Fall Cleaning Prepares Garden for Spring Success

Date: Nov. 5, 1997
Editor: D'Lyn Ford,  (505) 646-6528, dlford@nmsu.edu

LAS CRUCES -- Spring is typically the season that comes to mind when we think of cleaning. But in the garden, fall is the best time to tidy up.

While it's fun to stretch the gardening season until frost, it's important to clean up your garden after the last harvest, said a New Mexico State University plant pathologist.

"Garden plants and weeds will continue to harbor diseases and protect insects from the winter cold," said Natalie Goldberg, with NMSU's Cooperative Extension Service. "So it's best to remove all the trash and leave the ground fallow until next spring."

Researchers at NMSU are discovering that some of the common weeds in New Mexico are actually hosts for many diseases.

"Several viruses, nematodes and fungal diseases can survive in weeds," Goldberg said. "By allowing weeds to remain in the garden through the winter, you're essentially providing a good source for problems in the spring."

Healthy garden plants can be composted. However, if you suspect plants were diseased, don't add those to your compost pile.

"Most disease organisms -- fungi, bacteria, viruses and others -- need temperatures over 180 degrees Fahrenheit to be killed," Goldberg said. "Temperatures that high are rare in home composting."

Gardeners also should begin planning their spring garden now so they'll have an idea of what soil amendments will be needed in the spring, she said.