| This is the time of year when those crisper | | | | replenishing the nutrients in the soil and improving |
| mornings come bringing damp air and silver clouds. | | | | the structure. |
| When all the trees have dropped their golden | | | | This type of preparation exposes pests that live |
| leaves and the wind has blown them all over the | | | | over winter in the soil so they have less of a |
| garden. | | | | foothold by the following spring, a crisp frost can |
| I always thought it was a good idea to gather | | | | play havoc with eggs laid in the soil. I am all for |
| them altogether and make compost, however, | | | | saving myself work and so I cover my newly |
| the latest thought is to rake them onto your | | | | turned weeded and composted beds with a weed |
| borders to keep the soil covered for the winter | | | | suppressant material to save myself some |
| allowing the thinner layers of leaves to be broken | | | | weeding time in the spring, I know some people |
| down and worked into the soil by nature, mind | | | | think that it is a bit lazy but it works for me. |
| you it's the blackbirds rummaging through it | | | | My green house has seen the last of the late |
| looking for bugs that I love to see. If only they | | | | toms, I think I was fortunate with the weather |
| wouldn't throw it back all over the garden in the | | | | into October but now the last of the plants need |
| process. | | | | to be disposed of, either into the compost heap if |
| Anyhow we need to prepare our soil for the next | | | | not diseased or burned if blighted. These diseased |
| tomato crops, so when we have the lovely | | | | plants can be put out for commercial recycling if |
| sunshine it is good opportunity to get out to the | | | | you have that facility operating in your area, or if |
| plot and start turning over the soil. It is the best | | | | you are keen about recycling you can take your |
| time to do it now as otherwise the soil becomes | | | | garden waste along to your local recycling centre. |
| sodden with the winter rain and will become | | | | The heat generated by the industrial composters |
| compact. | | | | destroys any viruses and diseases which most |
| Turning the soil over helps to expose bugs, which | | | | garden composters are not always able to do. I |
| if you have a robin in your garden, can be a very | | | | lost six months composting to this when I started |
| tasty treat for them. It can be rewarding hard | | | | out, my friend George told me about how |
| work, digging all of that lovely compost in that | | | | contaminated soil affects the next year's crops, |
| you have been working on all year. By doing this | | | | as you can imagine I was quite miffed. |
| now it will give the worms the opportunity to | | | | Good luck with the winter tasks. |
| really get to work on the natural fertilizers | | | | |