What to do in the Garden in Fall & Winter

[@GrowCookPreserveWithKellyDawn]

I always tell people I have a hundred hobbies, but cleaning is not one of them! Thanks for another helpful video, Jenna!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Haha- SAME!

[@margaret2222]

I planted my garlic today. Ohio zone 6b. I covered it with straw and then Chicken Wire to keep those nasty squirrels out. I couldn't sleep last night so I was out at 2:00am planting the last of my Egyptian Walking Onion Bulbs. I wanted to get them in before the rain and have a flood light in the back yard and I also put on my headlamp. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was nutz if they saw me. Hopefully they were fast asleep. As for your barn, I need to bring my 4 granddaughters over. They love to clean and really do a great job. They are 11, 8 year old twins and a 6 year old. I figure I will let them clean to their hearts content while they enjoy it. That tide will most likely turn soon enough. Thanks for another great video.

[@deadeyedi9833]

Greenhouse w a heater or hot tub.

[@PhilipDonna1982]

If we were neighbors I’d probably have come out and helped you! 😂

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Sounds like a fun night! My goodness, I'd love to have your granddaughters' help!!

[@nancynesytofreske]

I hear you about preferring to be outside vs inside! Love your honesty.

[@rebeccah11108]

What is your opinion on covering/mulching beds with old pine needles? We have an abundance of fallen brown needles on our property.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

If I had access to pine needles, I would absolutely use them to mulch. Some folks have concerns about needles making their soil more acidic, but research has found that needles do not appreciably shift soil pH.

[@johnkulcsar6552]

NEOhio 6B too. Nov 13th., still getting blooms off my Dahlias. Amazing long growing season this year.

[@Sunnylane02174]

Your channel is one of the best gardening channels!!! As a fellow Ohio gardener too, I find myself reverting back to your videos! I’m planting my garlic this coming week! I said that this past week too! 😭😂🤣

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks!! I've still not gotten to mine... today is the day!! (Mainly because the temps are supposed to drop 30 degrees by Thursday here, and I think I'd rather be out planting in 60 degree weather than 30)!

[@wingrider1004]

As you garden more and more, you go from perfection, to utility. Nature, again, shows us the way :)

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That's a great way to put it!

[@sociopathmercenary]

We had a rabbit family that was living in our garden this year. They ate a couple plants in the spring but didn't touch anything the rest of the year. I figured the dog would chase them out but I caught him hanging out with the bunnies getting some sun. 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Haha- I would have loved to have seen that!

[@marykappesser5145]

Great video Jenna. I am slowly cleaning out the garden. I am spending a lot of time on covering beds and soil improvement. Alas, I have lost 2 maples, my neighbor lost 3 trees, so my leaf piles are slim to none now a days. I think I might scan the community for leaf bags and go steal some!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm so sorry to hear about your trees!

[@zaria5785]

So glad I’m not the only one with clutter areas to tackle. I’m now working on downsizing since having a few systems in place like worm bins and compost bins. Finally got some heating mats so it saves me time that I would otherwise have to move seed trays indoors and outdoors constantly. The best thing I’ve done this year was save my favorite plant seeds and label the envelopes with dates that I put them in for future use.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm so glad to hear you saved your favorite seeds!

[@jamespalmerministries6131]

Thanks Jenna!!! I'm building raised beds for next year. Got a little time left to bag some leaf n grass clippings.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

New beds are always exciting! Have fun!

[@skoalar]

Just watched your latest video on fall garden wrap up. Good stuff. Your clean up note about breaking down old cardboard boxes caught my attention particularly. I know you use cardboard extensively for many purposes but I wanted to share with you something I’ve been doing with cardboard recently. This past summer I bought a heavy duty paper shredder and I’ve been shredding cardboard as a source of brown material for my composting and it works great. Shredded up the cardboard breaks down really fast and was a great match for grass clippings this past summer. A few caveats of course. No glossy stuff, brown corrugated basically and I strip off any plastic tape and labels. Also I have to cut it up into strips that will fit the shredder slot and some corrugated is double thick and is too thick to fit in the shredder slot. Finally the shredder manufacturer’s instructions said no cardboard but I haven’t had any problems for about six months of heavy use shredding cardboard boxes for my compost pile

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks for sharing that tip!

[@andrewmckinley6571]

Thank you for a much needed video!

[@emkn1479]

Oh girl, with you. Rather do ANYTHING outside than clean up my garden (and other) messes 😂 Working on it… tackling chipmunks here, thanks for the timing tip.

