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I have been clearing away spent crops today. The French bean frames have come down because the freezer is bulging at the seems an they were pretty much exhausted. The sweetcorn stalks are all laid out to dry for my autumnal bonfire along with bramble that has made its way through last years preparation . The new bare beds have been dug an weeded. It sadden me in a way because it marks the end of another years summer crops but I have a large freezer stuffed with veg for the winter months 
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There is plenty left to come, sprouts, Kale, cabbage, leeks , spring onions , carrots , parsnips an the winter squash are situ an in a couple o weeks I will be planting out the garlic bulbs again an the onion sets.
I hold my hands up to admitting I am not a winter gardener. I have Raynard's syndrome so the circulation in my hands does not work properly in the colder months an my fingers turn white as death with no feeling even if my mind is willing.
I appreciate that some here are plenty active in the winter months though an still have beds crammed full of goodies, but as I cleared bare a large bed today in preparation for a good mulch o horse poo an leaf mulch to lay it to sleep for winter, well it felt like the land heaved a big sigh o relief beneath my feet too .
Clearing the land in preparation for the winter months gives us both a rest. The autumn dig buries weeds, exposes bugs to the wild life for a feed an then a mulch covering a few weeks later tucks it up for the winter and allowes the land to settle down a recover itself within the top layers. It also allows the land to settle down hard so that brassica roots have a firm base to build on if left un-disturbed until next spring.
I appreciate fully that feeling that you might want to keep producing from every square inch o your plot over winter and it's just a waste not too but on the same hand I think the land appreciates the winter rest as much as I do so long as its tucked down to rest well . It needs time to recover an build up that vital micro biological top layer with a good mulch and to have a chance to compact an settle down an so that Brassica plants can still enjoy the firm base they love an without the constant draining of nutrients. A good mulch of compost an leaf mould is like a blanket to build on layers until you can get to the no dig stage .
Who else thinks the land benefits from the winter rest an time to recover . Or is it just me
Wren
.There is plenty left to come, sprouts, Kale, cabbage, leeks , spring onions , carrots , parsnips an the winter squash are situ an in a couple o weeks I will be planting out the garlic bulbs again an the onion sets.
I hold my hands up to admitting I am not a winter gardener. I have Raynard's syndrome so the circulation in my hands does not work properly in the colder months an my fingers turn white as death with no feeling even if my mind is willing.
I appreciate that some here are plenty active in the winter months though an still have beds crammed full of goodies, but as I cleared bare a large bed today in preparation for a good mulch o horse poo an leaf mulch to lay it to sleep for winter, well it felt like the land heaved a big sigh o relief beneath my feet too .
Clearing the land in preparation for the winter months gives us both a rest. The autumn dig buries weeds, exposes bugs to the wild life for a feed an then a mulch covering a few weeks later tucks it up for the winter and allowes the land to settle down a recover itself within the top layers. It also allows the land to settle down hard so that brassica roots have a firm base to build on if left un-disturbed until next spring.
I appreciate fully that feeling that you might want to keep producing from every square inch o your plot over winter and it's just a waste not too but on the same hand I think the land appreciates the winter rest as much as I do so long as its tucked down to rest well . It needs time to recover an build up that vital micro biological top layer with a good mulch and to have a chance to compact an settle down an so that Brassica plants can still enjoy the firm base they love an without the constant draining of nutrients. A good mulch of compost an leaf mould is like a blanket to build on layers until you can get to the no dig stage .
Who else thinks the land benefits from the winter rest an time to recover . Or is it just me
Wren
and you'd better hide from Snadger 
.......Mother nature knows best..............
) - just starting out with my plot now.. clearing it as I go (it was over-grown again due to birth of 2nd child)... I was planning on manuring the beds I'm building for it. What would you sow now, seems a blank canvas. Rye seems really the only winter hardy green manure if I go that route?
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