I am going to let my garden beds rest this year.

Question

I want to replenish my soil in my beds this year. What needs to be done for that to happen? Is there something I can plant to put the nutrients back into the soil? Or do I need to add lime, or other things/ I do appreciate any help you can give. Thank you, Ilene

Answer 1

It’s a great idea to plant something to help replenish your soil. There are many cover crops that can be used for this. Please see our Cover Crops section:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cover-crops/

With many cover crops, you’ll need to cut them down before they form seeds in order to prevent a weed problem next year.

You might also want to get a soil test initially to find out what nutrients need to be replaced:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/testing-soil.htm

It’s best to do this before adding lime or other soil amendments, so you know what and how much you need to add. It can also help you choose which cover crops would be best- for example, a legume cover crop would be best for adding nitrogen to the soil if you have low nitrogen.

Also see the Soil Management and Plant Nutrients sections of this article:
https://extension.umaine.edu/gardening/manual/soils/soil-and-plant-nutrition/