Autumn is upon us, and and while summer weather still prevails in many parts of the country it is time to start thinking about fall gardening. Experienced gardeners know that garden tasks tend to pile up when the seasons change. While spring is the busiest time of the year, fall comes with its own “to do” list, and we’re here to help with that. So let’s dig in and take a look at some tips, tricks, and ideas for successful autumn gardening!
· Fall’s a good time for a garden cleanup! The spring and summer annuals have faded, and the perennials may benefit from clearing away faded flowers and dead stems or foliage. Summer storms may have dropped dead sticks, twigs, and branches into parts of the garden. And as anyone with a yard knows, there’s always raking to be done in the fall. Early autumn is a good time for a garden cleanup, which will also save you time in the spring when you need to do it all over again.
· . . . It’s also a good time to inspect and evaluate your garden space. While you’re cleaning up, removing dead plants, and otherwise spending time, take a look around and make some notes. Are there any details you didn’t notice—pests, damage, overly dry or wet soil? This can help plan future garden project or at least give you an idea of things you might want to do differently in the future.
· Plant for the spring, when appropriate. There are a number of spring and summer blooming plants that need to be planted in the fall. These include most daffodils and tulips along with crocuses, dahlias, and other plants propagated by bulbs or rhizomes. When and what you plant will depend on your plant hardiness zone, your soil conditions, and the amount of light your space gets as well as what you enjoy and would like to see blooming in your garden when spring comes.
· Mulch, ground cover, and compost all need attention. It’s easy to focus on the visibly dynamic parts of your garden—the plants that are growing, the birds and insects, and the weather. As we transition into fall, we all need to take the time to maintain some of the more static-feeling parts of the garden. You mulch (or other ground cover) may need a refresh. Your compost heap likely need some extra attention to get it ready for colder weather. This also gives you a chance to spend some time with these components of you garden and see how they’re doing and what might need to change.
· Don’t forget your containers! While all of the above applies to container gardens and patio gardens as well, containers need a bit of extra attention. Container soil may have compacted over the summer months, or might require some refreshing with a soil amendment. Your container plants likely grew over the summer—do they need a larger container now? This is a good time to look, as well as to figure out what you’ll do with sensitive plants when cold weather comes.
· Write it all down. The transition into fall is a great time to pull out your garden journal and make some notes about the spring and summer seasons. The journal is just for you so be honest about what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d like to do differently in the spring. This is a great way to plan new projects or explores new areas of interest. Gardening is a learning and growing process, and we’re all still exploring.
We hope this little list not only helps you plan your fall gardening, but also helps you connect with your garden space and organize your thoughts and experiences from the spring and summer. All gardens are in evolution, and all gardeners are still learning. We’re here to help, by the way, so if you have any questions or comments please reach out!
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