In the fall, many try to clean the site to the last leaf. They rake everything, burn heaps, tear out plants with a root. But such sterility often harms more than helps. The earth remains naked, the roots are freezing, and in the spring you have to literally re -“revive” the garden.
There is another approach. It requires less strength, but gives more benefit. Everything can be done in a couple of weekends, and the site will survive the winter with comfort.
It is better not to remove the leaves under fruit trees. They themselves create a protective layer. Under it, the soil remains soft, does not freeze, and beneficial worms continue to work. The only exception if the trees were sick. Such leaves really should be removed and burned.
Perennials do not need to be pulled out. For Georgin, gladioli and Cannes, tubers are dug up and cleaned for storage. And at the host, peonies or lilyniki, it is enough to cut dry stems. Roots remain in the ground and will grow growth faster in the spring.
Compost can be done right on the beds. Grass, tops, cleaning from vegetables are laid out with a thin layer in empty areas. Sprinkle a little with earth or hay on top. By spring, this will turn into a loose, warm and very fertile layer.
It is not necessary to wash the greenhouse to the ideal. It is enough to remove the plant residues, wipe the shelves with warm water with soda and leave the doors open for a couple of days. Complete disinfection is not needed, useful microorganisms should remain.
Dry branches and stems are also in no hurry to take it out. A small heap can be left in a quiet corner of the garden. There, bugs winter, which in the spring will eat pests, and even birds arrange an overnight stay. In the spring, all this is easy to understand, if necessary.
This approach saves time and effort. At the same time, the soil remains alive, the plants feel protected, and in the spring the site wakes up faster.
Question-answer:
Do I need to cover young seedlings?
Yes, especially if the winter is snowless. The trunks are wrapped with spruce and burlap, and the trunk circle is mulched with a thick layer of hay or leaves.
Is it possible to mulch the beds with sawdust?
It is possible, but only rotted. Freshly sawdust take nitrogen from the soil, and in the spring the plants will lack nutrition.
Is it possible to leave the leaves under the apple tree if it was sick with a scab?
No, such leaves are necessarily removed and burned. The spores of the fungus winter precisely in fallen foliage and in the spring will again infect the tree.