[@JohnJude-dp6ed]

@@emkn1479 We had a wire hair fix Terri and found 28 dead chipmunk in the first summer we had him and 21 second year and after that almost nothing for him to grab.

[@tomst9417]

I just cleaned up most of my vegetable garden last week. There are still some vegetables out there now-green onions and leeks. It has been incredibly mild here in zone 5b WI this fall. My winter cover crops all germinated so as winter approaches I feel like the garden is well prepared for spring.

[@julie-annepineau4022]

My big task is digging the slump from the beds out of the walking paths and back on to the beds. I got the garlic in last weekend. Also adding a layer of manure and woodchip to my orchard to give them a boost next year. The list is long but the wet and cold weather has not been co-operating very much. East Coast Canada

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That's one I often tackle during this time period as well... just wasn't sure if I should put it in my top 5 or not. Thankfully I think I'm going to be able to skip it this year since I did it last fall/winter.

[@YG-fo5rl]

Chopping, cleaning, and working in the leaves and grass into the soil. Also time to finish up on garlic and onions planting. And time to sow those spinach seeds for early spring harvest.

[@samanthahoos9827]

❤I’ve been cleaning out potted plants using the soil to refresh flower beds and plant material composting in the chicken run. I organized my seeds making a wish list for Christmas present ideas for my family. Thank you for the rodent tips! I moved several herb plants into the greenhouse while need to pull out frost covers for year round outdoor containers with strawberries. Hoses are slowly getting put away before a hard freeze and I trimmed roses plus apple trees 😊

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It sounds like you're staying busy and prepared for the cooler months!

[@hannahhalleck9558]

I definitely feel the same about cleaning inside when I'd rather be outside... And I always say "the next rainy day I'll work inside"... But we've not had many rainy days here in Ohio!! 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That's true- very few rainy days this season!!

[@brianczuhai8909]

I’m still waiting for a HARD frost freeze yet. Stlll have leaves on the maples. I collect the shredded mowed leaves for garden mulch. Love it! Nods (MANY thanks) to you this year are: - Agrothrive 3-5-5; for seedlings, fruiting, and in between. Still use the Alaska 5-1-1 for a nitrogen fix. It did GREAT! - I’ll switch to your Alisa Craig onion slips. - Your Aurora Peppers were great! I’m going to try to over winter those. Just enough of hotness. And Millennial Gardener said to grow those in a pot, which I did at home. And they were huge. Hey keep doing your ladders shots of the garden each video. It’s like a video snapshot of the garden. It’s cool. I recommend gardeners take a picture each time they are out there. Makes a good almanac.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Same! And according to my forecast, we're not even going to drop below freezing in the next 10 days- wild for almost mid-November! I'm glad to hear that the things you've listed worked out well. I like the idea of using the mix of Agrothrive & Alaska. And I do like the ladder shots too-- but I'm hoping to have my friend out again this coming summer to do more drone shots... it's hard to beat those!

[@brianczuhai8909]

@@GrowfullywithJenna One more. I forgot. Your solar eclipse short was GODLIKE. You’re a keeper. Do more shorts so we know you are alive. Feb. is usually the climb the walls time for gardeners. Last year the weather was warm. Then we got hit in March. This year? ??

[@hollykrupinski6727]

So helpful! Thank you!

[@crishernandez8182]

Good Ohio Zone 6-A Morning Jenna🎉 ❤ The Fall Colors and excited for everything the Garden brings😊 Well Done!!

[@boysrus61]

Isn't interesting that the longer we garden, the "lazier" we get but really it isn't laziness but realistic. Composting in place is such a good idea when you have the space. I think when I first started gardening I had to harvest every fruit and vegetable and clean it out perfectly by Nov 1st. Not so much any more. Maybe with old age I am thinking more about the birds and other critters that might crawl in there and take a snack.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It is interesting! Though I like to think of it as working smarter not harder 😄 And honestly- so many of these things are actually beneficial to the garden as well.

[@roserizzo3094]

You made me laugh! I, too, would rather be outside than clean the house! Love your videos!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thanks!!

[@robertcotrell9810]

I'm in NE OH. I've been planting my garlic very close to Thanksgiving; this will be my fourth year. I've not had any issues so far!

[@PhilipDonna1982]

Hello from NE Ohio. I also delayed my garlic until last week, a day before a solid soaking rain came. I have been slowly cutting down vegetable plants and adding cover crop to my stock tanks. I also didn’t pull out roots this year but that was due to an arm injury so couldn’t pull but now I’m glad about it. I still have baby eggplant producing in my garden and many snap peas. But a freeze is predicted here tonight so I’m going to harvest the eggplant today. My kale and beets (finally I was able to grow some beets) are still happy.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad to hear you got a good rain! We finally got one here last night, so I'm on track to plant as well. Sorry to hear about the arm injury, but at least one small good came from it- I hope you are on the mend! Take care!

