How to Prepare Your Soil in the Fall
The number one secret to success for any home gardener lies in having good soil. No, scratch thatā¦ It lies in BUILDING good soil. Because even if you start out with the best soil on Earth, if you continue to grow in the same soil season after season without amending it or adding in any nutrients, eventually it will become not-so-good soil, and youāll get not-so-good production out of your garden.
Plants are just like us: they need good nutrition to survive and thrive. The only difference is that we take in nutrients through our mouths, while they get their nutrition through their roots, by taking up nutrients from the soil. In turn, they grow bigger and produce more, and contain more nutrients for us to consume with our mouths when we harvest our crops!
Then we add our leftover, nutrient-rich veggie scraps to our compost or feed them to our chickens (who turn them into manure) and eventually it all makes its way back to our garden beds to help a new round of crops grow and thrive.
Itās kinda the circle of life, and it all begins and ends with healthy soil.
Needless to say, putting in a little time and effort building up your soil definitely pays off in the long run. So before you finish with your garden for the winter, take a little time this fall to enrich and improve your soil and youāll undoubtedly thank yourself next spring and summer.
Related: 10 Fall Gardening Tips For A Productive Garden Next Year
There are a few things you can and should do in the fall to ensure rich, fertile soil come spring. While you can technically do some of these things before planting in the spring or at other times of year, the best time to focus on improving soil is in the fall so that any amendments that you add have ample time to break down over the winter and ensure your soil is ready for planting come spring.
How to prepare (and improve) your garden soil in the fall
Once youāve tidied your garden, weeded it one last time and pulled out any summer annuals, there are a couple more things youāll want to do to make sure your soil is ready to produce another abundant harvest next season.
Add organic matter
The first is to add organic matter. This could be in the form of compost, manure, mulch or a cover crop, all of which Iāll go into in more detail below.
Adding organic matter is important because this is how you add nutrients back into your soil.
Organic matter is the foundation of healthy soil, and is basically what makes the difference between soil and dirt. Soil is alive and full of organic matter. Soil grows healthy, productive crops. Dirt is dead, and wonāt grow much of anything at all.
Cover your soil
The second is to cover your soil, which can either be done with mulch or by planting a cover crop.
Covering your soil (and not leaving it exposed) helps to protect the soil from weed seeds that might otherwise fall on bare soil and germinate in your garden. It also helps keep the soil structure intact and prevents erosion of nutrients, and prevents the soil from compacting too much over the winter months.
Other ways to amend your soil in the fall
These first two steps are pretty much non-negotiable if youāre serious about gardening and building healthy soil, however it must be said that there is one more thing you might want to consider doing to improve your soil in the fall, and thatās to actually test your soil PH and test for any specific deficiencies, and then add amendments to help balance the PH or to help with those deficiencies.
So, for example, if your soil is high in most nutrients but low in nitrogen, you could add amendments like blood meal or chicken manure. Likewise, if your soil is too alkaline you could add elemental sulfur to lower the PH and make it more acidic. Or if itās too acidic you can add lime (as in limestone) to raise the PH and make it more alkaline.
Honestly though, thatās getting a bit more technical than I want to get here, and unless you suspect you have a specific deficiency, adding organic matter and covering your soil with a natural cover is really all you need to do to ensure your soil is ready for planting come spring.
Alright, letās get into the nitty gritty of how to prepare your soil in the fallā¦
4 ways to improve your soil in the fall
1. Add compost
Whether you have a compost pile of your own or you purchase organic compost from your garden centre or from a nearby farm or supplier, adding compost to your garden beds in the fall is one of the easiest and most popular ways to add organic matter and nutrients to your soil.
You can use your own compost, which ideally should be a mixture of about 25 to 30 parts carbon (dead, brown material) to one part nitrogen (fresh, green material). But donāt worry too much about knowing the exact ratio. As long as your compost resembles dark, fluffy soil (and not stinky, sludgy slime), well then your ratios are probably pretty bang on and you can go ahead and add that homemade black gold to your garden beds:)
Otherwise, you can choose from various types of compost (ie. mushroom compost, fish compost etc.) and purchase bags from your local garden centre.
