The Complete Guide to Preparing Raised Beds for Winter

One of the most important things a gardener can do is look after and cherish the soil they use to grow vegetables, and this video shows you how I do just that. This is the complete guide to preparing raised beds for winter and offers an updated version of how I go about that, with the addition of new steps designed to propel soil health. Growing your own food is made easier and more productive if we look after our beds properly, and this method is exactly what I use in my permaculture kitchen garden to do just that.
Think of preparing raised beds for winter as an investment in your vegetable gardening. Adding organic matter to the ground replenished all the soil microbes and gives you a head start when it comes to planting again in the beds in spring. An investment in soil yields greater crop returns, provided you use other permaculture principles to limit pest issues. I hope this vegetable gardening method will become a key part of your gardening year and help your kitchen garden or allotment become even more abundant.
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[@HuwRichards]

It's so nice to be back! I'm currently in the garden filming next week's video so please do comment if you have any questions etc and I look forward to replying later this evening☺️🌱

[@cameronmac338]

love the new bits of editing and the use of drone. credit to your dad on the camera 👍. it's my first year growing in the garden, it's been a trial this year, with what works and where it worked well in the garden. I'm in Carmarthen, so it's handy watching your channel and seeing what works well because of our challenging weather patterns 🤣. i over done it with tomato plants and ended up with over 80 black cherry tomato plants 😂 hilarious mistake.

[@HuwRichards]

@@cameronmac338 hi Cameron, I actually have a dedicated videographer who is now a co-director with me :) I hope you enjoyed all the tomatoes!!!

[@cameronmac338]

@@HuwRichards I had to compost a load of them, which was a shame. I won't make the same mistake 🤣.

[@BaerbelBorn]

Hi! I havent seen all of your videos because I just found your channel recently, but in all the no dig videos I keep asking myself: What happens after some years... if you keep adding more and more compost, won`t the bed overflow? Or will the compost vanish and rot so the level keeps the same? Greetings from Germany, as a mom and gran I love to see how the next generation is inspired and inspires others.

[@tinnerste2507]

@@HuwRichards is a videographer like a camera man? Or like an editor too? Ive never seen that word before!

[@kingucci]

You seem like to be such a nice and kind person, it's so lovely and relaxing to watch and listen to your useful videos, which you put a lot of work in. So thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience, it is truly much appreciated

[@UrbanHomesteadMomma]

Mulching with garden waste (or chop and drop as you call it) is 100% the best way to feed your garden... tip: use a mower with a bag to chop all your plant matter... it chops it finer and makes it much easier 🌱 Edit to add: I actually mulch it quite thickly... 6” or so deep... the mulch then helps insulate the beds over winter, then during the growing season it keeps the moisture in so you don’t need to water, and it suppresses almost all the weeds! And then you don’t need to be putting plastic in your garden 👍

[@laurastrachan7943]

I also mulch thickly, but in my climate in Canada we don't have many problems with slugs or snails. In fact by summer, it's good to have the soil well covered to protect it in the very got weather we get. Greg from Maritime Gardening is a big advocate of this method.

[@thomasfuchs9451]

+1 on the mower. I run everything through the lawn mower, either for compost or mulching, including parts of hedges and bushes, old tomato stems, everything! Gasoline powered chop & drop ;-)

[@flatsville1]

Agreed. What doesn't decompose can be raked off & moved. A bit of green topped with thick shredded leaves in the fall makes for good worm activity.

[@thomasfuchs9451]

@@flatsville1 I am currently converting large parts of my lawn. Just let it grow since summer and now knocked it down in cover it with bags of lawn clippings and leaves. Gras underneath is dying of and soil looks amazing.

[@flatsville1]

@@thomasfuchs9451 3/4 times that worked for me. The exception was some Devils Spawn rhizome grass THAT WOULD NOT DIE!!! After the first season (post cover) I had to dig it out, tarp it (spring & summer,) compost cover it with chopped greens & leaves over wintering & then cover crop in the spring/ summet to kill it. ARGHHH!!!

[@TheWelshGardener]

Great to see you back on our screens Huw! I took a break from uploading last week before I'll be filming more videos next week (half term)! Stay safe! :)

[@itsallaboutlight]

So glad to hear that my idea to put my partially composted bin material, on my garden, is better than nothing.

[@kimr4005]

Glad you are back!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you Kim! :)

[@marisadaniela6]

Oooh sometimes procrastinating works out! I really was feeling I should have put my garden to bed already, but I would have done it the old way without these helpful tips, had I been on top of things! Thank you!

[@HuwRichards]

That is so true haha! Good luck with the garden prep!

