Week 1 · Soil

Let the ground rest with cover

Edible Landscapes

Winter soil work is mostly restraint. Across New Zealand — from mild Northland to frosty inland South Island — bare beds in wet months compact under boots and rain. Cover crops, leaf mulch, and finished compost on the surface protect structure while biology continues slowly below.

Avoid rotavating saturated clay; you destroy pore space that took years to build. Fix drainage at paths and outlets first; spread organic matter only where water will not pool for weeks.

Winter soil sequence

  1. Walk wet spots after rain

    Mark standing water; improve paths and outlets before adding mulch that will sour.

  2. Cover every open bed

    Living cover, leaf litter, or coarse compost mulch — no naked soil through July.

  3. Turn compost only if needed

    Cold anaerobic piles need air; finished piles need leaving alone.

  4. Plan spring understorey

    Use bare-branch views to pencil shrub positions — plant when soil warms.

Feed the ground that will feed you. Canopy and soil are the same long project.

Edible Landscapes
Living roots hold soil structure through winter rains — plan how you will incorporate in spring.

Citrus and other evergreens still need monitoring — cold wet roots in containers kill where frost does not. Lift pots onto feet; ensure drainage holes clear.