Garden clean-up in the Fall is important because you need to know what to trash in order to prevent making a dangerous compost pile for your next growing season. Here are three tips that will help:
- Don’t procrastinate on the Fall cleanup.
By leaving dead plants and leaves on the top soil, you are making conditions favorable for harboring insects over the winter and perpetuate diseases into the next growing season.
- Trash plants that were diseased or had insect problems.
For instance, tomato plants that are dead due to insects and disease are best thrown in the trash, not the compost pile. If the compost pile does not reach and maintain a high enough temperature to kill insects or disease, you may cause the disease to continue into the next growing season.
- Pumpkins and squash debris should be trashed.
It takes up to three years for pumpkin and squash debris to decompose sufficiently to be used as compost.
Have any questions about composting for your garden? Send us a comment or give Lifescape Associates a call at 303-831-8310.