[@innerstream]

This was awesome! Glad you’re still sharing your wealth of knowledge! Thank you! 😊🇨🇦

[@HuwRichards]

My pleasure! More to come :D

[@LizZorab]

Nice to see you back and looking so well. Another great video Huw, lots of information, thank you.

[@HuwRichards]

Awh thank you Liz!! It's nice to be back into the groove of making videos

[@janbroekhuizen5]

Great to have you back, Huw! Perfect timing on the video too, I'm working on 'putting my beds to sleep' at the moment. I have some big greens around, so they will come in nicely with this method. Thanks!

[@EstibalizG]

I've just found your channel and i love it!!!! I'm from Spain and I understand your English very well. I've just suscribed because i don't wanna miss any vídeos!! Congrats for your channel

[@micheleyates3625]

Glad to see you back, Huw. Just planted softneck garlic today! Did some chop and drop on the soil so I am encouraged by this video. Cheers from the humid southeastern US.

[@Asa-df8kb]

And the day just got a lot better!

[@HuwRichards]

Hahaha I am glad to hear it :)

[@wagnerlemgruberboechat6046]

I live in Brazil, and is a little sad seeing the preparation for winter, because for us winter is a very good time to grow vegetables. It's not so cold but it's not so hot. We do not have a time that we stop growing food. But a very good lesson any way. Congratolations.

[@geoffanddebshipton6797]

Glad to have you back Huw!

[@benjaminrobinson7203]

Huw, one of my professors is from Lincoln! I recognized the accent from hearing you and when he described his home and how the soil is great for farming, I put two and two together. Love your content! Glad to see you're back! ❤️

[@benjaminrobinson7203]

@@TheMihilization Not sure. I just know that Huw sounds similar to my professor. The w sound replacing many of the r sounds for example. It also seems to come from the nose rather than the throat. Idk tho

[@racenuke]

Looks like i have work to do! I'm excited to do it. Thanks!

[@HuwRichards]

Good luck - it is a worthy investment!

[@mgrey1602]

Glad you are back! Thanks for the info on leaving roots in the ground! You are so right about soil health being a priority! Thanks for showing us how to build it up!

[@HuwRichards]

Awh thank you! There will be plenty of videos in the future looking at greater detail into soil health

[@ulrikahogberg6477]

Finally! Good to see you again Huw! 🌻🍁🍂

[@theirishcountrywoman6218]

Welcome back! Great video as always!! 😊

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Aine! :D

[@litomora8468]

hello!! it's good to be back ☺

[@HuwRichards]

I'm glad it is Lito! :)

[@ohio_gardener]

Glad to see you back on the channel! Also, glad to see others are getting onto the idea of cutting off plants and leaving the roots in the soil. Have been doing this for many, many years, and by spring the roots are all decomposed and ready to feed the next crops. This is especially important with legume crops that have nitrogen nodules on their roots to feed the microbes.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much, I've missed making videos but very much needed a break! Roots are awesome :)

[@wcndave]

@@HuwRichards Question on the roots though. I finish harvesting in Sept, and in Nov the ground is frozen. It doesn't thaw until end of May, when I am ready to plant again. So - will the roots actually decompose? Also, for 1" of compost in your garden, you must need 30 compost bins, not 3! Do you really put 1" everywhere?

[@nevaeha4048]

@@wcndave he did mention the darker covering keeps the bed warmer. Perhaps after you add your chop and drop + compost if you have trees that lose leaves collect them and then really layer them on to add extra insulation. As someone who lives in Colorado and just moved I’m trying to prepare the “garden bed” (mostly clay💀) and it’s starting to freeze and I’ve found where I put the leaves the ground doesn’t freeze sometimes in thinner spots it slightly frozen. If by your next planting season after doing his recommendations + a leafy mulch there is still some of the leaves left you could either mix them in to the soil or rake them off and add them to a compost pile.

[@wcndave]

@@nevaeha4048 Thanks. I don't have a lot of leaves, and with -15 celcius for 4 months I think freezing is inevitable. Was just curios in terms of the video, cos in the UK it would be frozen for a few months and no ideas like yours were mentioned.

[@AeriolNicols]

@@wcndave in the U.K. winter starts usually late Nov. early Dec. and by late Feb. the spring flowers are popping up. It’s a total different climate. Where we once lived ground didn’t freeze in winter. Just got very cold. So depends on where he is.

[@TheFarmDream]

Welcome back! Good to have all your energy back on the screen. Thanks for the info

[@KevinCdva]

Give us a tour of your fall garden king!

[@LivadaBio]

Incredibly inspiring!

