Your Fall Gardening Task List

As temperatures begin cooling off and daylight hours dwindle, it’s time to finish the gardening season strong. Essential autumn chores on your to-do list should include giving permanent plantings such as trees, shrubs, and perennials a little TLC, cleaning up your veggie garden, and winterizing your lawn. A little work now means you’ll have more time in spring; then you can spend your time browsing seed catalogs while you dream up next year’s garden plans! Here are the essentials: Your Fall Gardening Task List.

FALL TASKS FOR TREES & SHRUBS

• Plant new deciduous trees and shrubs up until about a month before the ground usually freezes.
• Newly planted trees and shrubs will tolerate harsh winter conditions better when well watered in Fall. Extra water for evergreens is especially important in fall.
• Never shear a shrub in fall and leave major pruning or renovation for late winter/early spring, or immediately after bloom for spring-flowering shrubs.
• Add a fresh layer of mulch around trees and shrubs to protect roots from winter temperature extremes.

FALL TASKS FOR THE VEGETABLE GARDEN

• Make notes on the layout to help with crop rotation next year.
• Collect and save seeds from heirloom fruits and vegetables.
• Continue harvesting fruits & vegetables and try canning or freezing extra produce.
• Plant garlic and shallots.
• Remove garden structures including tomato stakes, trellises, etc.
• Give the compost pile a final turn, add it to the garden and till it in.
• Add a layer of manure or compost to enrich the soil and replenish nitrogen levels.

FALL TASKS FOR THE FLOWER BEDS

• Dig up and store tender bulbs like dahlias, gladiolus, or canna lilies.
• Plant early spring flowering bulbs like tulips, crocus, alliums & daffodils.
• Take a final harvest from the herb garden and preserve.
• Cut back perennials if their foliage has browned, divide perennials if needed, and move or transplant perennials.
• Apply a layer of mulch where needed to protect more tender perennials & shrubs.

FALL TASKS FOR YARD MAINTENANCE

• Rake dead leaves and other lawn debris and bag, burn or add to the compost pile, or mulch into the lawn.
• Assess the condition of your lawn and treat weeds, repair damaged spots.
• Drain hoses, coil and store.
• Drain gas from power equipment like tillers, mowers, hedge trimmers and weed eaters or add a stabilizing product to the gas tank.
• Clean bird feeders and remove old nest material from bird boxes.