Fall Garden Care

Fall is a great time of year to do almost anything outside. The sun is still warm (but not too hot) and there are none of those annoying bugs that can take the fun out of any outdoor activity. Take advantage of the beautiful weather by working in your garden. There are several things that can be done to ensure that next spring your garden will grow healthy and beautiful.

Clean Everything Up

Shovels, hoes and spades and all the other tools you use in your garden will all last longer and be easier to use if you take the time to take care of them. Clean off any dirt, sharpen the blades and give them a light coat of oil to prevent rust. Also, rub some oil on the wooden handles to help keep them from drying out over the winter.

Get rid of the waste that accumulates around plants by raking up any leaves that have fallen in the garden and cutting off old blooms still on the plants. Insect pests and molds thrive in the environment created by old plant matter. If you get rid of the deadfall now, you won't need to worry about pests next spring.

Clean out your composter and spread the compost around the base of your flowers and shrubs. If you've already laid down wood mulch, rake it out of the way, spread your compost then rake the wood mulch back over top of the compost. Don’t worry about digging-in the compost, over time earth worms will do that part of the job for you.

Take Care of Your Trees and Shrubs

Before the first hard frost is a good time to trim your hedges and double wrap any pyramid shaped evergreens such as cedars, junipers, and yews with two layers of burlap to prevent the weight of any snow from damaging or breaking branches.

Fall is also the time to trim and shape shrubs and trees. With the leaves gone, you can better see the shape and get into areas you might not be able to when the leaves are on the branches.

Rake up any leaves on the lawn and spread them around the base of your flowers after you've cleaned out the garden beds. They will protect the flowers' roots from winter's chill and help prevent them from drying in the cold.

Shrubs and trees can also use some extra water to help them stay hydrated and healthy during the cold dry winter months, so be sure to give them lots of extra water.

After you've done your fall gardening, you can relax and enjoy the winter seed catalogs while thinking about how beautiful next year’s garden is going to be.

Murray Anderson is an experienced freelance writer whose work has appeared on numerous web sites, as well as in newspapers and books in both the U.S. and Canada. He is regularly cited as an expert on home related topics and is a regular contributor to DoItYourself.com.