As the growing season ends and gardens transition into a well-deserved period of rest, a few important fall tasks can help extend the season while laying the groundwork for a healthy, vibrant landscape next spring.
Add fall bloomers
Fall-blooming annuals and perennials help extend the beauty of the garden and provide an important food source for pollinators that remain active into autumn. This also helps refresh summer containers.
Incorporate warm colors and textures by combining seasonal blooms and foliage with existing healthy plants. Structural focal plants, such as ornamental grasses and tropicals, often continue to perform well through fall. Cold-tolerant annuals such as pansies, ornamental kale, ornamental cabbage and Swiss chard make excellent additions to fall containers.
To keep containers looking their best later into the season, protect them on nights when temperatures are expected to dip below freezing. Cover containers with light blankets or place larger containers over them for insulation. Many annuals sold at garden centers in the fall can tolerate temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit without suffering much damage.
Cut back plants, or not
Remove and dispose of any diseased or insect-infested plants before winter. These materials should not be added to the compost pile to protect your future garden.
Rather than cutting every plant to the ground, consider leaving some stems, seed heads and ornamental grasses standing through winter. These plants add texture, movement and visual interest to the landscape, particularly when covered with frost or snow. Many beneficial insects also rely on dried stems and leaf litter for shelter during winter, making a less tidy winter garden a wildlife-friendly one.
Overwintering plants indoors
To save your favorite plants, move them indoors before a damaging frost, usually in October. Overwintering tender perennials, tropical plants and some herbs can reduce replacement costs and provide a head start on next year’s garden.
Select only healthy plants for overwintering and inspect them for signs of insects or disease. Rinse foliage thoroughly with water to remove hidden pests. Dig up plants carefully, preserving as much of the root system as possible to minimize transplant shock. Repot them in fresh potting mix and trim the foliage back by about one-third to encourage root repair.
Once indoors, care for overwintered plants as you would houseplants. Place them in a bright location, water when the soil becomes dry, and provide additional humidity, if needed.
Plant spring bulbs
Late September through October is the ideal time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. This allows the roots to establish while providing the cold period necessary for reliable spring blooms. Plant the bulbs in large drifts or clusters rather than individually.
Interplant them among perennials and shrubs to help conceal fading bulb foliage after flowering. Bulbs should be planted at a depth equal to two to three times their height, measured from the base to the tip of the bulb. Space the bulbs 6 to 12 inches apart to allow room for multiplication.
If the fall is dry, water newly planted bulbs weekly until the ground freezes. After planting, apply a light 2-inch layer of mulch to help moderate soil temperature fluctuations, conserve moisture and protect developing roots throughout the winter.