[@franksinatra1070]

I always try to get compost down on my beds in the fall whether its stuff I made or I had to purchase and then top that with shredded leaves. Also have some cover crops on certain beds. I'm also taking inventory of my seeds so I know what to order by Black Friday to take advantage of the sales.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Smart ideas!!

[@brianseybert192]

I agree with all the tasks at hand preparing for winter, my garage looks like your barn, lol. I have a couple others on my list as well. Before I mulch with shredded leaves, I mulch my beds with all the comfrey I have growing around the garden, gives an extra little boost of nutrition for my soils. NOTE: Because of the jumping worms, I need to remove the leaf mulch before the soil temps reach 50F, that is when the JW cocoons start to hatch out. I have gone to feeding my composting worms primarily foods from my gardens. To do this I am harvesting and freezing nutritious leaves before they die off like strawberry, raspberry, borage, calendula the list goes on and on, along with that, after I get enough flower seeds for planting next year, I will be collecting flower heads, hanging to dry, then pulverizing to add to my worm chow. Finally planted my garlic on Nov 7th, zone 5a, we have been horribly dry as well, was waiting for a good rain, YAY. Enjoy your videos! Stay Well!!!!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm working on expanding my comfrey plantings to do something similar. I'm thinking of planting around the outside perimeter of my fence in addition to a few other spots. I'm hoping this coming year will be the year for me to really get serious about the worms. I've dabbled and dreamed so many times, and just have not committed- but every time I hear from you it inspires me!

[@norton356]

Hey Jenna, can you please make a video about how to start seeds for the next year? I need help with starting them. love your chanel and this is the best Chanel i have found for gardening, Thanks!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I certainly can! I do have this playlist with lots of videos about seed starting, but if you're looking for info that I've not covered there, please let me know: kzbin.info/aero/PL4zzslvkscX37Yxp5QR-WcrL-PSYwdO5l&si=9-zylNQYVEUc63JU

[@mneil8880]

Hello Jenna! Thankyou again for the informative video! My garden cleanup consists of taking down the fence & letting the deer have at it!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That's one way to do it!!

[@NewNosey]

In my tiny 120 sq. ft. of growing beds, I just cut off the plants leaving the roots. I put the small amount of non-walnut tree leaves I could find on the beds. I put the summer compost on paper in the new bed and covered all the beds with cardboard. In the fall and winter, I'll be making compost for the spring. The grow bags will be left alone.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Sounds like you've got a good system in place!

[@michaelmarchione3408]

The down side to gardening lol! The worst for me is the winter squash vines. I have to pull by hand in the two no-till gardens. The raised beds are so much easier lol! I bought a 40 volt Worx Blower/vac/mulcher. I cover our raised bed with the mulch in the fall. The leaves are very, very finely cut up. Smaller than your little fingernail. Then in the spring I work into the rabbit manure. Seems to help for better crop production. Enjoyed as always, take care!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Oh- smart idea with the Worx blower!!

[@susanmullett2164]

I was happy to see a new video from you. I always enjoy them.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

💚

[@brianczuhai8909]

Yeah. Jenna is missed. Always. But the seed ordering ones are nice, because it's winter, and you can think, dream, and contemplate a better garden next year; compare notes, and figure out how to minimize those shipping costs for that one seed pack you just got'ta have.

[@authentichomestead]

Nice that Hisea now offers farm work boots for the winter months. When I inquired in the spring, they didn't offer any.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

From what I've seen, they are always trying to add new styles based on customer feedback.

[@dollyperry3020]

The most important task is clean up and I add manure to all the beds in the fall.

[@carolmalignaggi669]

I have a mole or vole problem. Thanks for the tip! I'm going to try it.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

If you have moles you'll want to use a slightly different tactic, as these methods won't work. If you're interested, I share the 2 methods that have worked best for me in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6PNq4uPp5mgl8ksi=jL00887zj0DPDGvl

[@kennypridemore5466]

We love our Ohio Gardener 😅😂🎉🎉😊 !!! We covered all our raised beds surfaces with alfalfa pellets and sweet feed with oats already mix in with it, the oats is our cover crop which dies and covers the bed with the alfalfa pellets which dissolved into the surface, and also covered with fine chop straw that has weathered for a year outside, so it's already starting to rot and mix all our extra pumpkins and squash in with the chop straw, we also chop all pumpkins in the chopper.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Your soil will LOVE that!

