If you’re a soil junkie you know your days in the garden are numbered. Make the most of this beautiful autumn weather by slapping on the garden gloves and heaving the hoe one last time. Here’s a handy list to help you:
Fall vegetable garden
- Remove rotting veggies and weeds to avoid infestations of insects who’d love to gobble up the goodies, then infest your other plants
- Compost plants if not diseased
- Till the soil to reduce pest problems in the spring
- Add a layer of compost and gently till into soil
Fall flower garden
- Plant spring bulbs
- Cut back spent perennials to 3 inches and mulch
- Clean out annuals and weeds
- Leave ornamental grasses or seed heads to feed your feathered friends over the winter
- Mulch, mulch, mulch some more
Fall lawn maintenance
- Continue to water and mow as needed
- Drop mower blade to lowest setting for the last two cuttings of the season, so that more sunlight will reach the crown of the grass
- Aerate your lawn so that oxygen, water, and fertilizer can reach the roots
- Rake leaves. (Don’t forget to jump into a pile of them every now and then.)
- Apply an herbicide to keep weeds from coming back in the spring
Other fall chores
- Plan your landscaping projects for next year
- Better still, put in that patio you’ve been wanting all summer, so that it’s ready to enjoy next spring
- Build a compost bin from leaves and grass clippings. Cover until spring.
- Mark your calendar for tree and shrub pruning in November before the snow flies
- Drain gas and oil from mower
- Install a fire pit and have friends over for bonfires, roasted marshmallows, and star gazing!