Add a thick layer of compost (2-3 inches, ideally) right on top of your soil. You donāt need to till it or even turn it in. As you water and/or the rains come over the winter, the nutrients in the compost will get watered into the soil and will replenish it for planting next spring.
2. Add manure
You can also add manure instead of compost in the fall if you choose. Honestly, aged manure (aka. ācompostedā or ārottedā manure) is just another type of compost anyway, so you can add one or the other, or even blend a mixture of the two. All of it will add nutrients to your soil.
Chicken manure, cow manure and horse manure are the best options (although horse manure is cautioned against because it can contain hay seeds that can sprout and grow like weeds in your garden).
If youāre adding aged manure, go ahead and add a thick layer (2-3 inches, preferably) just like you would with the compost. No tilling or turning required.
If adding fresh manure, it needs a period of about 120 days to sit and decompose before itās safe to harvest from. For one, fresh manure is high in nitrogen, which makes it very hot. This can prevent seeds from germinating or burn seedlings or the roots of plants, so it needs to break down over a period of time before you can even plant in it.
The other reason is that fresh manure contains bacteria and pathogens that could contaminate crops and make the food youāre growing unsafe to eat if harvested while the manure is still fresh.
The general rule is to let it age and decompose for at least 120 days before harvesting from it. (This is another reason why fall is the best time to add these amendments, as you typically wonāt be planting again until spring.)
When adding fresh manure, itās best to mix it with a bit of aged compost or work it into the soil to help it decompose faster, and so that youāre not adding such a high concentration of nitrogen to your soil all at once.
3. Add mulch
Adding organic mulch is another good way to add organic material to your soil AND cover it at the same time.
We usually apply a thick layer of compost and then cover that with a layer of mulch in the fall. We usually opt for bark mulch (we use an āSPFā mixture of spruce, pine and fir). The mulch helps to protect the soil from weed seeds and pests and keeps soil from eroding over the winter. Plus it breaks down over time and adds more organic matter to your soil.
Mulching also helps to insulate your soil, which helps keep overwintering crops like garlic warm. I always add an extra thick layer of aged compost or manure on top of the soil after Iāve planted my garlic and then I cover with a thick mulch. It grows beautifully every year!
Other choices for mulching include straw, grass trimmings, chopped up leaves, seaweed and even shredded newspaper.
Add about 2 to 3 inches of mulch on top of your soil or on top of a top dressing of compost, if adding both compost and mulch.
4. Plant a Cover Crop
Another option is to add a āliving mulch,ā which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like: mulch thatās alive (aka. a cover crop).
Planting a cover crop in the fall is another option for covering your soil and adding organic matter at the same time. Like mulch, a cover crop will help cover and protect your soil, and can be turned in in the spring to add organic matter before planting.
The added benefit to growing a cover crop is that the roots will help to break up compacted soil and keep it intact at the same time, and certain cover crops (like those in the legume family) will actually help to fix nutrients like nitrogen in the soil.
If planting a cover crop, youāll want to plant your seeds at least 4 to 6 weeks before your first frost, to ensure itās warm enough for germination and initial growth. Youāll also want to make sure to turn your cover crop into the soil in the early spring, before it goes to seed.
Some of the cover crops you may want to consider include:
- Fall Rye
- Clover
- Hairy Vetch
- Alfalfa
- Oats
- Barley
- Buckwheat
Different cover crops are good for different things, so do some research before you decide which one to plant. We planted fall rye this year because itās supposed to be the best cover crop for clay soils (which is what we have). But your soil or garden might benefit more from another type of cover crop.
Check out this article by True Leaf Market (affiliate link) to learn more about the different types of cover crops and find out which one is best for you and your garden.
To check out True Leaf Marketās full range of cover crop seeds, click here.
