I planted a vegetable garden for the first time this year and would like some advice on what to do this fall in preparation for next year.
— Riley Gray Morton Grove
Warm-season plants like tomatoes, beans and peppers are winding down now, so go ahead and remove them once they stop producing. The unusually warm weather — including warm nights this fall — have kept these plants going later than in a normal year, when the first average frost at the Garden is Oct. 15.
If you previously seeded any cool-season vegetables like lettuce (it’s too late to do so now), leave them in and continue harvesting until a hard freeze stops them. Go ahead and compost plant debris if it is free of disease. Most home compost piles do not generate enough heat to kill disease organisms, so discard any diseased plant material.
Amending the soil in a vegetable garden on a regular basis is a good gardening practice. Spade 2 to 3 inches of compost into the soil this fall once most or all of the vegetables have been removed. Use a garden spade to work the compost into the garden soil. Then use a tiller to thoroughly incorporate the compost in the bed. You can rent a tiller if you do not want to purchase one. Fall is a good time to do this as the soil tends to be drier for longer periods of time and your vegetable garden will be ready to plant in the spring.
The Chicago area’s typical cool and wet spring weather can delay soil preparation. Do not work the soil if it is too wet. Try making a ball of soil with your hand, and then use your thumb to break it up. If the soil crumbles, it is good to be worked, and if it forms a ribbon as you press on it, then it is too wet. Amending the soil once a year should be adequate for your garden.
Tim Johnson is director of horticulture for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.
ctc-realestate@chicagotribune.com
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