Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

What to do with raised bed at the end of the season?

garrinchasuperskillzgarrinchasuperskillz Posts: 69
in Fruit & veg
hi guys - I have a raised bed in the garden which has had 3 tomato plants in. as we are coming to the end of the season, I'm wondering what to do once the last tomatoes have ripened.
should I turn the soil and add a good layer of mulch, then start again next spring? or just leave it be?
thanks guys!

Posts

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2021
    You could plant some winter-hardy lettuce (buy small plants from the garden centre) or sow some winter-hardy  broad beans. Both will be over before it’s time to plant your tomatoes out next year. 

    Sutton are ideal for raised beds as they’re a shorter bushier plant that doesn’t need staking. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    I didn't turn the soil when I had raised beds at my last house. I just added a thick layer of compost, bought, home made and horse manure (not the latter for carrots). I did the no dig method. https://charlesdowding.co.uk/start-here/ Autumn sown broad beans never worked for me, in SW France, the winters were too cold. I bought baby leeks, Kale and cabbages from the garden centre for eating in the early spring.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • jonhasonmartin3ZxpT_H5jonhasonmartin3ZxpT_H5 Posts: 8

    Cover the beds lightly with the old mulch to help keep weeds down and preserve the soil without overheating them. When the earth freezes over in the winter, it kills many illnesses and pests. If you mulch your beds too much, you risk preventing the soil from freezing fully.
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    add manure and leave alone until you want to start / sowingseeds
    https://charlesdowding.co.uk/start-here/
    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    sow green manure
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    If you don't have your own compost and don't want to grow any winter stuff, then add some top soil, rake over a sprinkling of BFB, water in and top off with shredded prunings, etc.  Come the Spring, you can fork over and you should be OK to grow your chosen veg.   
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    "When the earth freezes over in the winter, it kills many illnesses and pests"

    Assuming the OP is in an area that freezes  :)

    I'd do as the others have said - a mulch of any kind unless winter veg can be sown, or is wanted. Or green manure, if the conditions are suitable for it to germinate. 
    A mulch helps keeps weeds down, so anything that you have will suffice. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • hatty123hatty123 Posts: 125
    I'll be growing onions, garlic and broad beans over winter in most of the space I have, and I've got some lettuces already but not sure how long they'll last, first time I've grown lettuces for winter. I'd rather use the space even if it's not always successful than have nothing growing at all
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    I've found that Valdor lettuce does well for me in winter, and winter purslane, chard and quite a few other things - I was surprised that the Valdor was pretty happy under the snow...
Sign In or Register to comment.