[@scoopdecoop]

Great tips, thank you from a lazy gardener

[@MyFamilyGarden]

Great technique, I've been teaching this particular method of chop and drop for a few years, nice to see it catching on

[@martinsuarezmonroy4917]

Very interesting to learn about the chop and drop method. It makes sense. Thank you!

[@stevendowden2579]

nice video been a while

[@HuwRichards]

Thanks Steven!

[@laurieanne9712]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@patriciahogg5763]

Awesome!!

[@dannygooyer5926]

I love autumn !!

[@gailadler7823]

So good to see you back, Huw. Love those yin yang peas!

[@rebeccad8552]

I love Huw and his videos. Hello from Australia 😊

[@avechristusrex31]

Great advice. Thank you!

[@joseruiz7575]

Glad to see you back! Great ideas for my raised beds over winter. Hope to see more videos soon.

[@myrustygarden]

Good to see you back, I like Marie’s version of chopping and bagging with the lawnmower. As always stay safe and stay gardening 🇨🇦🥬☮️✌️🙏

[@peggykeating]

Thank you very much!!!!

[@janefryer6750]

Thanks so much for your great tips!

[@clintonstonich]

Great tips! Definitely going to try this next fall. Thanks!

[@lornapenn-chester6867]

Yay! Lovely to watch this vid. Welcome back. Hope you had a good break from social media 👏❤️👍

[@blancaestelarivera3711]

Muchas gracias! 😃 Es hermoso!🙆

[@karencolcomb1823]

I have had my plot for 14 years and I thought like this about 3 years in but the resources weren’t as easily accessible as now. It makes total sense to start with healthy soil and less soul disturbance. Enjoying your videos and glad to see you back

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Karen, really appreciate it!

[@judyplater8559]

Thanks so much for all your info much appreciated 🤗

[@marycielo7790]

Thanks for the good information.

[@susanaruizdesousa1320]

Fantastic video!

[@iw9338]

Excellent, thanks very much.

[@SylviaVivian]

Welcome back

[@bristolveggiebeds5310]

I did this to one of my beds just last week!

[@dogankurban]

Great video, thanks for sharing!

[@marywassef4931]

Great idea. It save a lot of time and effort, thank you

[@garygariano4952]

I love your set up that's what I am planning to do

[@peggygilbertsen9099]

Huw thank you . Greetings from chilly Chicago, and thanks for this valuable info. Will chop and drop today thanks to you. Perfect timing .

[@McAwesome777]

This is great, never thought about this when doing raised beds. Going to start doing this

[@ricarda8715]

I really enjoy the videos you do. Thanks for your great work :)

[@minhhop3208]

You always work so hard!!! Thanks so much for sharing ! Very helpful !

[@janetwm1891]

Thank you for this excellent video!

[@kristinanoall]

SO much great information here, thanks so much! Not surprisingly, I’ve been doing it wrong. Happy to know how to do it right after this!

[@nemmanchena901]

Impressed with this guy's helpful tips 👍

[@ElleCappuchino]

This was sort of my plan. But knowing that I'm doing it 'right' helps me to get on with it. Thank, Huw. Very helpful!

[@chelsealeilani64]

I'm so glad you're back. Thank you for the video.

[@HuwRichards]

You're very welcome Chelsea!

[@watsonandbscuriousdays]

snowing plant bits might not be as exciting as the real thing, but it‘s exciting for the microbes :) that is so sweet! love this channel´

[@csifan52]

I’m a new gardener and I found this video incredibly helpful! Thank you so much! Also your voice is calming and that is nice for this crazy year too lol

[@maryannditullio2581]

So good to see you again! Glad everything is okay with you! Loved all the recommend things to do at the end of the growing season!

[@HuwRichards]

Awh thank you very much Mary!!

[@lyndaturner3592]

Really helpful video Huw, glad to see you back .

[@davidthegood]

Looks lovely - great work as always.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much! :)

[@gallopingg1]

BRILLIANT JOB/TIPS. GREAT VID.

[@Eon0007]

Good to see back once again! Great tips as always 😊

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you so much Ian - very pleased to hear you enjoyed it :D

[@marycampbell4160]

Awesome tips

[@memberson]

I like what you did in your video for a good job. You actually said the word weeds as fertilizer. That is never been done since I've done it. Most people don't like to use the word chop and drop weeds.

[@ExploringNatureTogether]

Awesome video, Huw!! I love when you spend time on the soil! Excellent tip on the roots! The decision to have a videographer was a great one! Very professional and it shows!! Impressive! You've come a long way my friend, a long way! You should be very proud of what you've accomplished, what you continue to accomplish!! It's been a joy to watch you through the years! Glad to be able to return to comment on your videos once again! All the very best! 💚~Chris

[@myjunkmail007]

Beautiful garden! I've often wondered about leaving the roots in ground. Peppers and tomatoes have big roots, would you leave those too?

