Autumn (Fall) in the Garden

When the leaves are turning in Autumn (Fall), and it's time to shut down the garden (or most of it), it may feel like gardening is over until spring. However, there are many gardening tasks you can do this time of year to prepare for the spring. Here's a checklist from the more routine to some you may not have thought of yet:

• Take inventory. Make note of which plants didn't do so well (and why if you know, such as planting too early), which ones you want to keep for next year, and what type of plants you want to add next year. 
• Collect seeds from your best plants. 
• If you're planning to have your soil tested, send off the samples now instead of spring. The drier ground makes sampling easier and more accurate, and there will be more time before spring planting to add any recommended amendments. Plus the labs won't be as busy and you'll get our results faster. Check with your extension office (some do free testing). 
• Rake up leaves and corral them in chicken wire bin. They can later be used for mulching, compost and leaf molds for the bottoms of seedling trays. 
• Toss crop litter into the compost heap and cover with plastic or straw to shield from snow and rain. If you haven't started a compost pile, start one now. Decaying litter left in the garden encourages insects and diseases needing a cozy winter home. Also burn any foliage from diseased plants. 
• To help cut down on pests, till the soil now and reduce pest troubles next spring. Tilling now interrupts the life cycles of insects by exposing them to hungry birds and cold temperatures. Also, set out slug repellant. 
• If you're more interested in improving soil fertility than in reducing insect pests, don't leave cultivated soil open. Instead, sow with hardy cover crops such as winter rye mixed with hairy vetch (or, in mild-winter areas, banner fava beans). Cover crops eliminate erosion, improve soil structure, provide spring compost material and keep nutrients from leaching down out of reach. A cover crop now can also cut next year's weeding in half. 
• Once the leaves have fallen, check trees for dead branches that could fall on your garden and prune them. 
• Wrap and stake any young trees that may not hold up to winter's brutal winds and freezing temperatures. 
• Put down about five inches of mulch to protect plants from heavy snow and sudden changes in temperature. You can use shredded bark, pine needles or your favorite mulch. It's best to mulch after winter's cold snap has killed off insects that otherwise will take up residence in your mulch. 
• Plant bulbs for spring blooms, such as daffodils and tulips. 
• If you keep a pond or water garden, winterize it (see our article on how to do this). 
• Collect gardening tools that you won't be using until spring, then clean and oil them and put away to prevent rust. 
• Break out the seed catalogs, and start planning your spring garden!