Now is the time to get out and clean up those flower beds and garden areas. Remove all the dead or dying plant debris. We recommend not composting this material as it can harbor insect egg sacks, weed seeds, or plant diseases which might not be killed by a generally cooler winter compost pile.
Speaking of compost, this is a good time to apply it to all new and old beds. Work it well into the soil and then apply an additional inch or two to the surface. On really exposed gardens, we like to plant a cover crop, such as rye or barley, which we turn under in the spring.
