Some Things You Don't Need to Do in a Fall Garden

If you've been reading this blog for a while, and gardening for some time, you may think you've learned everything there is to know about all the things you can do in your garden in the fall, to prepare both the soil and any remaining plants for the winter. You can seed, you can mulch, you can even plant some things now instead of waiting until the spring. You've got a whole big list. However, suddenly you realize that you've had a very long summer of constant gardening work and maybe, like the garden itself, you'd really, really like a break. So what are the things you can skimp on, without putting the garden in jeopardy?

Vegetable plot in winter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First of all, you don't actually have to remove all the dead plants if you don't want to. If you have any diseased plants, of course you don't have a choice with those. If you leave those there, they can break down and affect the soil, and give you some very big headaches in the spring. You also don't want to put any diseased plant material into the compost bin over the winter, because it will infect the entire batch of compost and spread disease to all the plants you use it on. Take diseased material and simply throw it away or burn it.

But something like annuals that have been healthy and are now fading away can be left out in your garden over the winter. First of all, they will maintain the appearance of having some vegetation still in the garden for a while. The remnants of ornamental grasses or hostas coming up out of the snow can be very attractive. And after they've broken down over the winter, most of the time you should be able just to turn them into the soil, and they will be one element of your spring compost.

You also don't need to mulch every remaining plant in your garden over the winter. Yes, if you have some that are a little delicate, you should definitely mulch those. The purpose of the mulch is to preserve moisture so the plants don't dry out in the winter air, and to keep an even temperature in the ground around them. So some plants will still need mulching, to give them some extra protection during the winter months. But for other more hardy plants, you can skip the mulching.

Garden Compost bin made of Bamboo canes. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Something you should think twice about doing, although this won't necessarily save you work, is wrapping many of your plants in burlap. If you wrap your plants this way, you could actually end up trapping ice inside the burlap and against the surface of the plants. What many gardeners are now advising is that rather than wrapping in burlap to protect plants against things like cold winds, set up stakes all around each plant and wrap the burlap around the entire enclosure instead. This will serve the same purpose, but allow some breathing room for the limbs of the plants as well.

It's a lot of work preparing a garden in the spring as well as cleaning it up in the fall. It's true, of course, that whatever you leave undone in the autumn will have to be done in the spring instead, so you're not exactly saving yourself the work. However, it's also true that the spring arouses new energy, and people often feel much more ready to get a lot done. So if you're tired at the end of the growing season, and really just want to be done with it all, do just the absolutely necessary cleanup and let everything else go for the winter. Put your feet up, enjoy your well deserved rest, and start recharging your energies for a fresh start in spring.

Video - Putting Your Garden to Bed for the Winter

Sadly, it's time for many to say goodbye to our gardens and put them to bed for the winter (unless you're practicing winter gardening, which I'll have more info for you on soon!). This quick video offers some tips for cleaning up your fall garden, and protecting perennial plants so they survive the winter well and come back strong in the spring.

How to Prepare a Garden for Winter
Lowe's shows you how to clean up your fall garden so that it looks attractive all winter. Also learn how to protect your plants so they weather the winter and come back happy and healthy in the spring. At the end of autumn or after frost, you need to...

Autumn Protection for Your Perennial Plants

As your garden comes to the end of its active growth and enters the fall season, you face a big cleanup to get things ready for planting when the weather warms up again. And probably even more important than that, some of your existing perennial plants will need to be protected through the winter and prepared for their new growing season in the spring. In fact, making the preparations that will protect your plants and help them survive until the following spring is absolutely paramount. You can combine this with cleaning up the rest of the garden, but if you do nothing else, at least you must get your more sensitive plants ready to survive the winter.

A cycad plant with its leaves tied for some protection in winter. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some of your small evergreens, for example, should be wrapped in burlap. Cedars and junipers, dwarf conifers, and other evergreens that are cold sensitive, like holly, need protection from the cold wind and potentially glaring sun of winter. The evergreens that stand upright can have their branches tied together with plastic netting, to make sure they don't break off if there's a lot of snow. The netting will provide this security but still give the plant some room to breathe. Remember also that evergreens need a very good watering just before the winter, because the dry air of winter can dehydrate them.

Roses, too, need to be guarded against the cold weather. They should have any remaining foliage stripped off, and all organic material removed from the soil around them. If they are tall bushes, their main canes should be cut back to perhaps two or three feet in height, and should be tied together in a bundle. These plants, too, can be wrapped in burlap, though in somewhat warmer climates, it might be enough just to add about eight to twelve inches of extra soil or compost around the base of the bush, depending how tall the plant is.

