Frost in the Forecast? Start Winterizing the Garden

First posted on 11-20-2009

An autumn of rain and unseasonably warm temperatures for parts of Arkansas have made it easy to forget that winter is just weeks away, but there are plenty of tasks to be done before freezing temperatures are here to stay.

“Now is the time to clean out plant debris and take it to the compost pile,” said Craig Andersen, extension horticulture specialist-vegetables for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

“Asparagus beds and rhubarb should be mowed or burned and all excess debris should be removed,” he said. “But don’t place additional compost on either bed.”

Far from being a sterile, plantless time, fall and winter in Arkansas is a unique growing season.

Use season extenders such as cold frames to grow cool season vegetables in the fall and winter. The leafy greens are able to adapt to the lower light and cooler environment.

“Plant greens such as turnips and radishes,” Andersen said. “Lettuce, spinach, chard, arugula and radishes can also be grown in cold frames.”

Cold frames don’t need to be elaborate structures of wood and glass, he said.

A simple wooden frame 2 to 3 feet wide and 4 to 6 feet long can be used to make a bed for the plants. Concrete reinforcing wire can be used to create a frame that can be covered by plastic sheeting. When it’s warm, roll the plastic back, when it’s cool, cover it. When it’s cold, seal the ends and cover the whole thing with leaves or straw until it warms up.

“Some plastic sheeting and concrete reinforcing wire can be used to create a cold frame,” Andersen said. “The idea is to let the sun in while keeping the cold out and still allowing some ventilation.”

Fall is also a good time to perform weed control in garlic, leeks and onions.

For more information on cold-weather crops, see the publication “Year-round Home Garden Planting Guide,” online at http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publications/PDF/FSA-6062.pdf, or http://www.uaex.edu/polk/MG/Articles/cold_frames.htm.

Winterizing the garden also means taking care of a few routine maintenance tasks including:

Cleaning, oiling and putting away garden implements and tools.
Draining fuel tanks, changing oil, and sharpening blades in mowers and other equipment.
Storing fertilizers and pesticides in a secure place where they will not freeze.
Testing your soil and adding lime according to soil test results.
And last, but not least:

Start to order new catalogs for spring.