Fall Gardening Checklist

October 23, 2016

Fall Gardening Checklist

Fall has fallen! Even here in West Texas, the weather has turned tolerable again. It has cooled off a little--now our temperatures only hit the 90's! Yes, we really only have two seasons here: Summer and January! (LOL!!!) While that is true some of the time, lately daytime temps here have been hovering around the low to mid-80's. At night the temperatures dip down to the 50's and possibly the 40's (I can't wait!). So, at night, I suppose we are a little more on course with what is traditionally viewed as "autumnal".

I realize that although the summer gardening season here is still essentially in full swing, in most places, that is no longer the case. Bearing that in mind, I have opted to write this post on preparing gardens for the impending winter. No matter where you live, there are certain things that must be done at certain times during the year. Some of my suggestions may be a bit late for those of you in the more northern areas, but for most places, if you haven't gotten these fall things done yet, get going!

Bromeliad

Geranium

The first major step in fall gardening for most places is to bring plants in from outdoors that need to be protected from winter weather, like tropicals and succulents. Some annuals need to be brought in if you plan to keep them, like geraniums or purple fountain grass. If you live in a warmer climate, like I do, geraniums and fountain grass just need to be placed in a garden shed that has some windows for light and heat during the winter. If you live farther north, you will probably need to keep them in an attic or basement for their protection. There is no need to water these plants at all during the winter as they are dormant and won't grow anyway.

Canna

Dahlias

Gladiolus

In cooler regions, you may need to dig up summer bulbs, like cannas, dahlias, gladiolus, caladium, and elephant ears. These should be stored in a cool area, such as in a pot in a dark basement corner. In the spring, they can be replanted in the garden again and they will be ready to bloom again in the summer. This isn't necessary if you live in warmer areas.

Poinsettia

If you saved your poinsettias from last Christmas, October is the time to start giving them exactly 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness. Starting this process right now and continuing through Christmas will force them to be in bloom in time for Christmas. My parents did this one year, and it really does work! We had beautiful, huge poinsettias for Christmas (since they had grown considerably over the preceding year!) My dad used to rush home from work every night to put the poinsettias in the closet for the night to get their requisite 12 hours of darkness. Every morning, my mom would haul them out again to in front of the sunny window for the 12 hours of sunlight. They just wanted to find out if it would work, and it really does!

End of Summer Garden

Garden Debris

Remove the past season's annuals from the garden after the first frost. Dead leaves, plants and weeds that have been left in beds can harbor pests for the winter. Clean all this material and debris out of your garden beds to get rid of any critters that may want to snuggle down for the winter. This procedure also eliminates any disease or harmful bacteria that may have gotten into the plants at the end of summer and prevents it from spreading the following year.

Compost

Once your beds have been cleared out, add any improvements to the soil so that it will be completely incorporated into your planting beds by spring. Consider compost, manure, or other organic materials. Simply turning under the past season's mulch can also improve your soil for next year.

Raking Leaves

The easiest way to get a soil amendment this time of year is to rake up all the leaves that have fallen from the trees in your yard and use them as a compost or to work them into the soil. I have a mulching mower, so I simply mow over the leaves. This chomps them up into easily utilized little pieces. I collect them with the mower bag and then work them into my garden soil. By spring, this material has decomposed significantly enough that my garden has a nice new layer of rich black dirt. I have to clean the mess up anyway, I may as well put it to good use!

Pruning Trees and Shrubs

Pruning of trees and shrubs can be done in the fall--for some types. Make sure to keep in mind when trees and shrubs flower before you start pruning away at them. Trees and shrubs like lilacs, dogwoods, forsythia, and rhododendrons set their buds the previous summer so they are ready to bloom early in the spring. Do not prune these in the fall, or you will lose much of their spring blooms. These types of plants need to be pruned only in late spring after they are done blooming, before they set their buds for the following year.

Winter Branches

This Tree Needs to be Cut Back from the Wires

It is a best practice to prune most trees and shrubs in mid-spring, instead of in the fall. The reason is that pruning in the fall can leave open wounds that take a long time to heal in the cold of winter because the plants are dormant. The open wounds can invite diseases and pests to take hold of the tree or shrub.

The only pruning that really needs to be done at this time of year is to cut out any odd or out-of-place branches that may break off under the weight of snow during the winter. If you live in a warmer climate where snow really isn't an issue, pruning in the fall isn't really an issue either.

Mowing the Lawn

Give your lawn a last mowing this month. Set your mower on the lowest setting to clip the grass as close to the ground as possible. This will help the soil to dry out more quickly in the spring, so the new grass will grow in fuller and lusher. Fall is a great time to apply fertilizer to your lawn. Try one with a high phosphorus content. This will encourage root growth while the upper part of the lawn is dormant. This will create a nice, lush, green lawn for next spring.

Spring-Blooming Bulbs

Of course, fall is the time to plant new shrubs and spring bulbs. Tulips, hyacinth, daffodils, lilies, snowflake, iris, trilliums and others like these need to be planted now as they need the cold of winter to cause them to germinate. Generally, when planting bulbs, for each bulb, make a hole that is about 3 times the height of the bulb. Place the bulb in the hole with the pointed end facing up. You can make the hole a little wider to put more than one bulb in each hole, just make sure none of the bulbs are touching when you place them in the soil. Cover them with dirt and wait. In the spring, you will be greeted by beautiful flowers as soon as the snow melts--with crocus, maybe even before it melts! For complete instructions on Planting Fall Bulbs, click HERE, to check out my post on the subject.

Spring Bulbs in Cold-Time in Refrigerator

Forcing Hyacinth Bulbs

Forcing Tulip Bulbs

You can also force bulbs indoors this winter, in pots or in water. Most spring-blooming bulbs usually require at least 12 to 15 weeks of cold time in the refrigerator before they can be forced. Just make sure they are kept away from fruits and vegetables--especially apples--as these produce gases that will prevent blooms from forming. Generally, a garage refrigerator or other unit that isn't used frequently is the best option for forcing, if you have it. Even the light going on and off from frequent door openings and closings can be detrimental to bloom quality. So, buy bulbs for forcing now and get them in the fridge. That way, you should have new tulips, daffodils, etc. in bloom by late February or so. For complete instructions on How to Force bulbs for Spring Blooms, click HERE, to read my complete post on this topic.

Click HERE to download your free Fall Yard & Gardening Checklist.

Click HERE to get your free Fall Yard & Gardening Checklist

Garden Tools

This is the time of year to clean any garden tools you have been using all season. Clean off any dirt and debris from them before putting them in storage for the winter. After washing, let tools dry thoroughly in the sun. Then store tools with their handles pointing downward. That way, they will be "just like new" when you pull them out again in the spring.

End of Summer Shed

I am hopeful these suggestions will be helpful for you in taking care of your fall garden chores. Be sure to drop me a message below to let me know any other tips you may have for fall gardening!

Peace and Love Always,