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There’s still harvesting to do, perennial, tree, shrub and bulb planting; but this is also a good time to start preparing a new garden bed. Maybe you want to expand your vegetable garden or start a new perennial bed, add some shrubs. Whatever your plan is, make sure you mix in plenty of organic matter.
Fallen leaves are usually abundant and certainly cheap. Run your lawn mower over the pile of leaves a couple of times to chop them up before mixing them in.
If you have pine trees, scoop up those dried needles and gently stir them in. If you’ve been composting, good for you! Check to see how decomposed your material is, if it looks like dirt then you’ve got black gold. If there are still some small chunks in it, that’s okay it will break down further over the fall and winter months. But leave the big stuff to decompose longer.
Fold in your grass clippings and if you’re really into it, buy some manure.
Your local nurseries will have bags of composted poo that’s safe to use. Never use fresh manure in your home gardens, it’s just not worth the risk.
Adding organic materials will add some minor nutrients but, more importantly, will fluff up your soil, improving the texture and drainage capabilities.
Fork in your compost or till it, but don’t till every year. You can also just pile that compost right on top.
Now you can spend the winter months surrounded by garden catalogs and planning what you’ll put into your amazing new garden.