Clean Up for Fall
It's time to get ready for the seasons to change and that means there are gardening chores to be completed before winter. Even though we are usually blessed with mild winters, there are still a few things that you can do now. Putting your garden to bed doesn't mean that you can't still plant a few things or prepare the garden in order to be ready for spring!
~Plant bulbs once the weather in your area cools. It's been so warm for the last week or two, that I've held off planting mine so that they don't begin to sprout and grow, but they should be in the ground shortly in all areas.
~Continue watering trees and shrubs until the first hard freeze. After that, a rule of thumb for winter watering is to water on each holiday between Halloween and Easter.
~Use row covers, newspaper, or a blanket to cover and protect any flowers or vegetables that you aren't ready to be finished with if we have cold nighttime temperatures in your area.
~Plant pansies and mums now in order to enjoy fall color for several weeks yet.
~Mulch roses, perennials and shrubs to protect them from winter temperatures.
~Winterize your irrigation system after irrigation water is turned off.
~If you put mulch around root crops such as carrots, you can continue to harvest them for several months.
~Remove weeds now so that they don't become even more established and therefore become more difficult to remove next spring. If you get them out now, they won't have a chance to spread or throw seeds.
~Empty pottery, birdbaths, and fountains and cover with protective wrap, or store in the garage, shed or other protected spot to keep them from freezing and cracking through the winter.
~Pull annuals and vegetables when they no longer produce or look well.
~Dig up and store flower bulbs such as cannas, glads, and dahlias if you want to have them to plant again next year.
~Wrap the trunks of young trees with tree wrap, or put tree protectors on them in order to minimize damage from sun and animals.
~Plant trees and shrubs now! Fall really is for planting these. Since the ground is warm from the summer sun and air temperatures have moderated, many times trees and shrubs planted now will have a higher survival rate than those planted in the spring. Planting now gives the roots time to get established which, in turn, will give the plant a strong start for the spring growing season.
