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Using these tips can prepare your garden to flourish next spring.
Our November days are growing shorter, and if your preparation for the coming months in your garden and yard hasn’t already been completed, a checklist may help.
Examining and taking notes or pictures of successes and problems will help next spring, because if you’re like me, details are easily forgotten. Keeping records can be a reminder of failures and successes, jotting down preferred plants and those that were problems. Notes on diseases, insect infestation and weeds will help you next spring. If you use plant ID markers, these should be removed and stored away.
Bees, some butterflies and other pollinators need a safe place to spend winter and leaving flower stems, leaves and plant debris will help them survive. An example is the woolly bear caterpillar (Isabella tiger moth) we frequently observe in fall, searching for a safe place to shelter, while preparing to pupate and emerge in spring.
Plants that have enjoyed the summer outside can be brought into your home. Make sure to check stems and leaves on the top and underside to prevent unwanted insects in the home.
A bird bath with heated water is helpful for winter birds. Any persistent weeds should be dug, including the roots, and bagged to prevent their emergence in spring. Garden hoses need to be stored away to prevent cold weather cracking, along with flower pots and any garden ornaments.
Considering how healthy our vegetable garden was determines if we wish to remove spent vines and leaves in the soil, or bag and discard ones that had either pests or diseases. This is the ideal time to prepare the soil for next year by adding organic matter or compost from your scraps.
Annuals, if healthy, can be used as compost. Perennials should remain, providing homes for over wintering insects and birds that find a snack on flowers that have gone to seed. Planting bulbs at this time such as crocus, tulips and daffodils will provide the garden with spring color and lovely flowers. Garlic should also be planted now to emerge in spring, enjoying it all summer.
Gusts of autumn leaves falling do not need to be a problem for the gardener. A mulcher mower will chew the leaves into small pieces, leaving them on the grass to decay, feeding the lawn throughout the winter. Raking leaves into the garden area provides nutrients and can be dug into the soil either now or in spring. According to the University of Minnesota, leaving 10% to 20% of leaves on the grass is acceptable, but no more as they will smother the grass and inhibit growth. Bagging leaves in plastic bags ends up in the landfill, wasting valuable nutrients needed. Composting provides free organic matter as it breaks down, providing needed nutrients.
You and your garden deserve a rest after working all summer. Enjoy the winter, knowing you have prepared and are ready for spring!
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