hens or petting the cats. Just yesterday I found her standing by the now-empty carrot patch, softly singing a little song. “I’m singing to the seeds.” she said, when I curiously asked her what she was doing. Somehow she remembered my suggestion from this past spring, when she was impatient for her carrots to grow.

While Clara plays (or sings), I prep the place for the coming winter. The garden has been my main focus this week as I know a freeze could happen any time.

All the plants are pulled and tossed on the compost, save for the kale which keeps producing and two hardy parsley plants.

Why I mulch my garden in the late fall

I don’t turn the soil or really do much of anything to the garden in the fall, save a good mulch with leaves. This simply means heaping leaves about 6 inches deep on all the raised beds. It’s like adding another blanket to your bed when the cold comes. Soil needs to be protected from exposure, too, and leaves are the best for the job.

When precious garden soil is tucked away for the winter under a carpet of leaves, a few things happen.

• The mulch helps control erosion. Winter winds and heavy rain in fall and spring can take their toll on unprotected soil.
• It helps insulate perennials such as rhubarb, thyme, oregano, and garlic bulbs, too. All of those sleep in my garden in the winter.
• The leaves provide free organic matter, breaking down and adding nutrients to the soil. I simply turn the leaves into the soil in the spring.

One last thought: don’t rake all of your leaves. Your homestead needs a little protection, too, whether it be lawn, flower beds or around a tree. As the cold sets in, don’t worry about chasing down every last leaf, instead leave them for ground protection.

And we are now ready for snow!

Do you rake and mulch in the fall?

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