As winter sticks icy fingernails into the garden soil and frost brings the growing season to an end, you may feel a twinge of sadness. The flowers are gone, the grass is scraggly and the trees have become skeletal remnants of their former selves.
However, with a little hard work in the weeks preceding this calamity, you can get your garden ready for winter and help spring arrive. By taking a little time to prepare, the rewards you reap will be bountiful.
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Start with the easy stuff: general housekeeping. Peruse your garden and remove all unwanted debris, such as sticks, dead plants and trash. Give the area a thorough tidying up.
Inspect plants for signs of infection. If you find any disease, carefully remove that portion of the plant and dispose of it properly. Burning is the best way, but check first if there are restrictions in your area. You could bury diseased matter, but that area might stay infected for a few years. Composting is an option, but it doesn’t kill everything.
Before the ground gets too hard, dig down to the root system and rid yourself of those stalwart nuisances right now. In the spring, you'll thank yourself for making this preemptive strike.
Tilling is important because it helps air, water and nutrients penetrate the soil to create better-growing conditions. However, it doesn't make sense in every garden, especially where perennials are concerned. If tilling is in your future, don't wait until spring; do that dirty work now.
After tilling, you may uncover some undesirable squatters in your garden: cabbage worms, parsley worms, beetles, slugs and aphids, to name a few. The fall is a great time to remove them; you can do this manually or with treatment. Diatomaceous earth works and is good in dry soil, but it may cause harm to some beneficial insects.
Also examine the crowns of your perennials to be sure there are no snails, slugs or aphid colonies preparing to take up residence for the winter.
Certain perennials can benefit from fall pruning. For others, either there is no advantage to a quick trim or they provide a greater service to nature when left as is. Before you start snipping away, do a little research to find out which is the best strategy for your particular plant.
Fertilizer isn't for the plant; it's for the soil. With that in mind, it makes sense that so many professionals stress the importance of fertilizing two to three weeks before the first frost. If you haven't given your garden a fall feeding, maybe it's time to start.
Adding a layer of mulch in the fall can help with blocking weed growth, retaining moisture and insulating the soil. It's less messy to mulch in the fall because it’s not typically as muddy and the temperature will be cooler. Remove as much of the old mulch as you can before applying that fresh layer.
Fall is the time to plant spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Wait until the soil has cooled, but don't plant too close to the first frost. For plants to survive the winter, plant roots must grow before the cold weather arrives.
Because leaves are so plentiful, fall is the perfect time to start a compost pile. Pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks and straw can also be added to your collection. Just be careful not to contaminate your compost bin with any diseased plant parts.
Besides tending to the soil and plants, there are a few other chores you can do at the end of the season to save you from additional work in the spring.
Make repairs: You're likely to be too busy when your plants grow to tackle routine maintenance on non-living things, so fall is often a great time to make repairs to fences, gates, sheds and other structures.
Clean your tools: Before putting those gardening tools away for the final time, make sure they are clean.
Drain standing water: Stray water can cause some hefty damage when it freezes and expands, especially if it's inside your hose. Be sure to drain all hoses before packing them away for the winter.
Bring houseplants in Don't forget to bring in those houseplants that you moved outside in the spring. Once nighttime temperatures drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit, it could be too late.
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Allen Foster writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
