Best Way to Close Raised Beds for Winter?

[ballplayer 2]

Hey Organic heads,

This summer I built two 8x4 raised beds to grow my veggies in. Now temperatures that promote frost are fast approaching. I will be digging out the remaining plants and calling it a season.

My question for those in the know is, what shoud I do with the raised beds? They are amended with peat moss, mushroom compost, worm castings, lime, Bone Meal, Kelp Meal, and Fox Farm Peace of Mind Fruit and Flower.

If I leave the beds open will all the unused nutrients leach from rain in the Fall and snow in the Winter? Would I best best off covering the beds with a sheet or tarp to keep them mostly dry and covered?

Thank you for all your time and help,

BP2

 

[jaykush]

you can plant a winter cover crop, it will grow( sometimes fix N in the case of legumes), stop nutrients from leeching out the soil, and stop weeds. in the spring you till it in the soil( a few weeks before planting), it decomposes, adds organic matter, loosens the soil, and stimulates biology. wait a few weeks then plant in a now rich soil and watch the plants grow.

 

[Mr Celsius]

Clover, vetch and rye as Jay was saying about a legume cover crop.

Its best to inoculate your beds with Nitrogen fixing bacteria, if you want to see the full results.