Garden Jobs for Fall and Winter

As days shorten and temperatures cool, the pace of gardening slows along with plant growth. But there is still plenty to be done during the fall and winter months. In fact, much of what is done in the garden now will set the tone for the following year.

Cleaning up your garden is an important task. Remove any dead plant material from your garden and add it to your compost pile. Pick up any fallen fruit from around the fruit trees. These actions will eliminate habitats for overwintering diseases and pests. 

Clean up fallen leaves with rakes. Matted leaves left on the lawn can choke the lawn. Instead, add your leaves (chop up the largest ones) to your compost pile.

Pruning is done during the dormant period of deciduous trees and shrubs. However, it is worth doing a little research on each plant to become familiar with its pruning requirements. 

For example, pruning early bloomers such as azaleas, flowering quince or forsythia in the fall will remove flower buds and reduce the spring bloom display. If these plants need pruning, it should be done after they have finished flowering.

Pruning tools: hedge shears, hand pruners, loppers

Consider planting a winter garden. Radish, spinach, pea and onion seeds can be planted in October or November. Cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce and radish seedlings can be planted in November. If you don't want a winter garden, clean up your summer garden by mulching it with straw, grass clippings or chopped leaves. Mulch will discourage weeds and provide soil nutrients for next year's garden.

Planting bare-root trees and shrubs during the winter dormant period allows for a healthy root system to develop before spring germination. Fall is also the time to plant bulbs and perennials. Disguise your work by flooding the soil surface with water and then covering the soil with mulch.

Renovate flower beds by weeding, adding organic matter and tilling the soil to a depth of at least 6 inches. Refresh the existing mulch around planted plants.

Conduct an irrigation review to adjust your watering schedule to reflect the lower water needs of the fall and winter months. If you have an automated system, make sure it is working properly.
Watering accessories: garden hoses and nozzles, sprinklers, watering cans, sprayers

If you are planning to start a new garden bed, fall is a good time to do so before you face the rush of spring gardening. If you plan to start a new bed on an existing lawn, a good way to do it is to cover it with a thick layer of newspaper and put down a layer of mulch. This will kill the lawn and the bed will be ready for work in early spring without the effort of manually removing the turf.

Finally, clean and sharpen your tools. Keeping your tools clean helps prevent the spread of disease and prolongs the life of your tools. 

If you prune sick plants, disinfect your shears, loppers or saws with a dilute bleach solution, dry them off and apply a thin coat of oil. Sharp tools will produce a clean cut, and clean cuts heal faster. 

If you have empty pots that you plan to reuse, remove the dirt with a coarse brush and then rinse them well with water.