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I have my first real garden this year and I am just wondering when do you call it quits for the season? Is there a certain point where you just pack it in and till the garden over in preparation for next year or do you just let it keep going until it dies on its own?
We pack it in with the first big freeze. We do cover the carrots and onions up and we can dig them throughout the winter. The straw somehow protects them from the cold and the snow. How did you garden do for the 1st year?
Congratulations on your first garden :) How did it turn out? I agree with the first freeze assessment. It also depends on what you have planted and where you live though.
I would keep it going as long as it is still producing. Then try to keep it covered to avoid frost and animals from destroying it in the winter.
Depending on how cold it gets in your area, you may want to continue growing cold weather items like various types of greens (lettuce, spinach) or some of the root vegetables (turnips, carrots). As Spanky says though, you can cover your other plants to keep the frost off and see how long you can go with it.
When we have a garden, we pack it in when we get the first hard frost. By then, we've usually harvested and canned all we need for the winter, given some to family and neighbors, and sold some at farmers' markets. We're ready to end the season and start planning for the next year.
My first garden was awesome! I couldn't have asked for better production. We haven't had a frost yet and everything is pretty much still putting out so I guess I will give it a few more weeks.