Last week, we began cutting back the OPC Stonehouse display garden in preparation for winter.

In past years, we adopted the organic gardener’s method of cleaning the annual garden beds for winter.  Rather than dig the annual plants out by the roots, we cut them off at soil level, leaving the roots in the soil and the soil undisturbed.

During the winter, most of those roots will decompose, adding organic material and enriching the soil. Digging in the dirt disturbs the beneficial soil dwellers that include more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than there are people on the Earth. Hard to believe, but healthy soils contain tons of beneficial bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes, earthworms and arthropods. Soil microorganisms exist in large numbers in the soil if there is a carbon source for energy, and the roots of our annuals we leave behind in the soil provide that carbon.

 This fall, I have a cool new tool to do the job. English Gardens gave me a Kamikaze KM-M Force hand pruner sample manufactured by EZ Kut Products, and I chose to try it out when we cut down the OPC garden. Though I’m not cutting the 1 1/2-inch tree and shrub branches that this pruner with razor sharp blades is rated for, I did use it to remove some dead branches on rose bushes. A piece of cake!      

Keeping all your tools organized and accessible boosts efficiency in the garden. Planting, digging, and pruning is easier when you know exactly where to locate the proper tool for the task. This nifty Broom Holder and Garden Tool Organizer from Berry Ave conveniently attaches to a garage or shed wall, windowsill, and more. Five slots and six hooks to hold essential tools, including brooms, mops, rakes, and more—so you can reduce clutter and spend more time out in the garden.

Proper potting soil mix contains everything a gardener needs to help plants grow. FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil Mix is “pH adjusted at 6.3 to 6.8 to allow for optimum fertilizer uptake.” The organic mixture is a blend of aged forest products like earthworm castings, bat guano, fish emulsion, sphagnum peat moss, and sandy loam. The light, aerated texture works well for both indoor and outdoor plants.