In very cold growing zones, climbing roses and other tender varieties are given even more protection, by being buried right in the ground. They are cut back and bundled as other roses are, with an extra length of twine loose at the top, and then a trench is dug in the soil beside the plants. It is loosened and the bush is gently tipped over until it's lying in the trench, which is then carefully filled in with the previously removed soil, leaving the loose twine exposed so the bush can be found again in the spring. After the soil is well watered, a foot-thick layer of leaves (or a bag full of leaves) is placed on the spot. This keeps the roses protected until April, when the leaves are removed and the plant is retrieved.

Mulched evergreen perennials in a shade garden. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

More general protection of plants that you need to overwinter in the garden can be provided by mulching. Put a layer about two inches thick around trees and shrubs, leaving perhaps an inch of clear space around the stems or trunks. Make the mulch from things like sawdust, peat moss, leaves, bark, or grass clippings. Once a month, through the winter, double check that there is moisture getting down to the soil underneath.

Of course it's important to get the garden cleaned up after a long summer of growing. However, it's even more important to make sure that the plants that will be with you again next summer are given a fighting chance for getting through the winter. Protect them properly, and when spring comes again, they'll be ready to serve as the basis for the new garden season.

Planting In Fall In Preparation for Spring

You may be aware that there are certain things you can plant in your garden in the autumn, in preparation for growing time in the spring. Very likely you know you should plant bulbs in the fall, and this is also the season for dividing and transplanting other things in the garden. You might know as well that you can plant many perennials at this time of year, so they are well established come springtime. However, perhaps you could use some tips for how to go about all these things, so everything is planted properly and all you need to do after that is wait for the spring reward.

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

First of all, if there's anything you need to transplant out of the garden and move inside, now is the time to do it. So the perennials that should be potted indoors over the winter should be moved before the temperature goes too low. This would also be the time to thin out or transplant things that you want to give away or put somewhere else in the garden.

To plant bulbs, do it about six weeks before the ground freezes. Make sure the soil is well drained. As a rule of thumb, plant bulbs three times as deep as they are high, so a two inch bulb would go six inches deep, for example. Be sure the pointed end points upward or, if you can't be sure which would be considered the pointed end, plant the bulb sideways instead. When the bulb actually starts growing, it will pull the right end upward as it does.

When you plant perennials, make the hole about three times wider than the root ball of the plant, and just deep enough for the ball. If you're going to add something to help with root growth, now is when you do that. As you set the root ball into the hole, very gently try to loosen some of the roots on the outside. Hold it steady as you fill the soil back in, and tamp the soil fairly lightly. After a good watering, put a three- or four-inch layer of mulch over the soil, leaving a couple of inches of space clear around the stem of the plant. Keep watering, enough just to keep the soil most, until the ground freezes.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you're planting seeds rather than partly grown plants, you need to be sure the ground is prepared and tilled properly first. Then scatter the seeds over the area as evenly as possible. And again you'll want to keep the soil moist, to give them the best start you can before the frosts arrive.

Even a lawn grows better when it's started in the fall, so now would also be the time to work on that if it's in your plans. The cooler temperatures will give the grass time to get its roots firmly established, in this time when it's not being encouraged to produce a lot of foliage. You should either seed a lawn or lay down new sod eight weeks before the first killing frost, if not slightly sooner than that.

It's kind of encouraging to think that a great many of your plants might already be planted and ready to grow when the spring comes. You'll have enough work still to do when the weather gets warm, so it's good to know you can get some of this done before winter. If you plant properly and keep your plants or seeds secure through the winter, your garden could be half ready in the spring before you even do anything!

Planting in Fall For A Spring Garden

You might think of the autumn simply as the time to clean up, removing the previous summer's growth from your garden. There might still be some specialized flowers and vegetables growing through the fall, but the emphasis at this time of year is to wind things down, and wait for the spring to do all the new planting. Yet, for some plants, the best time to be put in the garden turns out not to be the spring at all.

An autumn ground with fallen leaves and grass (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some plants, in fact, do much better if they are planted in the autumn rather than in the following spring. That doesn't mean they bloom and grow all winter; they'll lie dormant like many other plants through this period. However, planting in the fall and letting them start their growing season gradually as things warm up in spring works better for some plants.

Most perennials actually thrive by this process, because the soil is still relatively warm and moist from the summer, and they have time to become properly rooted throughout the autumn. If they're planted in the spring, on the other hand, the soil is still quite cool, and the plants face a few months of trying to root properly even while the above-ground temperatures are inducing them to produce leaves and flowers. An especially hot summer can place additional stress on these new plants, and particularly for some fruit-bearing bushes and trees, can even kill them. Perennials planted in the fall have a much better chance of being established and attaining their full size and growth the following summer, than do similar plants that are planted in spring.

