[Communications] From CCGA: Info for winterizing the garden

[Glenda Gonzalez]

Amy,

This is so helpful! Thank you.

My next question is about compost. I woke at a school and we have around 26
beds that need to be winterized. Unfortunately, I don’t access to natural
leaves and such in the area. Do you know of any places here in chicago that
could help me with this? We are located on the sw side.

Best,

Glenda

On Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 6:29 PM Amy Olson <akeo at me.com> wrote:

> Hi Glenda,
>
> Thanks for your Facebook message!
> Here’s a quick checklist of things to consider when closing the garden
> down for the winter.
>
> If you have any questions, feel free to email or we could make a time to
> chat on the phone about the specifics of your beds.
>
> Kind regards,
> Amy
>
> on behalf of the CCGA Communications Team
>
>
> *Preparing the Garden for Winter*
>
> 1. Plant spring bulbs and garlic!
>
> 2. Pull out annual tender vegetable plants and discard any plants that are
> diseased or insect infested (don’t put in compost!)
>
> 3. Leave most perennials alone until spring - the seed heads are food for
> wildlife! If a perennial has dead or diseased branches, prune them and
> discard the material. Water your perennials and trees into the fall.
>
> 4. Perennials like peonies, bearded iris, hosta, and lilies can be cut
> back to a height of 3 to 5 inches because iris borers can overwinter in the
> foliage.
>
> 5. Cover strawberry beds with a straw mulch. Prune raspberries.
>
> 6. Winterize tender perennials and shrubs. Cover or dig up herbs like
> lavender and rosemary. Protect cold-sensitive fruit trees like figs.
>
> 7. Add a thick layer of compost to beds and top with some mulch or straw
> or consider planting cover crops like winter rye. Here’s a video from New
> England, but the process is explained well. https://youtu.be/jhJf4qiN16Q
>
> 8. Rake up all your leaves and use them for mulch in your garden beds
>
> 9. Empty all rain barrels and containers and store them upside down.Bring
> ceramic and clay pots inside. Clean and store plastic pots inside.
>
> 10. Before it gets REALLY cold, disconnect the hoses and drain them
> completely. It’s safest to store them in a dry place.
>
> 11. Store hose attachments, nozzles and sprinklers in a dry place.
>
> 12. Clean all tools and store them. Shovels - Rinse off dirt and dry
> thoroughly. Wipe down handles with linseed oil. Store indoors, preferably
> off the floor. Pruning shears - Use a scrub brush to remove resides and use
> mineral spirits if needed. Dry thoroughly. Lubricate the pivot point with a
> drop of 3-in-1 oil. Sharpen and store.
>
> 13. Cover your compost pile with plastic or a thick layer of straw before
> snow falls to help it from getting too wet.
>
> This is a wonderful resource from the Old Farmers Almanac with a lot more
> detail:
> *https://www.almanac.com/10-tips-prepare-your-garden-winter
> <https://www.almanac.com/10-tips-prepare-your-garden-winter>*
>
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