Other things you should do in the fall to prepare your garden for winter
There are a number of other things you should do to your garden in the fall to put it to bed in the winter and prepare it for planting next spring. You can get my step-by-step Fall Gardening Checklist from the Gardening section of my Free Resource Library for a comprehensive list of actions to take now to ensure a productive growing season next year!
Want more modern homesteading??
Ready to go deeper down the path to a more sustainable, self-sufficient life?
Subscribe for FREE to Modern Homesteading Magazine and get monthly issues delivered straight to your inbox! (Youāll get the latest issue delivered as soon as you confirm your subscription!)
ā> Click here to learn more or subscribe now for free!
Wishing you homemade, homegrown, homestead happiness:)
CATEGORIES
ABOUT ANNA
You Might Also Like
What does it really mean to be self-reliant?
Iāve been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to be āself-reliant.ā We talk a lot about self-reliance (or self-sufficiency) in the homesteading community, and outwardly it may seem as if the goal of āachievingā self-reliance is what ultimately...
How to Make Your Own Indoor Grow Light Stand
* This article contains affiliate links. For more information, please read my Affiliate Disclosure. If you grow plants from seed (or if you want to), you’re likely going to want to start a few of them indoors. And if you start your seeds indoors,...
And then there were 3 š
Despite fending off an eagle attack the other day, a sneaky raccoon got into the chicken run early this morning and took out one of our girls.
Having animals die is definitely the hardest part of homesteading, but itās a reality of this lifestyle that everyone must come to terms with sooner or later.
While we care for our chickens and want to give them the best life possible while theyāre here, we understand that theyāre livestock, not pets, and that weāre not the only creatures who see them as a food source.
Luckily we have a new flock of up-and-comers who will be ready to lay in a few months. Until then, egg production around here is gonna be pretty scarce.
So this is 35ā¦
I decided to read my horoscope today (since itās my birthday and all). I donāt really buy into the horoscope predictions, but I do think thereās something to be said for the personality traits weāre born with when the stars are aligned just so. Here are a few snippets that I found to be almost eerily on point:
āTauruses born on May 18 are characterized by love of freedom and independenceā¦They possess extraordinary creative energy, and they are never without an important cause to champion. They enjoy taking risks, but only when they believe the risk really matters.
As a rule, most decided early in life what they wanted to do and are not likely to deviate from that path. Their independent spirit makes them ideally suited to careers where they are their own boss, or are at least autonomous within a larger structure.
May 18 people want to make it on their own. No matter how successful they become, they never forget their roots and may even draw upon them for inspiration.ā
Every year on my birthday I reflect on where Iām at, where Iām headed and where Iāve come from, and all I can say is that each year Iām only more grateful to be living life on my own terms, doing what I love most next to the people I love more than anything else in the world.
Iāll never forget where I came from and Iāll never have any regrets, because I wouldnāt be right where I am now without all of the experiences -good, bad or otherwise- that Iāve had along the way.
I knew when I was a little girl that I wanted to be a writer and a content creator. Homesteading came a little later in life, but when I knew, I knew.
I hope to be doing what I love and sharing it with you all for the next 35 years too! (Well, actually, if Iām being honest, Iād like to retire and throw my phone in the river long before that;) But until that day comes, thanks for being here to celebrate life with me today and every day. Cheers to another turn around the sun š»
My daughter stayed overnight at her grandmaās last night, and this morning when I talked to my mom she said āEvelyn told me sheās never been to the doctor before.ā
Proudly, I replied āno, she hasnāt, because sheās never needed to.ā This is thanks in large part to the fact that we keep a well stocked natural medicine cabinet at home and do our best to treat everyday illnesses and ailments ourselves.
Having a well-stocked home apothecary (and the know-how to use herbal and natural medicine at home) is yet another important piece of the self-sufficiency puzzle, and one that weāre working on a lot right now, both in our home and in my membership program, the Society of Self-Reliance.