There are a number of shrubs and trees that establish themselves better if you plant them in the autumn. Your garden center or some research on gardening websites can help you discover which other plants thrive best if put into your garden at this time of year. However, some plants that you might consider could be Siberian or bearded irises, lilies, peonies, hostas, pinks, hens and chicks, or phlox. Trees or bushes like hawthorn, maple, crab apple, pine, linden, and elm should also be planted in the fall rather than the spring.

Another thing people don't always think of in the autumn is planting seeds rather than the plants themselves. When you think of it, nature's way generally tends to be for seeds to drop and be spread in the fall, and get covered over and lie dormant through the winter, in preparation for germinating the following spring. Some actually require a spell in cold temperatures before they'll sprout. So in your own garden, too, you can plant certain seeds that will then wait through the winter and begin to grow the following spring. Try this with some of your perennials, and you can even give it a go with annuals that are described as "hardy annuals." This will also work with some self-seeding herbs and flowers, such as cilantro, Four O'Clocks, and datura ("moon flowers"). For me, I can never seem to get cilantro to grow well if I plant it in the spring or summer - it always bolts too quickly and hardly makes any leaves. If I plant it in the fall (or it seeds itself), it comes up by itself in the spring and grows large and lush before it gets too hot.

Tulips and narcissus flowers in spring (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of course the one fall planting that everyone is familiar with is the bulbs. Tulips and daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses - all of these should be planted in the autumn before the soil freezes, at least six weeks earlier or slightly more. You might already have been doing this, but now you know that your repertoire for fall planting can be considerably wider. If you plant what you can in the autumn, you will probably end up with a thriving, growing garden much sooner the following spring than you've had before. Plus you don't have to stop gardening yet! :-)

Preparing Your Garden for the Winter

Well, here we are again - frosty nights are already settling over some areas, and sadly enough for us gardeners, winter is on the way. But wait, don't put away those tools just yet! There is still some important work to be done to properly put your garden to rest for the year.

Image by slack12 via FlickrSome people believe that when the weather starts getting colder and the leaves start to fall, it is time to put away the gardening tools and wait until next spring to work on their garden again. Wrong. Winter is an important time to maintain your garden's health and assure yourself a good crop for next year. You may think that might take to long to prepare your garden, but the truth is that it takes less than one day to prepare your garden for the upcoming winter.

When the nighttime temperatures drop to less than forty-five degrees Fahrenheit for more than four days in a row, or frost is forecasted for your area (usually around late October or November) you know its time to begin preparing your garden. You should begin by evaluating your garden design, check which plants grew well in the past season, and which plants did not do well. Fall is a good time to decide which plants will remain in your garden next year, and which ones should go.

It is also a good time to decide which new plants you want to grow for the fall season. To make your garden more colorful and healthy, be sure only to plant the more hardy plants during the fall so that they can withstand the winter. Some plants that will do fine being planted in fall are: rudbeckia, Aster Novi-belgii, Anemone Japonica, panicle hyandea, endive, escarole, and Brussels sprouts. You can find all of these and more in gardening magazines or your local nursery.

After you have finished this you should begin cleaning up your garden. Begin by pulling out weeds that may have cropped up, and raking fallen leaves. Weeds and rotten leaves can carry insects and diseases that might be harmful to your garden. You should also rid your garden of spent annual plants, and harvest your vegetables and other plants that cannot withstand the winter weather. After fall has come and gone, the leaves will be off your trees and you can see any dead and rotten branches. Trimming off the unwanted branches from your trees isn't necessary to your garden's health, but may help later on by not dropping branches on your plants and not blocking too much of the sun.

Image via WikipediaIf you have younger trees you should consider wrapping them and supporting them with stakes to help them survive the winter wind and cold. Putting mulch over your garden for the winter can be a helpful way to protect plants from sudden temperature changes and heavy snow. For mulch you can use about five inches of shredded bark, pine needles, leaves, or a variety of other materials. However, be careful not to mulch too early, because some insects may still be alive and able to take shelter in it for the winter.

Once you are finished with your gardening tools you should clean them and make sure they are in a safe place where they won't rust and you know where they'll be for next year. Before winter comes you should always set out slug repellent, as slugs are one of the worst bugs to have in your garden. Sluggo is a great all-natural OMRI certified slug killer if you have an infestation you want to get rid of before the winter, so they won't make a quick snack of your spring greens! And of course, if you have a pool or fountain in your garden, be sure to take out any fish that you have in them and bring them inside. There’s nothing sadder than a fish frozen in a block of ice!