5 Ways to Prepare Your Garden for Fall

While spring is for planting and summer is for watching your garden thrive, fall brings its own important tasks. As temperatures cool, plants mature and begin preparing for winter dormancy. Giving your garden a little extra care now will set the stage for an even better spring. Here are a few tips to help your garden welcome the arrival of autumn.

Examine your garden

To prepare your garden for Fall, first walk around it and examine it with care. Look for bald patches of soil that require soil amendments, overgrown plants that need to be divided, take note of which bulbs need to be removed before winter, and which plants might need to be moved indoors.

Remove Mulch from Stems and Trunks

As you’re examining your garden, remove mulch from stems and trunks of trees and perennial shrubs. This will help prevent the formation of mold or mildew as there is no moisture trapped. This will make for a more seamless bloom.

Clean out the weeds

Don’t let those weeds overwinter in your garden. Clean them out now and prevent weeds from going to seed, digging deeper roots, and doubling your weeding efforts for next year.

Prepare new beds

Preparing soil for planting is a critical step in ensuring the success of a garden without proper attention, it will be difficult for seeds to thrive weeks down the line. First, you should ensure the chosen area is clear of irrigation or utility lines that may not be immediately noticeable. Dead vegetation should be cleared out, and soil should be flipped over section by section.

Protect Your Fall Garden to Extend the Harvest into Winter

With these tips in hand, a bit of preparation can carry your garden through the coldest months. Keep nurturing your plants and they’ll reward you well into the season.