Fall & Winter Garden Essentials

​It’s time to enjoy the vibrant colors of fall, prepare for winter and plan for spring.  Fall is one of the best times to get down into the dirt to plant, plan and protect your garden.

1. Plan: Make a list, redo a bed or plan your spring garden.

• Make yourself a list of what you need to do and when. This saves you time and money in the long run. See Schedule at end as example.
• Research new varieties to try, build a greenhouse or cold frame and make raised vegetable beds.
• Organize your seed packages.

 
2. Plant: Fall is one best times to plant hardy specimens and spring blooming bulbs.  The ground is still warm allowing for the newly planted to get established while the winter rains hydrate roots.

• Plant- sod or seed and apply organic fertilizer to your lawn & landscape. Aerate, Thatch & Amend Lawn.
• Plant- Trees, Shrubs & Vines.
• Plant-Perennials, Grasses & Ground Covers
• Plant-Spring Blooming Bulbs- Crocus, Daffodils, Hyacinths, Iris, Snowdrops, Tulips. 
• Transplant- Also a time to dig up and move plants that are over grown or need extra room. You can also divide perennials now or wait until spring. Dig up or move any tender or tropical plants you wish to winter indoors (Fuchsias, Begonias, Geraniums).
• Add Fall Annuals and colorful perennials into pots, borders & beds- Pansies & Violas; Mums & Asters; Cabbage & Kale and Fall Color Vines (Purple Grape, Silver Lace Vine, Virginia Creeper) & Shrubs (Dogwood, Spirea & Blueberries), Evergreen Perennials (Heuchera, Tiarella & Hellebores), Broad Leaf (Euonymus, Azaleas & Lonicera) & Conifers.
• Start a Veggie Garden! Cool season veggies-there are a bunch- Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Brussels & Cauliflower; Cabbage & Kale; Lettuce, Chard & Spinach; Onions & Leeks; Radish, Rutabaga, Turnips & Carrots

 
3. Protect: Plant roots, delicate foliage and irrigation.
 

• Apply Mulch like compost or other organic soil amendments 1-3” deep. This helps protect your plants roots from winter damage. Place a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard prior to mulch to choke out weeds.
• Avoid heavy pruning in fall, best to wait until late winter. Only Lightly prune and thin plants that need it.  Leave grasses and other perennials that produce seed heads for birds to eat over the winter intact, they can be cleaned up later in spring.
• Dispose of fallen leaves that are diseased or invested with insect pests. Remove dead needles inside of dense conifers producing better air flow and reducing spider mites. Healthy leaves and needles can be used as a mulch and are great to suppress weeds.
• Irrigation systems need to be winterized, ask a professional when needed. Add a hose bib or spigot protector to all outdoor faucets.
• Bring in tools, wheel barrows and hoses to protect from freezing.
• Cloches, Cold Frames & Greenhouses. Add protection to newly planted crops, allow to harden off, then plant!

Fall Garden Task Schedule:
September: Plan Your Fall & Late Winter Tasks. Plant Fall Crops, Fall pots & Hardy Plants. Bring indoors houseplants & tropicals. Lawn Care- Aerate, Thatch (if needed), Sod/Seed, Fertilize.
October: Plant Fall Crops, Hardy Plants. Rake Leaves, clean plants. Mulch.
November: Irrigation winterized (or in October). Cover spigots. Plants should all be winterized.
December: Decorate for holidays. Feed the birds.

Learn more about Fall Gardening....stop in and see what's blooming! We also have classes and workshops. Check out our classes page- October 1st, 2017 from 1-2pm Fall Planting & Evergreen Perennials 
with Horticulturist Kerri Bailey.  

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