Fall is a great time to give your veggie and flower gardens a little TCL. Following is a checklist to get everything cleaned up for the dormant season ahead.
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Deadhead flowering plants and pull weeds
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If you decide to remove your annuals now, be sure to shake off as much soil as possible from the roots. You can compost healthy plants.
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Thin out perennials by separating tubers, rhizomes, and bulbs. If healthy, add them to your compost. Cold hardy bulbs for our area include- daffodils, iris, tulips, lilies, crocus, hyacinth, and snowdrops.
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Plant mums this time of year in zone 5 as long as they receive at least six hours of sunlight. If you discontinued your irrigation for the season you will need to remember to water them.
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While some folks prefer a tidy, uncluttered flower bed, there are some benefits to leaving a few leaves tucked in around these plants for the winter. As well, beneficial insects/pollinators will find them to be ideal hibernating locations. Just be sure to get them all cleaned out come spring.
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Leave behind seed-producing flowers. They feed birds and other wildlife through the winter.
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In your vegetable garden, remove any plants infested with pests or diseases. Do not compost any of these plants.
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Be sure to weed your vegetable garden in the fall. The more you do now the less you will need to tackle come spring.
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Mulch your leaves and place them in your vegetable garden. A good rule of thumb- layer brown with green when composting.
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Fall is also a great time to get your soil test. Talk to a location professional to see what nutrients your particular garden is lacking.
