Fall Gardening Tips For A New Harvest Season

After you’ve collected your bountiful fall harvest, you might be ready to hang up your trowel and relax for the winter season. However, you’re not quite done yet. You should finish the gardening season strong by making sure you complete all of your fall chores before the snow arrives and covers your yard.

Prepping your garden for the winter might take some time, but it will put you in a much better position when spring rolls around. Autumn is the time to clean up, manage your soil, and prepare your sod to minimize any potential problems. Don’t leave these chores incomplete too late into the fall. Instead, take the time to do a couple of chores a day and you’ll be ready for winter in no time.

Fall Garden Maintenance

Prepping your garden before winter keeps your lawn clean and reduces the risk of plant disease popping up come springtime. If you made any new garden beds this year, it’s important you protect it from the cold. When you’re trying to establish new plants - especially perennials - the first season is the most important. As the plants get established you’ll want to add an extra layer of protection. Something like a garden cloche (essentially a plastic covering) can keep your plant bed nice and warm so that the frost doesn’t destroy the tender shoots. You’ll mostly do this only for perennial beds instead of vegetable gardens or already established flower beds.

Speaking of vegetables, you don’t have to stop growing even when the colder weather hits. You can still grow items like radishes, lettuce, kale, etc. These hardy plants do well in cooler temperatures. If you want to grow through the winter, you can install a cold frame to protect them from frost and snow. You don’t need an elaborate setup to keep your plants protected. There are plenty of affordable kits you can buy online or you can put one together yourself with a few 2 x 4 and old windows. The idea is to create a mini-greenhouse that protects the covered area from adverse weather and cold temperatures. Much like a greenhouse, it prevents heat from escaping and can keep the soil temperature warm despite below-freezing temperatures outside. 

You should also take the time to winterize small deciduous shrubs and rose bushes that have fragile branches with a lean-to, ‘jacket, or’other type of structure to keep snow off the limbs. In general, winterizing trees and large shrubs can be as simple as watering them properly in the fall. You’ll want to stop watering early in the fall as this triggers the trees and shrubs to prepare for winter and prevent any new growth from happening. The fall is also a great time to plant new trees as they will have time to get their roots established before they go dormant. Make sure to dig holes that are twice as deep and the width of the root ball and then mulch for additional protection from the cold. Water deeply for the following week to encourage root growth.

Clean Up Old and Unwanted Growth

After harvesting your final crop of fruits and vegetables, you should remove any old plant matter from the garden. Leaving them behind can increase the chances of plant disease next growing season. Mow your lawn for the last time and then combine the clippings with the old plants as cover for your garden. Not only will it help prevent weeds from growing, but it will also enhance the fertility of the soil. With that said, you should avoid composting tomatoes and peppers so you don’t invite unwanted pests into your soil. 

With perennial plants, you should remove old stalks and leaves in the fall and mulch the soil. If you’re not able to mulch in the fall, keep the old stalks and leaves in place, These can serve as makeshift mulch and afford some protection to the roots of your perennials during the winter. Essentially, if you can mulch, make sure to clean. If you can’t mulch, don’t clean. Now is also the perfect time to use herbicides to get rid of any unwanted plants since many plants will lose leaves or die.

Put The Garden To Bed

If you have any sensitive bulbs or tubers, fall is the time to dig them up and bring them inside. Check your USDA plant hardiness zone to see what area you are in as this will give you a better idea as to whether you should bring these plants in or no. With that said, if your area tends to get extended weather below freezing, you should bring any plants indoors. Be careful when digging up tender plants so as not to destroy the bulbs. In general, you’ll want to store these bulbs and tubers in a dark, cool location like a basement or root cellar. However, you should research the best storage recommendation for each plant. This way, you can replant them in the spring. If you don’t store these plants properly, you risk losing it completely.

The same goes for your compost bin. If you still have leftover compost empty it out and start a new batch. Spread any complete compost around the base of sensitive plants as this can provide an extra layer of protection and provide some much-needed nutrients to the plants when they get replanted. One of the best things you can do for the future of your garden though is to add extra mulch. It adds organic material to the soil, keeps away weeds, and further protects and insulates any leftover plants. Interestingly, the purpose of mulch isn’t to keep the plants warm, it’s to keep them cold. This way you prevent plants from trying to thaw and grow prematurely. Of course, it also helps protects the roots and most vulnerable areas of the plant from things like frost. 

Amend The Soil

Once your garden beds are bare, it’s time to rototill the soil with the right gardening tools. While some experts claim rototilling is not good for the soil, for many small gardeners, it’s one of the best ways to get rid of weeds. After tilling, you should also take the time to check the pH of your soil. After a half-year of growing, chances are your soil will be depleted of some essential nutrients.  

You can easily pick up a cheap kit from any big box hardware store to do a soil test. Depending on the alkalinity of your soil you should add try to make it more acidic or basic. In general, adding some compost can help even out the pH and add in whatever nutrients were depleted. Mixing in compost in the fall means there’s enough time for it to break down and integrate into the soil over the winter. If you don’t have compost, you can mix in whatever fertilizer you need to get the necessary pH and nutrients.

