Getting the Garden Ready for Winter

What to plant now, for a spring harvest

In Williamson County, these can still go in now. Most grow slowly through the winter and are ready to pick from late winter into spring. Hardy greens may need a cover on the coldest nights. For every month of the year, see The Casa Garden Almanac.

Taking care of vegetables before a frost

A few simple steps help winter vegetables through a cold night.

• Watch the forecast. When the low is expected to drop below 28°F, cover tender plants with frost cloth (row cover). Secure the edges with rocks or pins so cold air can't sneak under. Take the cover off when it warms up.
• Check the soil before you water. Keep beds moist but not soggy. Push a finger into the soil. If it is dry, water.
• Feed the vegetables. AgriLife suggests feeding winter vegetables every two weeks with a gentle fertilizer like fish emulsion.
• Clean up. Pull small weeds while they are young, and remove annual plants once frost has killed them.
• Care for the tools. Clean and oil garden tools so they are ready for spring. Children can help wipe and hang them in their place.

Children can help: hold the corners of the frost cloth and set rocks along the edges, push a finger into the soil to check if it needs water, and wipe each tool with a cloth before hanging it up.

Leaves, mulch and compost: caring for the earth

Fallen leaves are not trash. In a garden they become mulch, compost and, in time, rich soil. This is recycling that children can see and touch.

• Save your leaves. Rake them into a pile or bag. Shredded leaves (a mulching mower helps) break down faster.
• Tuck in the beds. Spread leaves and compost over empty vegetable beds, and add a fresh layer of mulch around your plants. It keeps the soil warmer and wetter.
• Build a compost pile. Mix "browns" (dry leaves, shredded newspaper, cardboard) with "greens" (vegetable and fruit scraps, fresh grass clippings, coffee grounds).
• Keep it damp, like a wrung-out sponge. A squeezed handful should give only a few drops of water. Turn the pile on mild days so air can reach the middle.
• Know what stays out. Keep meat, dairy and oily food out of a backyard pile. If you live in Austin and have a green city compost cart, those scraps can go there instead.

Children can help: carry leaves to the pile in a small basket, crunch dry leaves with their hands, carry the kitchen scrap bowl to the compost, and sprinkle water on the pile with a small watering can.

Try it at home

You don't need a big yard. A pot on a balcony is enough.

• Plant a pot of radishes or lettuce together. Let your child fill the pot, press in the seeds and water with a small watering can.
• Give your child a real job. Watering the same plant every day is a perfect first responsibility.
• Start a leaf pile. Rake together and talk about where the leaves go and what they become.
• Save kitchen scraps. Keep a small bowl on the counter for peels and coffee grounds. Your child can carry it to the compost or the green cart.
• Sort the recycling together. Paper, cans and bottles each have their place, just like materials on a classroom shelf.
• Harvest and eat. Children are often more willing to try a vegetable they grew themselves.
• Find more ideas. Every month has its own list of gardening activities for toddlers and preschoolers in The Casa Garden Almanac, and all our activities are gathered in Montessori activities for children.
• Use child-sized tools. A small trowel, gloves and watering can let your child do the work without help.