[@MarisGardenandKitchen]

Very Helpful video. Thank you!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@ria9881]

This was SO helpful! Thank you! I am just getting into growing more things. I would love to start garlic so I will have to cram and watch some of your garlic videos so that I can learn what I need to by next week so I can then get some in the ground! lol I am a follower of Jess from Roots & Refuge and while I love her and her videos, I really wanted to have someone that was planting in the same zone as me so I could figure out timing and learn what others are doing in the same conditions as I am. I want to learn how best to get the most 'bang for my buck' in my limited garden space. All the planting time charts in the world don't help as much as hearing and seeing someone do it in the timeframe that I need to do it in so that I can actually soak up the information. Grateful to have found you! Can't wait to pour over all your videos!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It's great to hear that you're finding the videos helpful! If you've not already checked them out, you may find my series fo videos covering what I plant month by month helpful, cheers! kzbin.info/aero/PL4zzslvkscX1qEVADEL6_OL5ynFVtcMPR&si=PH4ZQlPUv0Al7Jp1

[@ria9881]

@GrowfullywithJenna THANK YOU! I am checking out your garlic tutorials today so I can be sure I have what I need to get them in. This is great!!

[@lbf5984]

You inspired me to break down boxes. 😂

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm glad you are! I still haven't gotten to mine 😆

[@mgronnvoll]

Great information as always - and so nice to see a new video! I know creating, editing, and posting is a lot of work, so I really appreciate your taking the time to do it. We're top dressing all our beds right now with the plentiful and renewable resource of shredded leaves. Also, since the fall has been unseasonably warm, the grass clippings haven't dried up yet. Question: We've used winter rye in the past as a cover crop, but find that it's challenging to terminate in the spring. That stuff just wants to keep growing! Do you have any tips on knocking it back so that it stays down?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Great to hear from you! And you are right- rye can be a pain to deal with if not terminated at the right time. The very best method is to chop & drop right at anthesis (pollen drop... it's usually right around mid-May for me). If you get it at this time, you typically only get a very small amount of grow back. If you are a person who tills the garden- tilling the rye under at this same stage is also very effective. If you cut before this time, the rye will just keep growing back again & again. You can also cut it early in the spring- before it's about 12" tall. You get less benefit from it this way, but it's an option if you have to get early crops in. If you've not checked it out already, you may find my video on winter rye helpful. I talk about termination methods starting at 09:11: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWeZY4OQatFnqMksi=GukjNpKh4tWCAIsX

[@davidaleshire4292]

Hello, Jenna. Glad to see your new video. Got one garden pretty well cleaned up and ready for a client’s garden next year. I’ve been doing the leaves for them like you do, ground to little bits and piled for use. My own garden still has peppers actively growing and producing in Columbus, so gutting things out has been slow to happen. So much to do if I could just talk myself into it.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Wow! Peppers still going in mid-November is wild! If I had covered mine, I think they'd still be OK- but I had so many peppers I was just kind of done with them!

[@davidaleshire4292]

I’ll be smoking and sweet pickling then six lbs. I just picked to finish the year. Christmas gifts for sure.

[@StargazingDragon]

My shed looks exactly the same down to the one seed tray on the top of the pile 😂. I've already pulled out a bag of trash but I need to go back out and unclutter all the tools I've thrown in there planting fall bulbs lol

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Glad it's not just me 😆

[@SiriusScientist]

Will you be doing garden favorites videos again this year, now that the season is wrapping up?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I will! Hoping to have that out sometime in December (hopefully early Dec. as I know everyone is eager to do their seed shopping)!

[@Joseph-u6d]

Always good information without unnecessary yakkity yak❤👍😺

[@beeconnectionzzz8786]

just discovered you and devouring your content. Same growing zone so very helpful!! Looking forward to your "2024 Favourites" and ordering some new varieties!! Thank you!!

[@ria9881]

I just found her too! I am in CT and so many people that garden are in warmer climates. I needed someone who was doing this in my own planting zone so I could ACTUALLY learn how to make my garden work better for me! lol I'll be devouring right along with you!

[@beeconnectionzzz8786]

@@ria9881 I hear you! Everyone is in California...can't grow all year round. I'm looking forward to improving the garden soil and eating veggies that are better suited for our clay soil and cooler temps! Happy growing!!!

[@ria9881]

@beeconnectionzzz8786 I'm a Roots & Refuge fan. Jess Sowards lives in SC. So it's closer, and she is amazing. But I need to see from my own weather and groowing time frames to really grasp what I need to do.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Hoping to have the 2024 favorites video out in early December. Not as many favorites as in some of my prior years, but still some exciting varieties 😄. I'm so glad you're finding the videos helpful!

