One autumn, I remember my mother asking if I had put my gardens to bed yet. That memory still makes me smile. If you visit our home in winter, you may think the gardens look a bit—okay, maybe a lot—messy.
So what needs to be done in the autumn and why? Each gardener should reflect on their garden to determine good reasons for what they choose to do or not do. I like to remind gardeners that nature does not cut back and remove plant debris in autumn. In unattended fields, plants yellow, dry, and fall over; this enables plant material to reseed, break apart from wind and snow, and return nutrients to the earth. In addition, hollow stems provide places for queen bumblebees, queen wasps, moths, and spiders to overwinter.
Harvesting vegetable gardens continues! I bring green tomatoes indoors to ripen, dig horseradish, dig up summer bulbs or tubers—e.g. gladioli, canna lilies, dahlias, and elephant ears—and bring them in to overwinter. I also purchase bulbs for forcing indoors—such a treat in February and March when they begin to bloom!
Then there are fallen leaves. You may have heard “Leave the leaves,” but they can mat if left in place and seldom break down on their own. Use your leaf blower to shred the leaves, then return them to your garden beds. If that’s not convenient, put ground damp leaves in closed containers where they will break down over the winter; they can be used as mulch next year. I do like to leave the leaves that have landed in garden beds to provide winter homes for wool bear caterpillars and other overwintering creatures.
Want more gardens or to extend gardens next year? The time to prepare them is now. Outline the desired area and remove grass or cover with cardboard or several layers of newspapers to destroy weed and grass. Toss compost and/or soil on top.
You may think I am encouraging you to leave your existing garden beds alone, but I’m not really. Do you see weeds? They’re thieves! They steal light, water, and nutrients from your beloved garden plants. Dig them out now so they don’t get a head start for spring.
Cutting back existing perennials can make them reseed. That’s good, you say! They may spread. That’s also good, you say! But the remaining plant material protects the crowns over the winter, so please leave them alone. I never cut roses, lavender, buddlea, or mums for example. Why? Because pruned in autumn, they often send out new growth that can be killed when temperatures drop later. Leave them alone! Dump some of those leaves on them to protect the crowns.
Should you plant in the autumn? Yes! Spring bulbs, of course, but trees and shrubs as well. Planted in autumn, they better withstand dry periods later in the season because their roots are getting ready for winter. Examples include crabapple, peach, hydrangea, lilacs, spirea, and more. “But Carol Ann, aren’t trees getting ready for winter?” Yes! But tree roots continue their growth until the soil gets down to about forty degrees Fahrenheit!
This all may sound like a lot of work and forethought. Maybe. But since I love it, I have never worked a day in the garden.
I love to hear from you: caharlos@verizon.net
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