Knowledgebase
Timing and methodology for removing garden vegetable matter after harvest #859574
Asked February 21, 2024, 1:48 PM EST
Hi. We have a decent sized home vegetable garden. My wife and I have a question about timing and methodology of removal of vegetable matter after harvest. We've been leaving everything until spring and then removing the plant matter (stems, leaves, past-their-prime vegetables, etc.) that is above ground and putting it the compost bin. We typically just leave the roots in the ground, thinking they will compost and become part of the soil. However, I was walking in the garden yesterday and noticing that a lot of the plant matter is kind of rotting and decaying, especially after the cold we had during the snow and ice a few weeks ago. I started to worry that maybe our methodology is not so wise - maybe this will create a vector for fungus and other diseases to get in the soil. We'd appreciate some gardening advice on best time to remove plant matter, as well as any advice on methodology, such as best practices and also whether to leave the old root systems in the soil permanently. Finally, if the way we've done it might lead to introduction of fungus and disease, is there anything we need to do now to mitigate what we've done? Thank you!!
Multnomah County Oregon
Expert Response
Yes, if the plants had any disease such as a blight or mildew, you are letting the spores inhabit the soil and continue their life cycle for the next year. This is one of the reasons we recommend rotating the families of vegetables to different beds on a 3 or 4 year cycle. For example, if you plant broccoli or other related crops in one bed, move them to another bed the following year.
In a small garden, this can be hard to do but it looks like you have several raised beds in the picture. I would not worry about this year's soil, as this seems to have worked for you in the past, but it would certainly be worth doing in the future.
I usually remove the spent vines and roots (yes, roots can carry fungus and disease too) at the end of the season when they are done producing. If they seemed pretty healthy, I will chop them into the compost for next year's soil, but if they have any sign of disease or a huge insect population was present, I will give them to my chickens or put them in the trash.
I'll attach a great resource for vegetable gardens and be sure to write again if you have further questions.
https://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pub/em9027
