Fall Gardening Tasks

Fall Gardening Tasks by Queens Botanical Blogger

October 27, 2009, 2:38 pm
Filed under: gardening, Tree care, Uncategorized | Tags: botanical garden, childrens gardening, flowers, public gardens, trees, vegetables

As the weather cools, gardeners often breathe a sigh of relief and welcome autumn as a chance to relax from a summer filled with weeding and watering!

But before curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and thinking about next year’s garden, take some time to prepare your plants for winter and ensure a lovely spring. 

In the flower beds:

• Deadhead annuals and perennials – better yet, leave up a few seedheads to provide food for hungry birds preparing for winter.  As for roses, stop deadheading 45 days before frost (in NYC, that date is November 10 according to Cornell University http://www.hort.cornell.edu/gardening/weather/images/fallfrostlg.jpg)
• Dig up dahlia, canna, and tropical tubers before a hard frost.  Store them for the winter in a dark, dry, cool location like the garage or basement.  Similarly, move tropical plants indoor for the winter.
• Plant spring blooming bulbs like tulips and daffodils.
• If needed, move peonies now so they have time to reestablish before cold weather sets in.

For trees and shrubs

• Rather than raking up fallen leaves and leaving them at the curb for garbage pick-up, shred them and place around trees and shrubs.  The leaves help insulate the roots from cold winter weather, and add nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
• Transplant trees and shrubs while it’s still warm and before frost.  Be certain to help the plants become established with a long, deep watering but avoid adding fertilizer which can send them into a growth spurt just when cold weather is arriving.  Instead of fertilizer, place those shredded leaves around the plant’s base.
• Pruning chores are easier in fall as the leaves drop.  But be certain to only prune away dead or diseased wood – if you prune healthy wood, it will spur new growth that will become damaged by winter cold. (We’ll have winter pruning tips in a couple months.)

In the vegetable garden:

• Keep on harvesting those last vegetables like the cool season leafy greens.  If your garden is still dripping with tomatoes, check out our terrific bruschetta recipe, and save those herbs like basil and thyme by drying them.
• For empty garden beds, plant a cover crop to add nutrients to the soil.  Find out more at http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/ecogardening/impsoilcov.html
• Plant garlic and onions for harvesting next season.
• Spread a layer of mulch, like those shredded leaves, over the soil so it will be nutrient-rich come spring.

Check back soon for QBG’s fall chores focused on turf grass!

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