Winterizing Raised Planter Boxes
Raised garden box made of wood pallets
As you may recall from our Digging in the Dirt blog post, we have a greenthumb or two on our Archive crew. In that particular post, we shared favourite things about raised garden boxes and the benefits of building them. But now that your crops have been harvested and winter is fast approaching, you may be wondering what to do with them.
Let’s dive into some simple ways to preserve your garden boxes throughout the colder months.
Dispose
Clean up any unsightly weeds and dead plants. Any healthy looking vegetation can be added into your compost to regenerate into soil that will be useful come Spring. Any diseased or otherwise, useless plants can be thrown into your household waste. Now that the Fall collection of yard waste has expired, you can add this waste into your green food scraps bin, which will be collected on the City of Edmonton’s update winter schedule, starting November 9, 2021.
Improve
Increase soil quality by adding a layer of good compost to the top of the soil. The natural process of freezing and thawing will work the compost in, creating a nutrient rich soil for the Spring. Adding leaves, twigs and branches as mulch will also add protection in the colder days.
Plant
The Fall is the optimal time to plant garlic. Getting the cloves into the soil before the freezing weather occurs will guarantee robust and delicious garlic in the Spring. Many types of garlic require exposure to colder temperatures in order to thrive - although since we are in Alberta, it is recommended to plant garlic cloves a bit deeper (closer to 3 inches deep) to give them some protection over the winter.
Prepare
Inspect your wooden elevated garden beds. Fix any surfaces in need of refurbishment. Those that are exposed to the elements can be sanded and sealed to extend the life of the planter box. There is also a chance that since this year’s raised garden boxes were bountiful, you’ve decided to increase the number of garden boxes in your yard. Build them now so you can focus on growing in the Spring.
After cleaning up, fortifying and preparing, you can relax and enjoy the winter reading gardening books, planning your next garden and dreaming about how to make your Backyard Beautiful. Happy Days!