If you are around me very long you know I love the lushness of a summer garden. But as the wheel of the year turns, I also enjoy the leaves changing colors, dropping to the ground and rustling in the wind. I’m fond of the drying out of plants and the emptiness of the garden following the harvest that reminds us to rest.
Even though the temperatures don’t always feel like fall, the calendar and the shorter days remind us that autumn is settling in. Now is a great time to ready your planting areas so I’ve put together some Fall To-Dos.
Plant
Did you read that right? Yes! There are many zones that have the perfect climate for a fall garden if you want to extend your growing season. This is called “second season” planting. If the winter is mild there’s a chance to even get a third planting in, too! The legendary Old Farmer’s Almanac is a great resource to know what to plant and when. Where I live, I’m planting garlic, radishes, and spinach (of course the onions are thriving – see Onion backstory) but I’m going to cover the majority of my garden areas.
Harvest
Fall is the perfect time for final harvests on all your favorite crops. The final tomatoes, squashes, beans, onions, and potatoes all should get harvested before the first frost. Typically, that doesn’t happen until December but Texas weather can be surprising so I would advise watch the weather. I have accidentally lost my fall harvest from not watching dipping temperatures.
Start canning
I have several friends who have been canning all through the summer. I seem to have a hard time staying inside long enough during the summer to accomplish much. (Not to mention it’s SO HOT!) In the fall I am still able to find plenty of local fruits and veggies to put away for future use. In fact, some foods like apples, carrots, and grapes taste exceptionally good when canned (or made into jams, jellies, cakes, and pies) in the fall.
Divide and/or plant perennials
If you have plants that spread and spread, now’s the time to divide and replant them. I know I have a ton of day lilies that need dividing (I have a daughter that is willing to help so she gets to take some shares home), perhaps you have an herb or two that could use some growing room as well.
Collect seeds
If you grew any heirloom varieties this year, your hard work is about to pay off! Growing heirloom varieties of plants means you can save their seeds, store them, and plant next spring. (Check out my post on seeds)
The easiest plants to collect from are those with large seeds like beans, peas, and sunflowers. Getting the seeds from popular heirlooms like tomatoes is more difficult, but just talks a bit more persistence. (I think I did a storing seed blog)
Start making compost
If you haven’t already started a compost area fall is a great time to get started. Vines, stalks, and browned, shriveled leaves don’t need go in the landfill or burn pile. Place these with all you leftover kitchen scraps (no meat except fish and no dairy) or over ripe produce and let the compost magic begin!
Aside from dead plants, there are plenty of other materials hanging around your yard just begging to be composted.
All those leaves you raked up? Compost pile. Tea bag? Compost pile. Dog hair? Compost pile. The final bag full of mowed grass clippings? Compost pile. Amazon cardboard box? Compost pile. Egg shells? Compost pile. A pile of your neighbor’s chicken’s droppings? Compost pile. (Also, introduce me to said neighbor…)
Spread finished compost
Fall is the absolute BEST time to nurture your soil. Adding compost, manure, or even just a mulch of fall leaves now will reward you doubly next spring. Between now and then, your garden has months to slowly break down everything and make nutrients available for plants. It gives earthworms and other decomposers ample time to work. It also prevents you from burning your plants by belatedly adding fertilizer once they’re already in the ground next spring. (Check out my post on composting)
Inspect and store tools
Once you no longer need your hoes and rakes, you’ll eventually need to put them away for the winter. Make sure you take a few minutes and inspect them before you do! This will insure you have plenty of time to either repair or replace broken tools. (If you need to replace, see my next point.)
When you do put tools away in your shed, garage, or basement for the final time in the fall, make sure they won’t be subject to lots of moisture. Leaving tools on the ground where puddles form, for example, can lead to rust. You also would ideally put them in a place you won’t trip over them, whether it’s hooked onto the wall or tucked into the back.
Look for sales
Most retail stores have moved the summer things in to a tiny cramped area in the back of the store with a huge discount on the price to make room for the holiday decorations. (I’ve seen Christmas decorations since September!) I love rummaging through what’s left right now. I have scored some great gardening gadgets for little to nothing in the “gardening off-season.” I don’t always find what I’m looking for, but I figure it’s always good to check out what been left behind.
Last year, I was given some plants that looked a little worn – I can always afford free! Even if you don’t see big signs marked ‘clearance,’ it never hurts to ask if there’s anything out back about to be junked.
Mulch and cover tender perennials
One thing that always looks odd to me are plants and trees wrapped in burlap and blankets. You might have also seen little teepees of plywood or straw bales standing guard over small trees. My pride (or maybe lack of knowledge) has been the demise of many young fruit trees. Young trees, those with thin bark, or evergreen trees and shrubs are prone to winter problems like ice and salt damage, sunscald, and winter burn. It’s important to give them extra protection with burlap wraps, blankets, extra mulch, and haybales. This can save you money and the heartache of seeing your peach trees, camellias, gardenia bush, plum tree, pear tree (it seems I’m a slow learner) turn black, then shrivel up and die. (I’m not the only one who kills my plants -See Dead Sea Backstory)
You also will want to mulch around young trees and other perennials like berry patches. You can do this with straw, purchased mulch, or just shredded fall leaves and pine needles. This will nurture the soil, help retain moisture, and give plants an added layer of protection against cold temperatures.
Fall may not be the most exciting time in the garden, but each season is important and has its own kind of beauty. Fall gives the soil, and your soul, a chance to renew, restore, and rebuild and that is vital to growth and growing in the next season.
Happy (future) Planting!
DeeAnn
The Victory Garden Gal