One of the nicest things about
gardening in Denver is the fact that the soil only freezes completely
solid for a short time. It usually waits until late winter to do so.
That makes it possible to do a little digging in early winter for
next year's garden. While it may seem a bit insane to be digging
garden beds in winter, doing so can save you quite a bit of work in
the spring.
Planting early is a stronger
possibility if your bed location has already been cleared and
partially dug. Certainly, you will still have to loosen the soil and
dig in your amendments before spring planting. Still, having the
weeds cleared and the basic outline of the garden space decided on
before spring makes things a whole lot less stressful.
Denver typically has quite a few warm
days before January hits. In fact, some years, even January can be
mild. Why not take advantage of those warm days to lay out and dig
the basic area you wish to plant in come spring? Of course, you won't
be able to dig every day in winter. You may not get all your beds
dug, either. Still, the more you do now, the less you'll have to do
later.
Another thing you can do in early
winter is to prep your raised bed areas. Simply scrape off the top
layer of soil and grass. Then, put your raised bed in place. Be sure
to discourage early spring weed growth by stapling landscape fabric
or cardboard onto the bottom of your raised bed before filling it
with soil. Cardboard is porous enough to provide drainage and solid
enough to block weed growth.
Bonus tip:
When using raised beds, cover the top
of the soil with landscape fabric and cut holes for planting, just as
you would for in-ground planting in heavily weeded areas. Even though
raised beds get fewer weeds, over time, those weeds will sneak up
through the soil to intensify your labor. Having surface coverage
will discourage them from doing so.
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