[@beeconnectionzzz8786]

@@GrowfullywithJenna I've watched the 2023 and 2022 Favorites....I'm wondering if at some point you can do a video of "the seed varieties I ALWAYS grow in my garden on repeat". Just a thought. Thanks and I love your videos!

[@abbycole7485]

Do you have a preferred timeline to mulch garlic? I’m in your area so I’m trying to figure out when to mulch. For when I really *should* do something, I get myself a STRONG latte then tackle the task on the caffeine high 😂

[@akhtarali9854]

In fact, I was too , busy to clean my gardening residues of vigetables plz shoot a video on growing potatoes under mulching namely no tillage method ok thank you God may bless you and your family long life

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Here's my video growing no-dig potatoes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHjCeq2ljqt7j9ksi=jcaqTijINeyoRInH

[@namastenurse]

My plan is to clean up time branches and netting and get some berry canes trimmed because as usual I’m laaaaate. Then dig a trench for a huglekulture bed and put all the branches and crap in that 🤣. I saved seed from every thing that produced this year even in that crap conditions because that 💩 hella resilient.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Good call on saving seed from the stuff that made it this year!!

[@flatlander2743]

Planted garlic and shallots a week before our first killing frosts- late October. Mulched them with semi-rotted straw. Of course, daytime temps went back up into the 70s and most of the bulbs have sprouted. Guess I'll aim for a mid November planting in 2025. 🤣

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

The warm spells this fall have been crazy!

[@IntegratedPestManagement]

Critters! Definitely a lack of natural predators for folks in town..when the foxes are in the neighborhood the critters remain at a good number.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It seems almost all the critters are worse in general in suburban and urban areas- more issues with rabbit, raccoon and deer too!

[@dustyflats3832]

I’m not leaving roots in anymore. Tilling as I did no till and ended up with root knot nematodes on carrots and never had that before. I read they like sandy soil. Another reason I till is we have new unwelcomed visitors-voles. We will be on Full Hunt Mode now that plants are done. Thx, will check out Hisea as I’m looking for good garden footwear. I have also been pushing back garlic planting in Z5a, WI. It’s way too warm this far into fall. We have also been 20-30 degrees higher. Two years ago I planted normal time and had way too much garlic growth. Waited last year and mulched heavily and harvested larger garlic. We have primarily oak and can be acidic, but it does hold up well to break up some top soil that was more clay we had delivered. Ugh! 😭 don’t tell me 5-10 litters of voles a year-whaaaa! The mice are bad enough as they moved into rider mower again and ate wires😡. We got ride of all the millions of gophers with rat traps and celery leaf. The voles are tricky and hope with plants gone I get them with peanut butter before they eat more spring bulbs. I wish I had all that room in my small shed. I just don’t have enough room even with installed bench, shelves, hutch and tool holder. All those bed covers take a lot of room and spilled over to a far away shed. Most important fall garden jobs for me: clear-out all plants I don’t compost, get amendments tilled in, garlic planted, rain tanks and irrigation lines/hoses drained, get the fall veg to finish up and monitor the covers, thrashing leaves, hauling wood chips for paths, ect while it’s cool, plant spring bulbs and other new plants/trees and transplant perennials that need moved, collect seeds and later clean and store. And this fall I hope 🤞🏻 we can redo the greenhouse. I need to go out and just start clearing and tearing up the floor and just maybe I will get some help😂. Also need more leaves and wood ash that someone keeps promising I will get 😒😅. Thanks Jenna and hope you are getting rain as we were in a drought also even though we had our annual amount by July this year. It’s been some kind of weather.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Great point about not leaving roots in- definitely if you have any soil bourne issues, leaving the roots in is not the best option. Sounds like you are staying busy (as always) and I hope you're able to redo that greenhouse the way you want! And yes- we finally got some rain. A decent bit last night, but not sure it's enough to make up the deficit. At this point I'm happy for anything we get! Take care!

