Getting ready for the cold weather

Now that we’ve put our summer gardens to bed, for the most part, we need to focus on getting our yards and gardens ready for winter, which actually will give us a head start on spring.

Here are some chores to keep you busy throughout November:

• The rain is coming. That’s good news for our landscape, but we want to ensure that valuable water goes where it is most needed. One easy way is to install downspout diverters to direct runoff to trees and plants.

• Early frost can occur as soon as mid-November. Have a plan — and the equipment — to protect your most sensitive plants. Build structures to fit over smaller plants and have frost cloth on hand to drape over them. Move potted plants against houses and buildings; invest in some old-fashioned holiday lights and string them on vulnerable plants. The lights will provide much-needed heat to ward off frost.

• If it’s raining, shut off your automatic sprinklers.

• Keep off the grass. And the planting beds. Rain-soaked areas can become compacted if you’re walking on them or using heavy equipment.

• Clean and disinfect pruning shears that have come in contact with infected plants. Let them air dry, then oil them immediately to avoid corrosion.

• Pull weeds before they flower and go to seed.

• Stop feeding your plants as the weather grows colder. The cooler temperatures slow plant growth or put them into dormancy, so they don’t need fertilizer. However, fruit trees should be fertilized after harvest.

• Write it down. Keep a record of your garden throughout the year. It will help you decide when to plant, what plants did best, what ones were a bust and the locations you planted in.