As the long, sun-drenched days of summer begin to shorten, now is the perfect time to start preparing your garden for the cooler temperatures of fall. A little bit of work now can lead to a healthier, more vibrant garden next spring. Here are five simple tips to get your outdoor space ready for the change in seasons.
1. Clean Up & Clear Out: Start by removing any dead or dying plants from your garden beds. This includes spent annuals and any plants that have succumbed to pests or disease. Clearing this debris helps prevent diseases from overwintering in your soil and keeps pests from finding a place to hide. Remember to pull out weeds as well, as they can continue to compete with your desired plants for nutrients.
2. Prune & Trim: Fall is an excellent time to prune shrubs and trees. By trimming away dead or weak branches, you encourage new, healthy growth and improve the overall shape of your plants. This is also a good opportunity to cut back perennials after their foliage has died back. Just be careful not to prune any spring-blooming plants, as they’ve already set their buds for next year’s blooms.
3. Replenish the Soil: After a busy growing season, your garden’s soil could use a boost. Amend your garden beds with a layer of compost or well-rotted manure. This will enrich the soil with essential nutrients, improving its structure and fertility. You can also plant a cover crop, like winter rye or clover, which will protect the soil from erosion and add nutrients for next spring.
4. Plant Fall Favorites: Don’t think of fall as the end of the gardening season—it’s the beginning of a new one! Now is the ideal time to plant cool-season vegetables like lettuce, kale, and radishes. It’s also the best time to plant spring-blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils. Planting them now gives them plenty of time to establish their root systems before the ground freezes.
5. Protect Your Perennials: If you have delicate perennials, especially new plantings, you can protect them from frost by adding a layer of mulch. A few inches of straw, leaves, or wood chips will insulate the soil and help keep the roots from freezing and thawing repeatedly, which can damage the plant. This extra step ensures they survive the winter and come back strong in the spring.
Taking these steps now will set your garden up for success. Do you have any favorite fall gardening tips of your own? Share them with us in the comments!
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