Key Points
Leave leaves and stems through winter to support pollinators and enrich the soil.Wait for colder weather before planting bulbs, pruning, or seeding cole crops to prevent rot and improve flavor.Cold triggers sugar conversion and dormancy, making various crops sweeter.
Fall is often when gardening tasks start slowing down—most gardens have already hit their peak, and a few weeks into the season, you are probably already done sowing the last of your vegetables. However, not everything is done in the warmth of the summer heat.
We spoke with three gardening experts who let us know which fall gardening tasks should wait until the weather is actually cold, and it’s a lot more than you think.
Meet the Expert
Sharon Gross is a master gardener and 4-H volunteer with Penn State Extension.
Jody Taylor is the county extension agent of horticulture for Texas A&M.
Nancy Kreith is the extension educator of horticulture for Cook County Illinois Extension.
Planting Bulbs
Most bulbs need to be planted in the fall, but getting the timing right is crucial.
“If you put them in the ground too early when the soil is still pretty warm, they can rot or get fungus before they start growing,” says horticulture expert Jody Taylor.
He lists onion, garlic, spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths as susceptible bulbs. Additionally, potatoes—though not a bulb—could suffer from the same effects if planted too early.
Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more!
Garden Cleanup
With leaves turning and falling in the autumn, it feels only intuitive to rake and pick them up as they hit the ground. But our experts tell us this instinct might not be the best response for your garden.
“Much ecological research tells us that limiting clean-up tasks until spring helps pollinators, provides food for birds, and allows nutrients from leaves and other plant matter to break down and become incorporated into your garden soil,” says master gardener Sharon Gross.
This can be achieved by leaving fallen leaves on the ground, and allowing any last-minute fall deadheaded flowers, or twigs on the ground.
“Many native pollinators and beneficial insects overwinter in leaf litter and hollow perennial stems,” says horticulture educator Nancy Kreith. “Leave some dead stems standing through winter and cut them back later in spring once we get consistent 50°F nighttime temperatures.”
Pruning
Pruning is often seen as a fall and winter task; while it is, waiting for the cold is a key component to keeping plants alive and healthy.
“Wait to cut back perennials and fruit trees until late fall or winter when they are dormant,” Taylor says.
Planting Cole Crops
Some crops do better with a little bit of cold, and cole crops are a big subsection of these.
“Wait to plant certain cole crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower, as well as spinach and lettuce,” Taylor says.
This will allow the flavor to fully develop before harvest, giving you a sweeter, tastier array of homegrown veggies.
Harvesting Root Crops
The sweetening effect that happens the later you plant cole crops also affects the harvest time of root crops. Many of these benefit from colder weather.
“When the temperatures drop, they convert their starches into sugars which act as an anti-freezing agent for their cells,” Gross says. “Pick your root vegetables after the first frost of autumn and chances are that they’ll taste a lot sweeter than if you’d picked them in the summer.”
Comments are closed.