What (Not) To Do With Your Garden In The Fall

Fall is a great time for garden chores. This is the time to clean up before winter, protect vulnerable plants, and wind down the growing season. This isn’t the right time for all tasks, though. Know what to do with your garden in the fall and what not to do — for instance, what plants should not be cut back in the fall — to best prepare it for next year.

Fall is a great time of year for many chores. The weather is cooler, plants are beginning to go dormant, and the prep work you do now will affect your garden next spring and summer. Here’s what you should do in the garden in fall.

Cleaning up fallen leaves is probably the most common fall gardening or yard chore. Leaving a layer of dead leaves on grass can harm turf grass by blocking sunlight and trapping moisture. On the other hand, leaves can benefit beds and lawns by adding nutrients. Instead of bagging and disposing of leaves, mulch them with the mower and let them decompose. Or simply leave them where they fall to provide habitat for overwintering beneficial insects.

Depending on what you grow and your climate, you might have some plants that will survive the winter with some added protection. Provide these plants with fabric covers or windbreaks for the little extra warmth they need to make it.

Clean all your garden tools and dry them thoroughly before storing them for the winter. Keep them in a dry location to avoid rust and deterioration. If you have a lawn mower, clean it well and perform any needed maintenance, like an oil change, before storing.

Fall is a perfect time to fertilize turf grass. As the weather turns, grass stops growing but the roots continue to take up nutrients. Apply fertilizer in mid- to late-fall.

Touch up or apply mulch to beds in fall to protect