[@asyed1995]

Beautiful Believe that its 🕙 A Modest Moment, Movement, Financial Fairness for All in North America & across the 🌏

[@JohnJude-dp6ed]

I've planted the root cover radishes some September 1 and I honestly think they might be a ft. out of the ground level and my first experience with the radishes. Also some buckwheat.some was later during the drying days.planted in Columbus has been dry most of the year but wet today. I experienced cardboard as messy but love the big leaf bags and my neighbors leaves . Clean up depends on the need to ! I would like a tool to cut the stems of the dried out weeds that might be harder than old oak lumber.I also trying not to harm the roots Going to try to build myself a heavy hoe much like the Asia people use to clear heavy clay soil I've seen in short videos. Guilty having not planted garlic yet them scraps are just so delicious Prefer my leaf mulch/ grass clippings/ garden waste ran thru my mulching machine as it really breaks them down and by planting season is almost compost and doesn't blow away. If you have a chance to get the seeds of your choice sooner the better. Thanks for helping

[@supereight9221]

Blowtorch the base of the weed and keep a watering can or hose with spray nozzle handy

[@JohnJude-dp6ed]

@supereight9221 but propane prices has raised. I'm thinking about a hoe that about 3 wide and sharpen much as a shovel and very hard steel 01 might be my first tested.With addressing the weeds about August while little green might make it a easy choir and chop n drop

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I've had to use a small hacksaw on some of my very tough stems! But I'm sure there's a better tool for it. Always glad to hear your updates!

[@mikenimmo119]

Hello Jenna, how do you kill the cover crops in the spring? Thank you, Mike

[@mneil8880]

I just till them in!

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It depends a bit on the cover, but for those that don't winter kill I usually chop & drop, and sometimes with rye I'll till it under.

[@OhioJeremy]

This is really the best time of year to plan for the next growing season.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Absolutely!

[@brittany5629]

I have a few chipmunks and moles. They haven’t done much harm except chipmunks ate my strawberries. Oh well… we live together at my house. We share food lol

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I had a little chipmunk who would grab strawberries, climb up in my double high raised bed, look DIRECTLY at me and eat the berries. I was so amazed/charmed by his boldness I just let him do his thing 😆

[@thereseavelis1372]

Thanks, Jenna! Very good timing, also 😊 Just got my garlic in and have two beds of tiller radish doing well. In Indiana zone 6b, should I put leaves over the radish? I do not have broken down or composted leaves, but about 25 bags from friends and neighbors. Cheers 🎉

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You're welcome! I generally don't recommend putting leaf mulch over cover crop of any kind (given that you have a sufficient stand of your cover crop).

[@nommindymple6241]

Does your bunny eat your garden stuff? The one who sits around our garden didn't seem to eat anything there. It seemed to prefer eating the white clover I threw in the lawn. Of course, there's probably no such thing as one bunny. Where you have one, you'll have a dozen.

[@mneil8880]

The bunnies that get in my garden love the flood weeds the best 😅 I grow pole green beans up through milk crates onto a pretty high structure that they can't reach. They don't bother anything else.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

He (or she) did, but it was so little in the grand scheme of things, I didn't mind. He seemed to really prefer peppers (which surprised me), and nibbled quite a bit on my cover crops. For me, rabbits are a bigger issue in the spring and early summer when I'm trying to get crops established. They always prefer to eat the tender young growths of plants and will destroy seedlings. We have lots of white clover in our 'lawn', but they still try to get into the garden when they can.

[@cs4849]

Is there a way to make leaf mulch if you don’t have a mower? Or can you just use whole leaves? We live in the woods, so no lawn.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

If you have young energetic children, just have them run through, jump in and in general trample the dried leaves-- they'll break them down in no time 😆. But really- I can't think of a great way to do it large scale. You could always put the leaves in large construction style garbage bags and bash them with baseball bat or something of the like... but if it were me, I'd probably just use the whole leaves. I will say- be careful not to pile them on too thick if you're planting the following spring. I did that the first or second year in my garden here (before we had the lawn bagger). We pilled probably a foot or two of whole leaves over the entire garden. They did not break down quickly and formed a wet soggy mat which, in combination with my heavy clay soil, caused the soil to not even start to dry out till mid-summer. They were too heavy for me to rake away, so I gave up and had my husband till them all into the soil. This caused issues with nitrogen tie up for about 2 seasons. I learned my lesson from that, and when I planted garlic at my folks' place last year and had nothing but whole leaves, I mulched my garlic beds with the whole leaves, but only piled them about 6" deep. The garlic beds were also raised/mounded beds so they dried out better. Doing it this way worked just fine!

[@akrjp6857]

Hello Jenna .... wuaht do you think of "walnut leaves " to feed the land knowing walnut contains "juglone " which is not so good for the near vegetation ?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I have no issues using mulched walnut leaves and compost in my garden. I also use walnut wood in my hugelkultur beds with no ill effects. Juglone transmission via walnut is a widely misunderstood concept and is not quite as simple as 'walnuts poison anything growing near them' as many of us (including myself) have been told. If you have concerns over using walnut in your garden, I recommend you simply compost the leaves/branches first and avoid putting the actual walnut nuts into the compost. I found this article on the subject quite interesting: www.gardenmyths.com/walnuts-juglone-allelopathy/#:~:text=The%20commonly%20held%20belief%20is%20that%20walnuts%20and,it.%20Instead%20they%20produce%20a%20chemical%20called%20hydrojuglone.

