Putting Your Garden to Bed

Fall is the time when we put the garden to bed for the winter and prepare it for cold temperatures, heavy snows and drying winds...

  • Topic: Fall Gardening
  • Author: Mary Ann Walz
  • Keywords: winter, winterizing, clean-up, trimming, Maintenance, gardens
  • Date: November 2002

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Fall is the time when we put the garden to bed for the winter and prepare it for cold temperatures, heavy snows and drying winds. Gardeners living in colder areas should be winterizing now, while warmer climate gardeners might be able to wait as late as December. Following are some simple guidelines for wrapping up this season’s garden.

Fall Clean-Up

After a hard freeze, perennials will typically drop their leaves. These, as well as the deciduous tree leaves, should be cleaned up if you have had insect problems. If leaves accumulate in too much depth, they can insulate insect larvae in the soil, which like to over-winter in the garden in the form of eggs or larvae.

Also, don’t be in a hurry to cut off the stems and leaves of perennial flowers and summer-blooming shrubs. Wait until mid-spring. Many plants over-winter more successfully when the stems are left intact until spring. The stems provide energy reserves for the root system and will also catch blowing snow that helps insulate a plant and provide extra moisture during winter months.

Other suggestions include:

  • Bring houseplants inside that have summered in the garden or patio. Repot any that have outgrown their containers.
  • Drain garden pools and birdbaths if you don’t keep a heater in them. Remove water plants; seal root ball in garbage bag and store in a cool garage. Also, drain and store garden hoses.
  • Install simple windbreaks to protect new plantings from winter weather. Anything that encourages snow accumulation will help provide excellent protection against low temperature or drying winds.
  • Clean garden tools so they will be ready for next season. There is nothing like starting out with clean trowels. A good solution is 3 parts sand to 1 part oil; the sand cleans, the oil prevents rust.
  • Store seeds, fertilizer and garden chemicals in a place they will not freeze.

Mulching

Mulch is used to enhance appearance, conserve moisture and maintain warm soil temperatures longer in the fall to allow for increased root growth. It also reduces frost heave and delays early spring growth that could be damaged by late spring freezes.

There are two kinds of mulches—organic and inorganic. Organic includes bark, wood chips, sawdust, straw, leaves and newspaper. Soil Mender Mulch is a good source of organic materials. Inorganic mulches include stone, gravel and plastic. Whatever is used, mulch benefits a garden by—

  • conserving soil moisture
  • needing less water
  • keeping down weeds
  • reducing erosion
  • keeping plant roots cool during the summer
  • providing insulation during the winter

Apply mulch to a depth of two inches; slightly deeper for trees and shrubs. Newly planted perennials should not have thick mulch applied all the way up to the neck of the plant. Once the soil has frozen, it is important to keep it frozen until spring so plants are not heaved out of the ground by alternate freeze and thaw cycles.

Fertilizing

Fall is the time to apply a winterizing fertilizer that promotes root development but does not promote top growth. For perennial flowers, spring blooming bulbs, shrubs and trees, a good product is Yum Yum Mix. You can also supplement this mix with a top-dressing of Planters II, a fertilizer with organic trace minerals. For newly planted perennials use Superthrive root stimulator to help the plants avoid transplant shock and encourage the development of a strong root system.

Watering

Plants will have a much better chance of surviving the winter if they receive adequate deep soakings during the fall months up until the time the soil freezes. If the soil is not frozen during winter months and snow or rainfall is minimal, plants should be watered every 3-4 weeks, weather permitting.

Pruning

Though trees can be pruned after they go dormant(lose their leaves), most pruning is best done in late winter or early spring. An exception is pruning branches that may be subject to damage from strong winds or heavy snow such as long rose canes or branches with a weak structure. Torn wounds and dead wood are the places insects look for to hibernate and place eggs. Do not prune evergreens or spring-flowering shrubs during the fall.

With a garden carefully put to bed for the winter, it will come back next spring much healthier and happier. Then what a pleasure to start working the soil in a well-tended garden when the weather warms.