Divide and Transplant

You should take advantage of the cool, fall weather to dive and transplant any perennials you might have. Depending on what zone you’re in, you can divide through late October giving your plants enough time to establish their roots before the first frost. The idea here is that you want to schedule any moves or root divisions when the plants aren’t flowering or fruiting. Why? Essentially, flowering and fruiting require a lot of energy. If you damage the roots of the plants during this time it could mean underperformance or even death of the plant.

You don’t have to divide or move your plants if they seem to be thriving. Instead, you should only shift your garden around for a couple of reasons. Maybe it’s underperforming so it needs to be moved to a new location that has better light, shade, soil conditions, etc. Of course, you can also choose to move the plants due to aesthetic purposes as a different composition can breathe new life into your garden.

Seed The Lawn

Fall is the perfect time to take care of your lawn so that it grows nicely come springtime. Before you seed your lawn, check for any damaged or sparse areas that have popped up over the summer. You can patch up these gaps with some fresh seed before the winter to establish the new lawn. Seeding isn’t as easy as just throwing grass seeds all over the lawn. You need to make sure they are in contact with the soil and kept moist so that they germinate. For best results, use a tool like a power seeder, which injects seeds directly into the soil.

Once you’ve seeded your lawn, you shouldn’t neglect regular mowing. You should keep your grass between 2.5 to 3 inches in height. Too long and the grass will mat and grow fungi over the winter. Too short and you will curtail the root system and impede the lawn’s ability to withstand the cold and dry weather. When mowing, avoid the newly planted areas so you don’t disturb the seeds and germinating plants.

Plant Spring Bulbs

Today’s bulbs are tomorrow’s flowers. Before the ground freezes, you should plant spring bulbs in your garden. Why is that? Well, you need to bury them deep enough in the ground so that they are protected from the winter cold and that they have ample time to grow strong roots. If you try to plant too late into the winter, the ground will be frozen and you won’t be able to provide enough depth for the flowers to flourish.

The biggest reason, however, is because of a biochemical reaction. Many spring flowers require a long period of cool temperature to cause them to flower. With that said, in January or February if you find some bulbs you forgot to plant, don’t save them until next year. Bulbs are living plants and they can’t wait or else they will dry out. You can chill them in the fridge for use indoors or you can try to plant them outside. Luckily, spring bulbs tend to be tough so they will try to bloom regardless of how late in the season you plant.

Weed Thoroughly

Weeding isn’t fun, but it’s an important step to maintaining your garden that you can’t skip. Clear out everything in the garden that you don’t want during your growing season. It’s important to get everything out now so that you can stop the roots from growing stronger. Anything you overlook will go to seed, leaving you with hundreds of weeds you’ll have to deal with during the next growing season.

If you are comfortable using chemicals, you can apply a preemergence herbicide to prevent plants from germinating. Only use this herbicide if you don’t have any perennials or plants on that bed. If you want to avoid herbicides, you can pull out the plants by hand. In general, it’s easier to completely remove plants in the fall as the roots are more mature, thus easier to see. You can use a simple hand pull, hoe, or rake to get rid of these pesky plants. Avoid disturbing the soil surface too much as that will bring up additional weed seeds to the surface.

Now is also a good time to take stock of the most common weeds you have in your garden. If you’re noticing that you have a lot of crabgrass or dandelions, you can get chemicals to preemergence herbicides in the spring to kill any seeds before it germinates in your garden. Take note if your garden has excessive weed growth in bare soil areas. In general, these areas tend to produce more weeds as there isn’t competition from other plants. To avoid weed growth, plant some more perennials or shrubs to cover the area.

Clear Leaves

Last but not least, clear your lawn and garden of leaves. It might seem like leaving the leaves behind might be better for the soil, but leaves actually aren’t great for lawn health. Since they stay on top of the grass, they can make it difficult for the lawn to breathe. The moisture from the winter snow can lead to serious issues like mold and brown patches on your lawn. It can also block the lawn from getting the necessary nutrients, water, and sun. 

It might be a hassle but, much like weeding, you will have a healthier lawn and garden in the spring if you take the time to rake your leaves. You don’t have to throw it out though! You can toss your leaves into the compost bin to really get the most out of it. If you don’t have a compost bin, you can wait until the leaves are dry and then mow them into little pieces. You can then use these pieces as mulch to protect the soil around your trees, shrubs, or garden.

Helpful Advice and Tips For Preparing Your Garden During The Fall Season

While spring might seem far away, it’s important to plan ahead for warmer weather. Getting your garden prepared in the fall can make your spring flowers and crops grow with more vigor. Plus, it will save you a lot of time in the beginning when you start sowing your seeds.

By following the simple steps above, you’ll be able to winter-proof and prepare your garden for warmer weather. If you spread out the activities over several days instead of trying to do it all at once you’ll be done in no time. If you have kids who complain that there’s nothing to do at home, get them to help you out. The more the merrier!

Jessica Lauren is Founder, contributing Author and Owner of Citrus Sleep. Citrus Sleep is an online publication that highlights brands, sleep products, women’s fashion, subscription services and ideas creating positive social change and promoting a healthy lifestyle. After spending nearly a decade working in PR and marketing for several brands and startups, Jessica knows what truly drives conversions, sold-out launches and guest posts.

Follow Jessica at @jessicalaurencs | Jessica Lauren

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