[@SteveN-sy4bm]

Hi Jenna what size is that pvc pipe to fit a trap?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I used 3" PVC pipe to fit a standard wooden mouse trap. Specifically this: www.homedepot.com/p/Charlotte-Pipe-3-in-x-10-ft-PVC-Schedule-40-DWV-Pipe-PVC073000600/100348476?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-320028359-_-0-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a

[@HollyMarie49]

Do you ever use cardboard to cover the garden for the winter?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I generally only use cardboard in my walkways to keep weeds down, and then I cover the cardboard with some type of mulch. I did try creating a new bed once over the fall/winter time period by covering the area with cardboard and then topping with chopped leaves, and that seemed to work OK, but it's not my favorite.

[@LittleIowa]

What do you think about easy straw to put on top of your garden beds? I don't have broken down leaves to put on top of mine.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I've not personally tried it. The only thing I'm not sure of is what they're using as a 'bonding agent' in that EZ straw and whether that would have any detriment on the veggie garden. But since it's used primarily growing new lawn and says it's 'safe for pets & children' my inclination is that it would be OK.

[@brianczuhai8909]

I've used that before too. It's gone quite pricey lately. Not sure why they can't get that OMRI (organic) certified. Regular straw is a crap shoot with persistent pesticides.

[@LittleIowa]

@@brianczuhai8909 please let me know if you do know of anything that is certified I only have three small beds.

[@brianczuhai8909]

@@LittleIowa I use triple shredded wood chip. You might be safe with what you have. It's a little pricey but works well. What does it take to mow over straw? Leaf mold is out there too. That's gold. Check your landscape wood mulch places.

[@brianczuhai8909]

Or just move over leaves. Use that. Just remember Ma Nature never buys anything in the wilderness. She does well. Keep it simple.

[@KathyKincaid-t5h]

I am in SW Ohio and struggled this year with onions. Two things I started mine indoors in spring and you just said December. Would I benefit from that? And I realize once in the ground I was not feeding them enough 😕

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You will definitely benefit from starting them earlier. The latest I ever start from seed is early January. They have a very long maturity window from seed. If you've not already checked it out, you may find my video 'Planting Onions from Seed' helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6uohKlpg5esp9Usi=4qAcJdPgZ-cI6v4k

[@KathyKincaid-t5h]

Thank you so much

[@tonyhermann72]

I sent you an e-mail for a chipmunk trap that works great.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Thank you!

[@mattbakus2233]

❤

[@osmia]

Did you get that bunny out?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

He (or she) seems to have made his own way out. I've not seen him for at least a month now!

[@osmia]

@GrowfullywithJenna S/he made a good decision before you had to intervene

[@mikefrench3800]

I'm trying out the new Kool Aid boots🤣

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That's a new one on me!

[@larrya3989]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@akrjp6857]

..very fine barn storage area ...mine is even prettier , . always looking after my screwdriver after 6 months investigations .....

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

That's the downfall to the mess-- makes it hard to find the things we need!

[@mikefrench3800]

Tomatillos really sprout and hard to pick all of them up

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Ugh-- they really do!

[@muhamadthemotorcityfarmer6016]

What do famers do with their large land?. They have 100s of acres that they leave without covering and they do OK. So why should a home gardener do it?

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

The majority of farmers in my area have discovered the benefits of keeping soil covered and have changed to either planting cover crops or going no-till and leaving crop residue (such as the corn stalks) in place till the spring.

[@emilybh6255]

What about FIRE ANTS? I have giant mounds of fire ants (Zone 8B NW SC) It would take me days of boiling water applications to temporarily kill them before they relocate and build new mounds. Do beneficial nematodes work? I have never tried them. Besides boiling water, I have tried Diatomaceaous earth. Both seem to work somewhat. Is there a schedule I need to follow? I don't want to have to resort to chemicals as I'm trying to grow food here. Lastly, how do you know whether to leave roots of plants in the soil that might be affected with root knot nematode or something harmful? Is there a way to check the health of the roots before deciding to leave them in or not??? I had a Cherokee Purple Tomato plant that was a tremendous producer for me during the first half of the season and then the size of the tomatoes were reduced later on. Of course they were in a SSW facing raised bed with walls 8 ft behind them on the NW and NE side so air circulation was limited and the already brutal summer heat was probably worse there than anywhere else. So to make a long story longer, before trusting that the roots were o.k. and leaving them in to decompose, I thought I'd check them..... and sure enough there were tumor-like growths on the roots that must have been suffocating or at least preventing all the nutrients that should have been getting up to the branches and the fruits resulting. I pulled the plant out with the roots and I planting Marigolds is one way to insure against root knot nematode. But is there one determining factor we should use? When is it fully safe to leave the roots of a plant in the garden?

