Welcome to fall in Routt County, where golden aspens dazzle, elk bugle romantically, and gardeners panic like squirrels on espresso. If you’re staring at your garden thinking, “Did I really plant all that? “Yes, you did, and now it’s time to put that glorious chaos to bed before the snow flies (which, let’s be honest, could be tomorrow).
Step One: Accept That It’s Over
It’s tough saying goodbye to marigolds and those tomatoes that finally ripened last week. But in Zone 4, denial won’t save your garden. Pull on muck boots, grab a warm beverage, and get to work.
Step Two: Ruthless Cleanup
Yank out annuals and anything auditioning for a horror film. Compost the healthy, trash the diseased. Powdery mildew does not spark joy. Perennials? Trim, but don’t scalp. Leave 4–6 inches. Plants like echinacea and rudbeckia can be left to feed birds all winter. Call it a buffet you never have to refill.
Step Three: Mulch Like You Mean It
Mulch is your garden’s electric blanket. Add 3–4 inches of shredded leaves, straw, or wood chips around perennials, trees, and shrubs. It keeps roots cozy, suppresses weeds, and prevents the cruel freeze-thaw yo-yo Routt County soils love in March.
Pro tip: if your neighbors haven’t raked yet, “help” them. Free mulch for you, tidy yard for them, everybody wins.
Step Four: Protect the Vulnerable
Wrap young trees to prevent sunscald and deer nibbling. Nothing says heartbreak like a deer flossing with your apple sapling. Drain hoses, blow out irrigation lines, and double check spigots to avoid January plumbing disasters.
Step Five: Plant Something (Yes, Really)
Fall is prime time for planting bulbs. Slip in some daffodils, crocuses, or alliums now, and come spring you’ll thank yourself with every bloom. Also don’t forget garlic, easy to plant, endlessly tasty, and guaranteed to make you feel like a gardening wizard.
Final Thoughts from the Frozen Trenches
Winterizing your garden in Routt County is part prep, part ritual, part therapy. It’s your last chance to connect with your plants before the snow buries them (and possibly your wheelbarrow) until June. So throw on a beanie, crank some tunes, and get it done.
Your spring self will thank you, hopefully in garlic.
Have questions? The CSU Routt County Extension Office and Master Gardener Help Desk are here to help. Stop by Thursdays, 10 a.m.–1 p.m., May through September. Contact: (970) 879-0825 or rcextension@co.routt.co.us
Sarah Storm is a CSU Extension Master Gardener based in Routt County. She combines her passion for environmental education and hands-on gardening to help others grow with confidence.
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