If herbal medicine and building a home apothecary is on your to-do list as well, Iāve got some great tips and a printable checklist of items youāll want to start stocking up on now so youāre prepared to make all sorts of medicinal preparations in time for cold and flu season later this year.
This is also a great time to plant certain medicinal herbs so that youāve got a personal, sustainable supply of herbal medicine at home, because who knows what supply chain issues are gonna hit next!
To help make building and stocking your home apothecary or natural medicine cabinet a little easier, I compiled a list of all the ingredients I like to keep on hand for making my own medicinal preparations, as well as a suggested list of herbs to start growing or stocking up on, and some other great resources to help you get started preparing and using your own herbal medicine at home.
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to read the full article and download the checklist, or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/stock-a-home-apothecary/
With Easter just around the corner, why not forgo the dry, lackluster store-bought hot cross buns this year and make your own from scratch instead!
This recipe combines the warm and comforting flavours of vanilla, cinnamon nutmeg, ginger, allspice and cardamom with homemade sweetbread and raisins.
Oh, and none of those awful, hard, jujube candies that you often find in store-bought hot cross buns. (Seriously... Why the jujubes??)
As is the case with most homemade versions of things, homemade hot cross buns are about 1,000 times better than anything you'll find at the supermarket. But I'll let you be the judge! If you try the recipe (and I hope you do!) leave a review and let me know what you think:)
Recipe link in bio or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/homemade-hot-cross-buns-recipe/
Stinging nettles are one of my favourite things to forage for in early spring. Theyāre ready to harvest well before just about anything is ready in our garden, and theyāre a superfood as well as a medicinal plant packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, C & K, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus and iron, plus theyāre super high in protein.
As a medicinal plant, nettles are a natural antihistamine and can help with season allergies, they have properties that reduce inflammation and especially joint inflammation and arthritis, they can be used to treat of urinary tract infections and enlarged prostate symptoms, the e been shown to lower blood pressure and control blood sugar and more!
Some people even swear by harvesting stinging nettles with their bare hands as the sting itself is said to help with muscle and joint pain/arthritis!
I, however, am not that brave. I definitely recommend wearing gloves, long sleeves, long pants and boots when harvesting stinging nettles! But the good news is that once you cook or dry the nettles, they no longer sting you. My favourite way to prepare them is to dry them and enjoy them as a herbal tea! But theyāre good sautĆ©ed in stir fry or added to soups (in place of spinach or Kale) too. Whatever you do, just donāt put them fresh into a salad!
Stinging nettles grow wild all over North America (as well as other places), and spring is the best time to forage for them. To learn how to safely identify them, harvest them and prepare/preserve them, check out the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/harvest-and-use-stinging-nettles/
Have you ever foraged for stinging nettle before?
If you're looking to increase production in your own home garden, you know how important bees and other pollinators are to your overall yield.ā
ā
Honeybees get a lot of the glory, and for good reason: It's said that honeybees alone are responsible for pollinating 80% of our fruits and vegetables! Not to mention, they make honey... Sweet, glorious, highly nutritious and DELICIOUS honey!ā
ā
In this day and age of global food shortages, we need to do whatever we can to help increase food production at home and abroad, and helping honeybees is one of the best ways to do just that.ā
ā
Click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/3-easy-ways-to-help-save-the-bees/ to learn what you can do at home to help save the bees, and the many, MANY reasons why it matters!ā
ā
I don't know about you, but around here spring officially marks the beginning of what we call "busy season."ā
ā
I always remind myself, though, that the payoff from the work we put in at this time of year is so totally worth the extra elbow grease and long hours.ā
ā
The seeds we sow now will provide us with food and medicine to stock our pantry and apothecary with in the summer and fall.ā
ā
The projects we start now will (hopefully) be finished and ready to serve us later in the year.ā
