Winter is Coming. It is Time to Rebuild Our Soil. And Save Our Planet.

Colorado Academy student work day at Denver Urban Gardens’ West Colfax Community Garden — putting the garden to bed.

As we enter the cold months (up North, at least), there is critical work to be done rebuilding the soil for next growing season.

Soil has the ability to store carbon underground in a process called soil carbon sequestration. Here’s what happens: As plants breathe and grow, they pull carbon dioxide (the most prominent greenhouse gas) out of the air. The carbon travels into the plants’ roots and deposited into the soil. When soil is healthy, it can hold on to that carbon for a long time, keeping it out of the atmosphere. That means less atmospheric carbon driving climate change and more soil-based carbon supporting the people, plants, animals, and microbes in our ecosystems. (goop.com/wellness)

So by re-thinking your relationship to your garden in the fall & winter, you can be part of this solution:

• Do not leave your garden bare. Bare soil dries out and loses nutrients so you have to amend in the spring.
• Instead, consider leaving the dead plants in place. Leaving them and their root systems in place enriches the soil.
• Where there is bare soil or you do have to remove plant matter, plant cover crops. Cover crops work hard to keep your soil healthy and vibrant over the winter.
• Alternately, use mulch or hay to cover and protect the soil.

With a little love right now, you will find your garden soil rich and healthy and ready to plant in the spring. Rebuilding soil is one of the single most impactful things individuals can do combat climate change. While it might not feel like a lot…if millions of people do this, it means we are revitalizing millions of acres. We are indeed doing our part.

Fall Cover Crops - Denver Urban Gardens

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