How to clear out finished plants
When a plant is done, clearing it makes room for the next one and keeps pests and diseases from sticking around.
How to do it
- Cut finished plants off at soil level, or pull them up.
- Compost healthy plants. Put diseased or pest-covered plants in the trash, not the compost.
- Spread 1–2 inches of compost over the space for whatever comes next.
- If nothing is going in soon, cover the soil with mulch or leaves to keep weeds down.
Good to know
- Bean and pea roots enrich the soil — cut those plants at soil level and leave the roots in.
Based on standard guidance from U.S. university extension services, including Cornell, the University of Minnesota and Oregon State.