Weeding and pruning
Weeding now in the winter means
your allotment will stay weeded for
quite some time and any regrowth
can be easily controlled - the fall
in temperature will slow plant
growth right down and halt new
germination. Have a good clear out
and harvest any remaining tender
crops that won’t grow over winter.
This will set you in good stead in the
new year, and it's much easier to plan
ahead with a blank canvas. Compost
as much of the weeds and cuttings as
you can.
Mulching
By far the most useful thing you
can do is to mulch any bare earth in
your plot with well rotted manure or
soil conditioner/compost. Not only
does it help feed next year's crop by
bringing in more nutrients but the
added organic matter also aids in
moisture retention and loosening up
heavy soil. The good news is that you
don't need to dig it in either, there is
a growing body of evidence which
suggests that constantly digging and
turning soil disrupts many of the
beneficial bacteria and fungi which
help unlock nutrients in the soil for
plants to use. Let it lie as a thick
layer on top and allow nature to do
the work for you, worms and other
insects will soon bring it down into
the soil and in the meantime it also
acts as a weed suppressant. Source
your manure/compost/mulch as
locally as possible if you can.
Autumn cover crops
These can include: alfalfa, barley, red
clover, white clover, mustard, oats,
radish, rye, and vetch.
Bare soil is the enemy of a healthy
garden or allotment as more moisture
is lost through evaporation, rain
compacts the soil structure and
nutrients are lost to the wind or
washed away. On top of this pioneer
weeds are perfectly adapted to
exploiting this niche where there is
no other competition. An alternative
to mulching is to plant a cover crop
to cover the soil in between harvest
and the next seed sewing. This helps
protect the soil structure and nitrogen
fixing crops will actually help improve
the soil fertility. When you are ready
to plant next season simply cut
the crop down and compost or re-
incorporate it into the soil.
Winter sowing crops
These can include: Turnips, Celeriac,
Brussels sprouts, Purple sprouting
broccoli, Chard, Chicory, Winter
cabbage.
If you do wish to sow crops in the
winter time, the above crops can be
sown in winter, and planting out sets
will also give you a head start! Be
sure to do so before the frost sets
in and not if the ground is frozen.
lthough it may seem
that not much is
happening in your
garden, winter is one of the
most important seasons
to prepare your allotment
or garden for the coming
growing season. Winter
work can be some of the
most beneficial in terms
of time and energy saving
in warmer months giving
you more time to enjoy
the fruits (or vegetables)
of your labour!
How
to plan
your
allotment
this
winter
W I N T E R / S P R I N G . 2 0 2 4
L I F E . S T Y L E
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