ā
And the deep cleaning and organizing we do now in our homes will set the stage and the tone for the rest of the season.ā
ā
Personally, I don't operate very well in a disorganized, messy or dirty environment. Whether I'm working or just relaxing, if my home is in disarray I feel like I can't fully concentrate on or enjoy whatever I'm doing.ā
ā
For most of the year this means sticking to a daily routine of tidying up and light cleaning when necessary. But in the spring, I like to take a few days to deep clean our home so that the rest of the season runs smoother; So that when I'm in the thick of gardening and harvesting and preserving season, I'm not also contending with dirt and stains and pine needles from Christmas!ā
ā
That being said, I don't like to use any commercially produced chemical cleaners, so I always make sure to keep a few natural ingredients on hand to get the job done.ā
ā
Over the years I've tried a lot of store-bought "natural" cleaners, and honestly I haven't been impressed with most of them. In fact, I find some white vinegar, baking soda, dish soap, water and a few essential oils are all I really need to clean most of my house!ā
ā
If the spring cleaning bug has bit you too, be sure to check out my DIY Spring Cleaning Recipes via the link in my bio. Every recipe is made with simple, natural ingredients that you probably have on hand already. I also like to add essential oils to my cleaning products for their scent and natural cleaning and disinfecting power, but you can omit them if you like:)ā
ā
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/spring-cleaning-recipes/
If there's one thing we should all be doing to hedge against looming food shortages and inflation right now, it's growing some of our own food at home.ā
ā
I've been preaching the many benefits of homegrown food for years now... Long before any of the madness we're currently experiencing took hold.ā
ā
A couple years ago when I launched my first gardening course, I mentioned in my sales video that we were just one emergency situation away from grocery store shelves being cleared out entirely. Within two weeks of that video, the pandemic hit, and the rest is history.ā
ā
The fact is, whether you're worried about shortages, the skyrocketing price of EVERYTHING, or you simply want to eat better, healthier foods free from GMOs and chemical sprays, learning how to grow even a little bit of your own organic food at home puts power and food security back in your hands.ā
ā
That's exactly why Iāve teamed up with 16+ other speakers for the Backyard Vegetable Gardener's Summit: A free, 3-day online event where you can learn how to get started or get better at growing food and creating your own personal grocery store, right in your own backyard!ā
ā
Here are just a few of the presentations coming up this week:ā
ā
š± 7 Ways To Maximize Space In Your Urban Gardenā
š± Creating a Personal Seed Bankā
š± How to Generate Income From Your Gardenā
š± Easy Ways to Quickly Improve Your Garden Soilā
š± Indoor Container Gardeningā
š± Growing Turmeric & Ginger at Homeā
š± How to Use Succession Planting for Higher Yieldsā
ā
And more!ā
ā
Plus, don't miss my masterclass where I teach you everything you need to know to grow a BUMPER CROP OF TOMATOES in your backyard! š
š
š
ā
ā
From starting your seeds to planting out and caring for your tomato plants all season long, I'll show you the exact method we use to grow hundreds of pounds of tomatoes at home for fresh eating and preserving each year.ā
ā
The summit officially starts TODAY! If you haven't registered yet, click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/bvgs to save your seat and start watching and learning right away!
āWhen I think of self-reliance, I think of any ability to rely less on āthe system.āā
I sat down with Ashley Constance from @dirtypawshomestead and the @alittleselfreliant podcast to talk about what it means to be self-reliant, if itās even possible to be 100% self-reliant and why itās a goal worth striving for even if complete and total self-reliance isnāt possible.
Be sure to check out the full interview in the latest issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine!
Subscribe @ modernhomesteadingnmagazine.com
Iād love to know, what are you currently doing to become a little (more) self-reliant? Let me know in the comments!š
What self-reliance skills do YOU want to learn most??
If you've been reading my posts or getting my emails lately, you've probably heard me mention my brand new private membership program called the Society of Self-Reliance, which is set to launch for the first time TOMORROW!!!
I'm so excited about this project as it's something I've been dreaming of creating for a long time. With everything going on in the world right now, I knew I had to stop overthinking it and just go for it!
