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in the garden
Here are a few tips to keep your garden alive and thriving through the coming months. ◼ Check weather forecast daily for frost warnings. ◼ Using low tunnels or cloches covered with frost blankets over food crops and cutting gardens may extend the growing season up to one month. ◼ You can also preserve root crops and extend harvest up to one month by removing green leaves and covering with straw, soil or mulch. ◼ Protect winter greens such as kale and chard, from the rain and wind by pushing heavy wire or PVC pipe into the ground to make hoops over the plants. Drape with row cover material or frost blankets which can be found at your local gardening store. ◼ To help prevent slugs, clean up their common hiding areas, such as weed piles, boards or stacked pots.
◼ In October, start cutting back perennials, leaving 3-inch stubs near the ground. These stubs will catch fallen leaves and provide insulation from the cold. ◼ Add mulch to keep root temperatures stable, and add compost to supply organic nutrients to the soil. Don’t fertilize, as this will prompt new growth at the wrong time of year. ◼ Cover paths between vegetable beds with leaves or mulch to deter weeds next spring. ◼ Cover plants with cardboard or other material (except plastic) during frost. Wait until air warms to remove cover. ◼ Continue watering new additions to the landscape that were planted within the last 12 months. Many plants die from drought during their first winter.