There are several things that should be done in order to prepare for the cold and dreary winter months. Some have to do with the garden, some with the lawn, and others with the tools you use to do the gardening.
Many perennials need to be protected for the winter. Roses should be fastened securely to their supports so that the winter winds won’t whip them around and cause damage. Nylon stockings are a good tool to use since they stretch as the plant grows and won’t cut into the stem of the plant. Lavender should be mulched well with autumn leaves to protect it from snow. You might want to mound about 5 to 6 inches of soil around perennials such as roses to give their roots a little more insulation. Mums should be cut back 2 to 3 inches from the soil once they die back. It is a good idea to mulch much of your garden with straw or pine boughs. Just mulching perennial herbs helps to ensure they will come back the next year. If you mulch sage well with leaves or pine boughs you may be able to pick some that is still growing to include in your Thanksgiving stuffing. Of course, annuals should be pulled and removed from the garden. Remember to remove the straw or pine mulch in the spring once things begin to sprout again.
Trees and shrubs can be safely transplanted at this time of year as they have or will be entering dormancy. The secret is to dig a large root ball and replant into prepared soil as soon as possible. It is a good idea to stake large shrubs and trees to protect them from the winds of winter. When the leaves fall from fruit or flowering trees or from raspberries, spray with a dormant spray. This helps control any insects that might want to set up camp during the winter. Evergreens can be safely trimmed to shape at this time.
There isn’t much activity to do in the fall pertaining to fruits or vegetables except to clear all debris from the garden to prevent providing a home to harmful insects that can overwhelm your garden the next summer. Cut the tops of asparagus plants and add a dressing of aged manure to the bed. Asparagus is the first thing to sprout in the spring and is one of the few things that can be fertilized at this time. Strawberry plants should be covered with about 2 inches of straw for protection. Raspberry canes need to be protected from the wind. Placing stakes around the raspberry patch and adding burlap around to enclose the raspberry patch is a good way of protecting this fruit.
The lawn can be fertilized now to encourages good root development. Lime can also be added. Other than that keep the leaves off the lawn. Either rake them and put them in the compost or chop them up with a mulching mower.
Mist the plants you’ve brought in from the outside. They are used to more humidity than your heated house can give them. One way to humidify potted plants is to place the pots on pebble filled trays that have been filled with water.
Don’t forget to feed the birds and other yard creatures that might not be able to find food at this time of year.
Drain hoses and put them in the basement or the garage so they don’t freeze. This will eliminate going out in the spring to buy a new hose because the old one burst. Mark the places you’ve planted bulbs with small stakes. You can also mark late sprouters. This helps when you start weeding in the spring preventing you from pulling out anything you really don’t want to pull. You can paint the name of the plant in the bed on small stones and place them painted side down where the plant will come up in the spring.
After the last mow of the season run your mower out of fuel as old gas can damage the engine. Clean garden tools by placing sand in a large bucket and slide the tools in and out. Then add a light coat of oil to prevent them from rusting.
Last but not least, get ready for those seed catalogs to start coming in. Soon it will be time to get the tiller out and start gardening again.
