IF we get a decent spell of weather, now’s the time to continue preparing your garden for bumper 2025 crops. It’s also the time for a major decision: do you protect your soil against the ravages of winter or let it fend for itself?
They probably argued about this in the Garden of Eden because the difference of opinion over whether to cover up your vegetable beds in winter has raged ever since we started growing things to eat.
The cover-up brigade maintains that it protects and warms up the soil in advance of early planting and smothers tiresome weeds.
The other school of thought believes that frost, wind and rain does the earth a world of good and that plastic sheeting provides a cosy winter home for all manner of unwelcome visitors, from slugs and snails to mice and even rats.
Those who believe in leaving soil exposed to the elements claim that covering it in winter can actually encourage weeds – seeds sit happily under the plastic and germinate early.
Their answer to claims that bad winter weather will rob the soil of nutrients and structure is to leave the roots of this year’s plants in place to stop soil erosion. Weeds can also do the job of providing winter cover while also giving a great overwintering home to beneficial insects
Pro cover-up gardeners reply that nature abhors a vacuum and if you leave your soil bare in winter nature will protect it with weeds, making even more work in spring. They claim that covering beds in late winter has shown that it warms up the soil and allows planting to start often weeks earlier.
A gardener who has tried the cover-up system for the past three years on half his vegetable beds reported: “It’s amazing how quickly a few wet weeks will wash out nutrients, particularly nitrogen, from unprotected soil.
“My covered raised beds are definitely more productive and easier to work than those left at the mercy of winter weather.”
Whether you cover your growing beds over the winter is, of course, up to you, but happily, as in most things horticultural, there are compromises which should be able to satisfy both schools of thought.
Mulch provides natural winter protection )Photo: Soil Earth Cycle) (Mulch provides natural winter protection )Photo: Soil Earth Cycle))
If the idea of covering your garden with plastic sheeting horrifies you, there are plenty of alternatives available. For instance, using natural materials such as leaves, compost and manure can be a great option.
Mulch adds goodness to the soil as well as contributing an insulating layer to retain moisture and nutrients. Fleece can also be used to cover the soil to warm it up a month or so before planting.
An increasing number of gardeners are turning to using living plants for winter soil protection – there’s evidence that soil which is actively growing plants keeps its feed web below the surface healthy and resilient. That’s why the soil will choose weeds if you don’t step in.
Which is why one favourite solution is green manure – quick-growing crops which will cover the ground, outcompete most weeds, and help build and protect the soil. In spring the green manure is either dug in or cut off and allowed to rot, release nutrients for the forthcoming crop.
If you’re thinking about planting green manures to protect the soil next winter there are various varieties available. Annual crops include rye, winter tares, common buckwheat and white mustard. Just scatter the seed, rake it in and let nature do the rest.
Then there are perennial clovers which can be grown either over the winter or left for two or three years as long-term green manures. Their nitrogen-fixing root nodules feed the soil and help suppress weeds.
Whether you want a cover-up is, of course, up to you but in the coming months can I suggest you keep an eye on gardens where both regimes are being practised to see which has the best crops?
A raised bed protected by green manure (Photo: Betty Cahill) (A raised bed protected by green manure (Photo: Betty Cahill))
What to do in West Somerset Gardens in January
The golden rule this month is keep off if conditions are at all soggy The potential for soil damage is great if you clump about, especially on West Somerset’s clay. Compacting, and the resulting structural damage, can take months to rectify.
If conditions are suitable, soil will benefit from an application of lime, especially on brassicae beds. If we get a dry spell it could be the time to dig a runner bean trench. Make it at least 45cm deep and leave for a couple of weeks to weather before beginning to fill with organic matter.
Finally, top up with good compost – and wait for those runners to rocket up!
Plenty to do in here if you can provide the 16-18C heat necessary for germinating a whole range of decoratives including begonias and streptocarpus. Slightly lower temperatures will start off onions, leeks, summer cabbage and broad beans.
Garlic can also be started in small pots of compost. As soon as they are well sprouted, move to a cold frame.
Prune wisteria by cutting back summer side shoots to two or three buds. January is also the perfect time to prune dormant rose bushes. Cut back to just above a bud and remove any crossed or dead branches.
Cut back the older stems of willows, and remove faded flowers from winter pansies to avoid them setting seed.
Tidy up perennials by taking out old stems but be careful of any new growth. Cut back ornamental grasses to within a few centimetres of the ground.
Harvest parsnips and leeks and protect potato grow bags with horticultural fleece on cold nights.Remove yellowing leaves from winter brassicas – they can harbour pests and diseases.
Prepare the ground for early peas by placing cloches over the soil to help warm it up for a few weeks before sowing.
Force rhubarb plants by placing an upturned bucket or bin over the crown. The tender pink stems will be ready in about two months’ time. Get a head-start on weeds by removing any, roots and all, from beds and borders.