Unlike the past several years, it seems we may have a normal fall as far as temperatures go, but we’re still in a small deficit with rainfall. Ever so slowly, though, we’re catching up. But with the weather certainly turning colder, it’s time to take stock and begin getting our landscapes and tools ready for what may be a cold and snowy winter — our first one in a while.
I always used to panic to get the spring flower bulbs — which are fall planted — into the ground by mid-October. That was until the year, decades ago, that the now-defunct Southampton Horticulture Club planted bushels of daffodils at the flagpole at the village end of Lake Agawam. It was the day before Thanksgiving and a half dozen of us, with frosty fingers, dug and planted bushels of daffs. Were we too late?
No. The following spring, the bulbs bloomed right on time and for many years thereafter. There’s still time to buy bulbs and get them planted, especially out here where the weather is milder. I’d say most of these spring-flowering bulbs can be safely planted now through late November. The thing to remember, though, is to keep the bulbs cool until planting.
Do these bulbs — any of them — need fertilizer at the time of planting? Not really. It used to be a common practice but, in reality, the flowers are already formed inside the bulbs and no amount of fertilizer is going to make your tulips or daffodils larger for next spring’s show. Adding the right fertilizer to the bottom of the planting hole might affect your spring 2027 flowers, but not next spring’s buds.
One other idea: If you start your bulbs really late, plant them just a bit deeper. The soil another inch down may be a little warmer and this will help stimulate new root growth that supports the flowers come spring, as well as beginning to support the new flowers that develop in the bulb for the following year. Use an organic fertilizer only, as this type will be long lasting, as opposed to the chemical fertilizers that aren’t.
And if you want your daffs to rebloom every year, you have to use a variety that’s noted as good for naturalizing. These bulbs can be planted in wooded areas that receive early spring sun before the leaves fill in above, as well as in meadow and lawn areas that don’t need mowing, or where mowing can be held off until the bulb’s foliage browns. Daffodils for naturalizing can be found in straight colors like yellow and white, but there are five to 10 varieties to choose from.
On a sunny and warmish day, you may want to get all your hoses stretched out in the sun. It warms the hose material and makes it easier to coil for storage. I’ve worked with several types of hoses this past summer and there are some that are highly advertised as strong, crushproof and kink-proof. On the contrary, I’ve found that just about any hose will kink and, once they do, the interior of the hose becomes compromised. More on hoses early next spring, but the bottom line is that I’m going back to the older, heavier hoses for most of my watering uses.
After 15 years of use, I’ve retired my Mantis 21cc mini tiller. It still runs, but the fuel lines inside the two-cycle fuel tank were cracking and falling apart. This meant replacing the lines, which in turn would lead to taking off the fuel tank, as well as the two lines to the tank. I gave the tiller to Mary, my mechanic, and I’m sure she’ll have it up and running again by next spring when she’ll use it in her garden. I bought a replacement.
This new Mantis tiller only tills 9 inches wide and 2 to 4 inches deep. I only seem to use it in my trial garden, but it’s perfect in there with the narrow rows and mixed crops. It leaves a smoothly tilled bed that’s ready for planting, and because of its diminutive size and weight, it’s generally easy to maneuver.
I prefer the two-cycle model 7920 gas/oil tiller, which runs about $330, over any of the electric or battery-powered models. There’s also a four-cycle model that runs on just gas and not a gas/oil mix, but it’s heavier and more expensive. For my purposes, the 7920 works just fine — and did so for 15 years with just spark plug and fuel changes. This is a great tool to have for cultivating and tilling, and you can also use it for border edging.
And, of course, the leaves are falling and will finish a bit early this year. Most of my leaves are easily taken care of by the mulching deck on the lawn tractor. Using the right blades and the mulching deck, the oak, maple and magnolia leaves are shredded to tiny pieces that seem to magically disappear into the lawn, where they slowly add nutrients and structure to the soil. If your gardener or landscaper collects the clippings and leaves and takes them away, you’re missing out on a great opportunity. If they’ll leave them in the same spot every week, you can begin your own composting project, which pays great dividends to your garden.
But then there are those last-to-fall leaves and I don’t want to get the tractor out for just these. The last of the leaves are blown into the garden where they become a winter mulch. For this work, I use my corded Toro leaf blower. It’s plenty powerful and since it doesn’t need a battery, it’s several pounds lighter. Also, there is no issue with local leaf blower laws since it’s not gas powered and fairly quiet. With a 100-foot extension cord, it pretty much finishes out the season for me without the need for raking or other equipment.
One very important thing about this Toro: It’s more than a leaf blower. It’s a model 51619, which runs around $100, and with a handy attachment that attaches to the bottom, it also becomes a leaf shredder and bagger. The blower motor sucks leaves into a wide tube, shreds them and turns them into instant mulch for composting or winter bed protection. It’s a great machine for 1-acre properties or less.
Next up, it’s garlic planting time. It’s such an easy crop and requires very little work. One pound of seed cloves will yield four to five pounds of garlic early next fall. Plant the garlic in rows and about 3 inches deep. Work a balanced fertilizer into the soil first, then plant. I cram mine in to make the best use of my small space, with bulbs 2 to 3 inches deep on 6-inch centers.
Once planted, water the area and let the sun warm the soil for a couple of days. Next, cover the planted area with a mulch of leaves or compost. I use chopped straw, which I buy in a compressed bale. Leave the mulching until spring when you can remove, or leave, the mulch and begin a spring feeding regimen, followed by light side dressings early in the summer. With more spacing, you may get larger cloves to harvest, but for me, space is at a premium so I plant tight.
For the rest of the veggie garden, it’s time to clean up. Remove as much debris from the garden as you can. This includes dropped fruits, as in tomatoes, vines and anything that can harbor or be the source of disease recontamination for next year.
Plant a nitrogen-fixing cover crop (also called “green manure”) that will enrich your soil as you work it into the soil in the spring. Ask at local garden centers to see what they have. If you can’t find anything local, Johnny’s sells a fall green manure mix and, for organic gardeners, they have a peas and oats mix. Get them in as soon as you can, though — it is a bit late.
It’s also a great time to divide perennials that finished flowering by the end of the summer. These plants generally form crowns that can easily be divided with a straight spade’s blade. Hostas are among the easiest to divide, but there are many, many others including Phlox paniculata and even peonies. Remember not to totally bury the peony roots. They need to be planted horizontally with about one fourth to one third of the root showing above the soil.
Continue watering trees and shrubs that may have had a hard time from the summer drought. These should be watered weekly, if there isn’t rain, until mid-December, or until you turn off your outside water.
Did you collect seed from any columbines this summer? If you did, you can scatter the seed lightly — 20 per square foot — and use a tamper or board to press them to the ground. Don’t cover the seed or they won’t germinate. These seeds will germinate early next spring, develop only foliage next year, then flower the following year. This works especially well in wooded areas if you don’t cover the seed.
Lots to do and lots more on the horizon, and it’s your last chance to collect and save seed. Have your wish list for 2026 started yet? Keep growing.
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