It's Time to Get Ready For Winter
Hats off to 32 Chunk, the winner of Fat Bear Week 2025, who, despite a broken jaw, managed to put on enough weight to beat his closest competitor, Bear 856.
While you may not need to feed your garden exactly like a fat bear, it does need some TLC and lots of food before going down for its winter sleep. The good news, says Baker Creek senior horticulturalist Andrew Miano, “you can do a lot, or you can do a little.”
There are many ways to overwinter gardens, Andrew says. “Don’t overcomplicate it.”
“A lot of people like to leave everything, where beneficial insects can overwinter, but you also deal with pests over the winter, too,” he says.
2025 Fat Bear Week Winner 32 Chunk. In case you're not familiar with it, the annual competition lets people vote each fall for the fattest bear in Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve.
Leaving flowers such as echinacea and sunflowers provide seed heads, a food source for birds over the winter, Andrew says.
One important thing, though: remove diseased or pest-laden plants. Disposing of them rather than composting will prevent spreading the bad stuff.
And if you do only one thing in your fall garden, give it a good coat of mulch!
“There are a lot of options when you’re tucking your garden into bed. But mulching is the one cheapest solution to do – at least get your gardens mulched,” Andrew says.
Leaf mulch, straw, or wood chips all help protect the soil and feed the microbes over winter.
If you’re taking a no-till approach, cut your (non-diseased) spent plants at the base, leave them and add a layer of mulch (1 to 3 inches). In the spring, move the mulch away or clear spaces for your seedlings or seeds, he says.
Get to Know Your Soil
If you want to know exactly what your soil needs, have it tested for pH and nutrients before the ground freezes. While there are at-home tests on the market, we recommend sending a soil sample to your state’s Extension Service. For a reasonable fee, they will conduct a soil test and help you interpret the results. Find a list here: State-by-State List Of Soil Testing Labs | October 2025 | Just Pure Gardening
“It gives you insight that allows you to make better decisions,” Andrew says, “especially if you don’t have a lot of money for amendments or for compost and manures. It just lets you know what you need to do.”
Soil pH should register somewhere between 6.0 and 7.0 for vegetable gardens.
Add organic matter:
- Compost: 1–3 inches spread over beds.
- Well-rotted manure: excellent for nitrogen boost and soil life.
- Shredded leaves: add carbon, improve structure.
Apply mineral amendments (if needed):
- Lime — if pH is low (acidic soils).
- Sulfur — if soil is too alkaline.
- Rock phosphate or bone meal — for phosphorus if test shows deficiency.
- Greens and/or kelp meal — for trace minerals and potassium.
Grow Some “Green Manure”
Leaving the soil bare in winter leads to nutrient depletion through erosion and can harm the underlying biology, Andrew says.
Growing cover crops (aka “green manure”) is a great way to boost the soil nutrition in the garden. At Baker Creek, we grow winter peas, hairy vetch, and hairy rye.
In all but the northernmost reaches of the U.S., there is still time in mid-October to plant cover crops. These plants fix nitrogen in the soil, prevent erosion, aerate the soil, and often provide a fodder crop for animals.
Check out this video from a few years ago about how we use cover crops at Baker Creek:
Other Fall Chores to Consider:
Perennial and tree care:
- Deep water trees & shrubs before ground freezes — especially evergreens and newly planted ones.
- Protect trunks of young trees with wraps or guards — deters rodents and prevents sunscald.
- Prune dead/diseased branches but hold major pruning until late winter/early spring.
- Mulch around root zones of shrubs and perennials (2–4 inches deep, not against stems).
Pest and disease prevention:
- Remove and discard infected plant material (e.g., tomato blight vines, mildewed squash).
- Turn soil lightly in vegetable beds to expose overwintering insects to cold and birds.
- Sanitize tools with bleach or alcohol solution to stop disease carryover.
Tools and Garden Infrastructure:
- Drain and store hoses & irrigation lines.
- Sharpen and oil pruners, shovels, mower blades.
- Clean and disinfect seedling trays & pots.
- Inspect cold frames, hoop houses, and row covers; repair if needed.
Planning Ahead:
- Note what crops performed well or poorly.
- Order cover crops or garlic for fall planting.
- Sketch next year’s crop rotation to avoid disease buildups.
Pro Tips and Key Takeaways:
- Don’t till deeply (or at all!) in fall. Keep soil layers intact and biology alive. Use a broadfork or lightly rake instead.
- Add compost before winter. The microbes will thank you for it.
- Cover crop early if possible, at least 30 to 45 days before the first hard frost. This will result in a thicker, lusher crop with deeper roots.
About the Author:
Michelle Johnson wears a lot of hats here at Baker Creek, but perhaps her favorite role is that of seed historian. She produced many of the Seed Stories videos on our YouTube channel (and yes, that's her voice narrating many of them!) and frequently contributes stories to The Whole Seed Catalog. With decades of experience as a journalist, both in print and on the radio, she is delighted to use her reporting skills to dig in to the history of seeds and the people who grow them.
Michelle Johnson