[@SurfinScientist]

Thanks. Great video!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you for watching! So glad you enjoyed it

[@ashleydanielle1118]

Very helpful ❤

[@_cephalotus4187]

Your soil looks so healthy!

[@vladimirtv7210]

Super !!!

[@iwonakoza4709]

Hi, I just found your channel and I'm amazed by your tips and hints ☺️. I'm a very new at growing my own vegetables so every easily presented news are so precious to me. And I love the look of your garden! Thank you for your great job! 👌👍

[@heididemesa414]

Brilliant. So glad you're back! From Nova Scotia. PS we use the finished plants plus leaves from the neighbours yard waste and then rip open the paper yard waste bags to spread open on top!

[@alonacayanan8500]

Thank you

[@keithronson2624]

Huw. Welcome back! R&R no bad thing. Inspiring and informative as always. Chop and drop it is then. Have used lawn mower method. Autumn does reward in so many, beautiful ways. Stay safe. And Thank You.

[@fishhooks100]

Great info! Enjoyed!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you! :)

[@jeanettegoodier3495]

Fantastic video and informative just Perfect for what we’re attempting next on our allotment plot, our first winter preparation. Thank you so much 😊

[@HuwRichards]

That is so exciting Jeanette and good luck with it!

[@Jardin-de-invierno]

Thanks for the video… doing the same here in Kansas City…

[@lynnrushton7458]

Good to see you back Huw 👍

[@keithwhitnell5343]

Some really good, timely advice coupled with some new ideas. What more can you want from my favourite kitchen gardener.

[@RLCinGA]

All your tips were great! I have three compost piles going all the time. I mulch for over winter, but never added the top barrier layer. That goes to the top of my garden chore list. Thanks!

[@HuwRichards]

Great stuff :)

[@everichard568]

Glad to see you back Huw!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you Eve!

[@ShielaJolo]

nice video...i agree with you we should be mending the soil with nutrients especially during winter season as it is the key for an abundant harvest next season.

[@HuwRichards]

Absolutey 100%! Thank you for watching

[@bertiew6771]

Great video with some really interesting tips. Best 11 minutes 30 seconds spent today. Thanks.

[@HuwRichards]

I'm glad to hear it Bertie! :)

[@chillday29]

Love you guy

[@kathdurham9304]

So nice to see you back 🤩

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you Kath!

[@stephenzaffarano4520]

Sprinkled some egg shells and crushed pumpkin pieces, etc on my raised beds, to work in to the soil before topping them off with new compost. Great video! Thanks!!

[@kimburgess2897]

Love your videos Huw, hi from NZ.🥰

[@silvertonguedaywalker9116]

Hi so happy to see youu back x

[@HuwRichards]

Awh thank you ☺️

[@laurafrey5244]

Just found you channel - and I've been binge watching! Your videos are very well done and very informative! Thank you!

[@HuwRichards]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching :)

[@anabelenespasandin3807]

Muy interesante, seria genial ver la evolucion de un bancal paso a paso durante una temporada completa

[@denniskiewiet422]

Welcome back. I enjoy your videos! This is what I've been doing this afternoon. I agree with leaving the roots in, but I'm not to sure about chop & drop in our climate. It will provide slugs, snails and other critters with a lot of food. I'm pretty sure it's the way to go in hotter climates. I've stopped using plastic to cover ground for many reasons, but indeed paper or cardboard seem like a good idea. I'll have to look around for free or cheap materials. People have also suggested me to use leaves or let specific weeds grow in winter. The problem with leaves would be that some leaves contain unwanted chemicals and sorting them is too much work. Using specific weeds would require intelligent weeding all winter long.

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you very much Dennis! Slugs, Snails and other critters already have a lot of food! I could argue that cardboard or paper layers provide habitat to slugs to hide under. There has to be a palce where you test things to see if they work or not. I am happy with my slug control here in my garden and so I am not phased about chop and drop. It'll be covered anyway :)

[@laurastrachan7943]

I hardly ever get slugs or snails where I am in North America, but they do appear under cardboard! Mulch also importantly provides food for earthworms, with healthy soil they can eat through the mulch pretty quickly.

[@MC-ko2mx]

Welcome back!

[@HuwRichards]

Thank you! :)

[@roccoconte2960]

Glad too see you back , i dont like just leaving old plants back in beds , i worry about deseases from old plant i think they schould be composted first ,nice video keep up the good work.

[@rustysgarden5011]

How i wish i ccould have a partner who had the same passion in gardening 😘 thank you sir