Preparing Your Garden for Winter

Winter isn't the end – it's the beginning.
A chance to nourish your soil, let life work beneath the surface, and give your garden a head start for spring.
Here’s how to take care of your vegetable garden before the cold sets in.

🌿 1. Harvest what's left and tidy up

Pick any remaining hardy vegetables (carrots, leeks, cabbages…). Cut down the old plants but don’t uproot everything — roots left in the soil break down and feed the life below.

🌱 2. Loosen the soil gently

Use a broadfork instead of digging with a spade. This keeps soil layers intact and microorganisms active, even in winter.

🍂 3. Add gentle nutrition

Spread a thin layer of mature compost or well-rotted manure. No need to dig it in — worms and microbes will handle it. Focus on beds that will host hungry crops like pumpkins and tomatoes.

🌾 4. Cover the soil

Don’t leave soil bare. Rain and frost can wash away nutrients. Mulch with what you have:

• shredded leaves

• straw

• dry untreated grass

• plain cardboard (no tape or ink)

This protects the soil and builds fertility over time.

🌸 5. Sow green manures

If a bed is free, sow a cover crop like phacelia, rye or mustard. They prevent erosion, improve structure and turn into rich humus by spring.

Soil that’s cared for in winter will reward you in spring.
Simple actions now = a vibrant garden later.