As the weather begins to drop and the sun hours decreases, it’s time to wrap up the gardening season by preparing all of your plants for the coming winter. With a bit of prep and hard-work now, you’ll have more time in the spring to plant veggies and beautiful blossoms instead of cleaning up and looking for garden supplies. You’ll have more time to observe how your plants are doing. Here are some Fall gardening tips to prepare your garden for next season.
Cleaning Up Your Garden
Cleaning activities on your to-do list are much easier to complete in the fall/autumn. Spending less time tending to grow plants gives you more time to tidy up your garden. Clean out the cold frames in preparation for the winter. When the weather drops below freezing, you won’t want to do anything. It’s more probable that you’ll use it in the spring if you clean it out in the autumn.
Removing old annuals that have stopped blooming is a good idea. Combine them with fallen leaves from trees in the compost pile. Twigs, cuttings, and other undesirable plant waste may all be raked up and composted. They’ll decompose during the winter, giving you a head start on the organic matter you’ll need for thriving plants next year. Look to see if any of your plants have heads that might be used to make dried flowers. Don’t throw away all of your leaves if you have a bunch. Rake them up, put them in bags, and leave them to decay over the winter.
Clean your Garden Tools
During the summer, garden tools receive a lot of use and will be filthy and need sharpening. Before storing them for the winter, give them a good cleaning, sanding, and sharpening. It’s easier than you think, and it’ll save you money in the long run by extending the life of your garden equipment.
To avoid rusting:
• Wash off any crusted dirt or chemicals before storing them for the winter.
• Sharpen and lubricate your tools, and treat wooden handles with linseed oil to avoid cracking.
• Before storing power tools, drain the fuel and ensure the air filters are clean.
• Drain the fuel from your mower, change the oil, lubricate the engine, and, if necessary, replace the spark plug.
• Drain the water from your rain barrel. Your rototiller’s oil should be changed, and the tines should be sharpened.
Raised Beds
In the fall, it’s a great time to dig a new garden bed. Simply dig up the earth, grass, and weeds and flip the area over, weeds facing down. As fall and winter pass, add organic matter, waste paper, and food scraps to the top of the space, and in a few months, you’ll have a new bed ready for spring planting. A weed-infested area will suffice. A lasagna garden is an excellent type of garden bed. The organic matter you add to the top layers decomposes into rich soil that you may subsequently plant.
Cover Crops
Nothing beats a cover crop like winter rye, crimson clover, or buckwheat for keeping weeds at bay throughout the winter season. As these plants die back in the winter, they will condition the soil and assist in minimizing soil erosion in your garden. Simply chop down the harvest and till it in before replanting your spring garden the following spring. In addition to attracting beneficial insects to your garden, cover crops attract them. Planting shrubs, perennials, and trees in the autumn is a wonderful idea, but keep in mind that they still need to be watered frequently to have a good start. Over the winter, shrubs provide excellent shelter and food for birds.
Plant Colorful Flowers
Just because it’s chilly outside doesn’t mean you should quit gardening. Before the winter cold comes in, there are lots of lettuces and greens that will mature fast. Plant lettuces, turnips, mustard greens, collards, and kale, and be sure to incorporate a rich compost into your vegetable garden to give your vegetables a head start. Frost blankets can preserve lettuces and delicate greens even in the coldest climates.
Bright, cheerful blooms and fascinating texture brighten up an otherwise drab and boring fall/autumn and winter garden. Some of the plants to consider are violas, pansies, asters, garden mums, ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum, sweet alyssum, and decorative cabbage and kale. Combining ornamentals with foods is a popular garden trend, so go crazy and plant some gorgeous edible Red Russian kale or rhubarb among your fall annuals.
Prepare for the Spring
Compost or manure can be used to enrich garden beds. Simply apply an equal layer of dirt over any exposed areas. Winter’s freezing and thawing will work it into the soil for you with a little help from the earthworms. To keep the falling leaves out of the water garden, cover it with netting. Until the ground freezes, keep trees and plants properly watered. They may appear to be dormant, yet they are very much alive. Continue to water your plants throughout the winter if the weather is moderate and dry. This is especially true for trees planted this year. Remove all leaves from sick perennials and dispose of them somewhere other than the compost pile.
Landscaping
The fall is the best time of year to plant trees and plants. Although the soil temperature is still warm enough for roots to grow, the need for leaf growth is reducing. Make sure that your new plants are well-watered. The drying winds of cooler temperatures/winters may quickly dehydrate your plants. Check the soil’s moisture level regularly and water as needed. Water freshly planted plants once a week if there is no rain in your area.
5 Flowers That Help With Stress
