Fall Soil Care
- Caitlin Youngquist
- Aug 22, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 17
Soil is a living system and must be fed and nourished just like us. The worms and microbes in the soil need time to work and break down the organic nutrients into a form that plants can use. By feeding them in the fall, your soil will be healthier and your spring chores will be easier.
Fall is the best time to build and fill new raised beds, or start a new sheet mulch garden. It is also a great time for a soil test.
Carbon is the driver of the soil system and Wyoming soils are very low in carbon. Fortunately, this is an easy problem to solve!
1. Clean Up, But Not Too Much
Remove diseased plants but leave as much healthy plant debris as you can. Cut off the tops of larger plants like peppers, corn, and squash and leave the roots in the ground to decompose and feed the worms.
The soil system needs fuel in the form of carbon. Dead plants are one of the best sources, and they are free.
2. Add Compost and other Amendments
The minerals and active carbon in compost feeds the soil microbes that feed your plants. Biochar provides stable "forever" carbon for the soil. It can very quickly improve soil structure and function, and improves the ability of your soil to hold water and nutrients for the plants.
Biochar and compost used together provide plant nutrients, active carbon, and stable carbon - a serious boost for your soil!
Spread around an inch of compost across your garden and landscape. Use more for sandy or heavily degraded soils. The nutrients in compost will be available in the spring when it's time to plant. Compost is also great for the lawn.
If you roto-till your garden, add compost and other amendments after harvest and then incorporate with the tiller. If you have a no-till garden, spread compost in the areas you will be planting next year and work gently with a shovel or hand trowel.
3. Mulch for Food and Shelter
Never leave your soil bare! Mulch feeds the worms and microbes, saves valuable water, keeps the soil cool in the summer, and discourages weeds. Use wood chips, alfalfa hay, straw, wool, grass clippings, chopped leaves, burlap, etc.
4. Add Water
Most of Wyoming has very dry and windy winter weather. This is very hard on the soil microbes and perennial plants like trees and shrubs. Water your landscape very thoroughly going in the fall, and continue to water it throughout the winter when it is over 40 deg F. This is especially important for young trees!
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