Mulching Your Beds at Oak & 41st

Hello fellow gardeners,

Fall has been generous to us at the Oak & 41st Temporary Community Garden––plenty of sun, warm days, and rain when it counts. A quick glance at the weather forecast, unfortunately, and you'll see those warm days are now behind us.

Here are a few garden updates for November:

WATER SHUT OFF

Water has been shut off for first frost and will remain off until the final frost date in spring. And yes, spring 2019 is looking very promising!

GARDEN HOURS

Note that despite the cold weather, the garden will remain open all through the winter. Chances are slim you'll get much growth out of your beds at this time of the year, but feel free to frequent the space any time you like.

GREEN WASTE

If you have dead/withered plants in your beds, it's time to pull them up in preparation for winter. We encourage you to make that final trip out to the garden to set your bed(s) in order before the nasty weather bumps it down to the bottom of your priority list, right alongside sorting the single socks in your sock drawer.

GROWING TIPS: MULCHING YOUR BEDS

Here's an example of a garden bed that has been cleared of plant matter and nicely mulched. There are plenty of freshly fallen leaves on the site: why not add a few armloads to your bed? A leaf layer like this can help prevent nutrient erosion due to heavy winter rains, and if you've got winter crops or garlic still growing, mulching can insulate plants roots.