Fall tasks to make successful garden in spring
With lower temperatures and rainier weather, fall gives us a new set of tasks in the garden. Raking leaves and planting bulbs are often at the top of the list, but some less obvious chores add a few last touches of beauty to the garden while preparing it for spring. Here are seven to focus on before winter arrives.
REMOVE DISEASED MATERIAL
Extreme heat, humidity, and drought can increase a plant’s susceptibility to black spot, anthracnose, and other diseases. They spread when rain runs down infected plants, so it’s important to clean up leaves, branches and seedpods on the ground near them. This will prevent a harder-to-control epidemic come spring.
Steve Lambert, owner of Lambert Treescapes and a certification director at the International Society of Arboriculture, says there are common signs to look for to determine if a disease is present. “Dieback in the crown of the tree, oozing sap or pitch, or foliar damage can be indications of disease.” Also, look for dark spots, white powder or unusually crinkled leaves. In cases where the tree shows extreme signs of distress, call an ISA-certified arborist for advice.
If an arborist isn’t in your budget, then rake any leaves and branches you suspect are unhealthy. When nearby perennials seem affected, cut those back. Toss everything in a closable lawn bag or bin. Then wipe your rake, trowel or pruners with isopropyl alcohol to reduce the spread of spores or bacteria.
PRUNE DEAD WOOD
Certain diseased plants, usually trees and shrubs, can hold on to their afflicted leaves or branches. If you see curled, wilted or browned leaves on a branch, cut away that branch. Afterward, safely burn it or put it in the yard waste bin for pick up. You don’t want to compost diseased material, as your compost pile may not get hot enough to kill the spores. Again, clean tools afterward.
If a tree or shrub has been showing leafless gray branches for weeks, that often means those branches are dead. It’s a good idea to prune those away. “Removing dead tree branches, back to the branch collar, can assist a tree’s natural ability to close off wounds,” Lambert says. “It can also improve aesthetics, increase light and airflow, and reduce potential hazards from falling branches.”
A strong winter wind storm can crack weakened or dead branches and cause them to break and fall, sometimes from great heights. They can damage shrubs or small trees below severely. In worst-case scenarios, they can fall on a car or house.
To identify a dead branch, you can prune off a small piece and check the ring of wood. If it’s brown with no visible ring of green, it’s probably a goner. Prune that from the tree, making sure to cut at the branch collar cleanly. If the branch is too high to be accessible, hire an arborist.
PULL BLOOMING WEEDS
Pulling weeds, especially blooming ones, can also prevent disease and destruction in the garden. Chickweed, hairy bittercress and ragweed can all set seed in fall. Also, a single dandelion casts up to 200 seeds per flower, so digging it out prevents hundreds of potential new weeds the following spring.
Garden designer Erin Lau of Erin Lau Design recommends focusing on field bindweed and common catsear. These “are worth digging out entirely to prevent spreading by seed in spring,” she says. With a hori hori knife or trowel, loosen the plant from the soil and gently lift it out without breaking the roots. If you don’t have time to dig out the weeds, cut or pluck off seed heads wherever you can. Then carefully and quickly put them in a nearby bin so you don’t jostle and accidentally spread seeds.
MULCH
Remember, weeds usually don’t sprout if they don’t have sunlight. After clearing diseased material and pulling weeds, mulch the soil to tamp down any remaining seeds or disease spores. Compost or finely shredded bark works well. You can use groundup leaves, but you want to be sure those leaves are disease-free. Regardless of material, apply a couple inches to form a natural blanket over your growing space. Don’t mulch too deeply because that deprives roots of needed water and oxygen.
Another reason to mulch is to prevent the ground from freezing around tender roots. If you planted a marginally hardy vine or young tree sapling this summer, mulch will help insulate it from winter cold and preserve nutrients in the soil. Lambert says mulch also helps roots retain moisture. But he cautions to not put mulch directly against a tree’s trunk. “This can trap excessive moisture, softening the tissue and increasing risk of disease and pest infestation.”
FILL IN BARE SPOTS
If you don’t put desirable plants in bare spots in the garden, weeds will plant themselves. So, before kudzu, loosestrife and spurge take over your blank patches, plant plants. Take advantage of fall sales and buy discounted plants, then fill in gaps generously.
If you’re not sure what you want in your empty spaces yet, Lau says you can cover them with grass clippings or a cover crop. Or you can plant ground covers in the short term. Creepers such as wild thyme, sweet woodruff and carpet bugle all form thick mats of greenery and can easily be transplanted if you find an option you like better.
SPREAD GRASS SEED
Speaking of bare spots, if you have dogs, especially a young pup, you might find yourself with several areas of worn-out lawn. An active dog can easily tear up dry grass during a summer drought, so much so that you end up with large swaths of dusty dirt by October.
To prevent that dusty dirt from turning into muddy puddles in winter, generously sprinkle grass seed and lightly cover with peat or a fine loamy soil. Fall provides generous rain for those seeds to sprout. Don’t forget to cordon off the newly planted areas. Short, inexpensive fencing that can be inserted in the ground will deter smaller dogs, while a taller, heavier option that hooks onto posts may be needed for bigger breeds.
You can also spread seed on your existing lawn to thicken and strengthen it. Lau says this is why it’s important to rake leaves from turf. “Raking the fallen leaves off a lawn or ground cover will allow that area to get sun and air. Otherwise the leaves may kill the lawn below.” Also, dense, healthy lawns are less susceptible to pet damage and sprouting weeds.
PROTECT SPIGOTS AND DRAIN HOSES
Because water expands when it freezes, it can crack a pipe, hose or spigot. If your spigot is made of plastic and/ or more than several years old, protect it from extreme temperatures with a foam faucet cover. If you live someplace with extra-harsh winters, you can tie rags around the spigots before adding the foam cover for extra protection.
Similarly, hoses need to be drained and stored in a garage or basement. Otherwise, long bouts of temperatures below 32 degrees can weaken or crack their casing, leading to leaks. Draining and storing your hoses can prolong their use by several years.
To drain, simply unscrew the hose and either straighten it out on a slope or, if you don’t mind getting a bit wet, gently coil it and let the water flow out the bottom. You can even keep the large twist-ties hoses are often sold with to secure the coil and hang it in the garage. Come spring, you’ll be headed to the garden instead of the hardware store. Karen Hugg is a certified ornamental horticulturist and the author of“Leaf Your Troubles Behind: How to Destress and Grow Happiness Through Plants.” She also writes for Wired, Shondaland and Thrive Global.