The membership will include video lessons and downloads on a wide range of topics related to homesteading and self-reliant living, as well as a private community message board (ie. OFF social media;)
Each month we'll focus on a different theme or aspect of self-reliance, and then once a month we'll get together for a live group coaching call to discuss that month's topic (and whatever other questions you have and self-reliance topics you'd like to discuss!)
Since we're just starting out, I'm offering new members a special introductory rate of just $20/month. This is the only time I plan on offering it for this price, so if you want to get in and lock in at this rate, you'll be able to do so as soon as the doors open tomorrow!
If you haven't yet joined the waitlist, click the link in my bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to https://thehouseandhomestead.com/society to add your name and save your spot. Waitlist members will be the first to know when enrollment opens tomorrow morning!
Hopefully you're just as excited as I am about this new venture! I've already got the first 8 video lessons up, as well as a few sweet bonuses too:)
We'll be kicking things off with the theme "Grow Your Own Groceries," and then we'll move into other topics like herbal medicine and food preservation over the summer months. But I'd also love to know from you, what self-reliance topics would YOU like to learn most over the next few months?
Let me know below š
I hope to see you inside!
Iāve been thinking a lot lately about what it really means to be "self-reliant."
We talk a lot about self-reliance (or self-sufficiency) in the homesteading community, and outwardly it may seem as if the goal of "achieving" self-reliance is what ultimately drives many of us to live this lifestyle in the first place.
But what does self-reliance look like in the 21st century? Is it actually achievable, or just a pipe dream?
Is it even possible to be truly self-reliant?
A few years ago, Forbes published an article titledĀ Dear Homesteaders, Self-Reliance is a Delusion.
In the article, the author arguesĀ that "self-reliance is for the most part a myth. Unless they live in an extremely remote region, use all homemade tools, and will refuse the safety net if they need it, most homesteaders are far from self-reliant."
While he makes some compelling points, but I've always felt as if he missed the point of what self-reliance actually means in real life.
No man (or woman) is an island. None of us can ever be 100% self-reliant without ever relying on anyone other than ourselves. But that doesn't mean that we should give up trying altogether.
Even one small step toward being more self-sufficient is a step in the right direction.
Maybe the point is not to everĀ BECOMEĀ self-reliant, but rather to becomeĀ MOREĀ self-reliant as we progress on our journey. Maybe self-reliance isn't a destination, but a pursuit.
Like just about everything that's worth doing,Ā working toward greater self-reliance and independence is worth doing imperfectly.Ā It's better to take a single step in the right direction than no step at all.
I decided to unpack this in more detail on the blog this week. (Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead or go to thehouseandhomestead.com/what-is-self-reliance to read the full article).
With the doors to theĀ Society of Self-RelianceĀ opening in just a couple more days, I wanted to be sure I can confidently provide an answer to the question "what is self-reliance?"
But Iād also love to hear what YOU think!
Is self-reliance just a delusion? Is it an achievable goal? Or is it more about the journey than the destination?
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
š± Have you started any seeds yet?
If not, NOW is the time!
March is a great time to start tomato seeds, peppers, lettuce, brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, etc.) and direct sow peas in most gardening zones.
Starting from seed is exponentially cheaper than buying starts from the nursery, especially is youāre growing on a larger scale. But seed starting supplies can add up quickly if youāre not careful.
In the spring issue of Modern Homesteading Magazine, contributor Kayla Adams of @oatsandhoneyhomestead shares her best tips for finding cheap or even free seed starting supplies. From pots and lighting options to soil and the seeds themselves, Kayla covers everything you *actually* need to start your edible garden completely from seed (and not break the bank).
Check out the full article, along with a preview of the spring issue at modernhomesteadingmagazine.com
Link in bio @thehouseandhomestead to SUBSCRIBE or login to the magazine library and read the full issue (for current subscribers).
What are you MOST excited to grow in your garden this year??
Let me know! š
#seedstarting #seeds #springgardening #growyourowngroceries
0 Comments