[@autumnwest5854]

My sister, lived in Macon Ga. Fire ants took over a garden bed, she checked for any utilities in ground( non found). Remove bed boards on one end and 1 cool evening, poured gas in main hole, had garden hose there just in case and threw a twisted piece of paper on it. No more ants and gas burnt off its own residue. Planted tomatoes next Spring never had another problem in that spot in yard.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

I'm afraid I'm no help at all with the fire ants. That's not a pest I've ever had to deal with here in Ohio. However, I do find that Arbico Organics' website is a great resource for dealing with pests & diseases organically: www.arbico-organics.com/category/fire-ants Regarding checking root health- if you suspect any type of soil borne pathogen, I would pull up the entire plant and destroy. For root knot nematode specifically, check out these tips for organic control from NC State extension: "Cultural methods may minimize root-knot nematode damage. Practices such as removing the roots of each crop as soon as harvest is completed, followed by tilling the soil two to three times is very effective in reducing nematode levels. It is also helpful to till the entire garden two or three times in the fall and to plant a winter cover crop of annual rye grass, rye or wheat. The tillage operations will destroy the plant roots and prevent further reproduction of the nematodes. It will also expose the nematodes to the drying action of the sun and wind, which will reduce the nematode populations. Maintaining optimum conditions for plant growth in terms of soil pH, fertility, and soil moisture will increase the tolerance of low to moderate nematode pressure and will make the plants less susceptible to other stresses as well. Frequent incorporation of organic matter, especially high rates (400 to 500 pounds per 100 square feet) of composted leaves, grass clippings, and manure, into the soil is also beneficial for improving soil structure and moisture retention. It will also encourage biological control of the nematodes. The use of such organic materials may require additional nitrogen. Other practices, including the use of nematode-free plants or soil and solar heating under plastic, are inexpensive and simple methods of controlling nematodes. To kill nematodes in soil, heat small quantities of moist soil to 140°F in the oven or by solarization. Heating soil in the oven over a time period needed to bake a medium-sized potato placed in the center of the soil is sufficient to kill nematodes; however, this is only practical for small quantities of soil. Solarization involves tightly placing a clear, plastic cover over the soil and letting it remain in the sun three to five days. This technique will work best during mid-summer, and the soil should be exposed to full sun in an area such as the driveway or sidewalk. Nematode-free soil can be purchased in garden supply centers." content.ces.ncsu.edu/control-of-root-knot-nematodes-in-the-home-vegetable-garden

[@gcc2313]

I think everyone struggles with sheds. Is a imma keep it in the back of my head thing. but im getting on it little by little. Domestic cats are not really "natural" predators and outcompete actual natural predators while being damaging beneficial animals. I think its better to first try to attract actual natural predators first. Before considering cats.

[@gcc2313]

@GrowfullywithJenna birds of prey especially (barn)owls, as well as snakes stoats/emine/weasel foxes also eat rodents.

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

@@gcc2313 yes! And I just realized my prior comment was added as a reply to you by mistake. Not a new thing to me- but I'm glad you pointed that out about cats!

[@gcc2313]

@@GrowfullywithJenna ah okay no problem haha.

[@kimdubasik4838]

Could you talk much longer about the boots please

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

It's difficult to tell simply from text if you're being sarcastic or not, so I'll provide 2 responses. If you'd like more info about the boots, check out Hisea.com. If you don't want to watch the boot promo, I always provide time stamps in my videos that make it easy to skip over the sponsored bit.

[@asyed1995]

1 Acar Homestead, can helpful less load to Big Stores? Lower Middle Class , Needs to know " Annual Income .Good Wishes to Kindness & Boycott to cruelty greedy natures then Earth can become " Heaven"

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

Yes- a 1 acre homestead can definitely help one become less reliant on stores!

[@akrjp6857]

poor little animals which are trapped like so.... what to do with them after being trapped .....😪

[@GrowfullywithJenna]

You can always opt for live trapping and relocating.

[@akrjp6857]

@@GrowfullywithJenna ok Thanks Jenna for reply .....😘...I'll take them with my bycicle and let them to visit russia , kremlin etc ....