9. The Garlic and Cover Crop Winter Prep Bed
If you want to set your small backyard garden up for wild success next spring, autumn is the time to invest in soil health. Dedicating one of your raised beds to a combination of garlic and a nourishing cover crop is an investment that pays massive dividends. This strategy prevents soil erosion from winter rains, suppresses weeds, improves soil structure, and naturally adds vital nutrients back into the growing medium without the need for synthetic chemical fertilizers.
In mid-to-late autumn, plant premium organic garlic cloves deep into the rich soil of your raised bed, spacing them about six inches apart. Once the garlic is tucked away, sow a cold-hardy cover crop, such as crimson clover, winter rye, or hairy vetch, over the remaining bare soil. The cover crop will quickly germinate, creating a lush green protective blanket that shelters the soil biology through the freezing winter months. In the spring, you can simply chop down the cover crop and incorporate it back into the soil as “green manure,” leaving you with incredibly fertile, nutrient-dense soil that is primed for summer planting while your garlic continues to grow beautifully.