Autumn clean-up in the vegetable garden

It is so fascinating to watch a vegetable garden go through its lifecycle. In late winter and early spring, there is so much anticipation and so much planning to get the garden organized. Then there is the delight of harvesting the first cool season crops, such as lettuce and spinach. By early summer, the garden is usually perfect. As the season progresses, the cool-season crops begin to fade and we look forward to the warm season crops, like tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant. Finally,  in Autumn it’s time to clean up the vegetable garden so that it’s ready for the following season or ready for a fall garden with cool season crops.

Let’s look at clean up practices you should be thinking about in Autumn. First, however, why are these practices important? Most gardeners reuse the same soil from year to year and so it makes sense that we strive to improve soil health and prevent disease. If you take the time to clean up in Autumn, the start of the next gardening season will be more enjoyable.