Planting bulbs prior to cutting back annuals and perennials allows you to place them in spots where they will be the most visible — rather than guessing.
By Sean Conway
Tribune Media Services
I used to think spring was the busiest time of year in the garden, but after reviewing my list of fall chores I am not so sure any more.
I prefer a well-kept garden, opting to keep up with work as it needs doing rather than letting it pile up for one big assault. Experienced gardeners know that gardening is all about timing. I try to think about what my garden will look like one or two months into the future: what the weather will be like, how I want the garden to look and what will be growing, blooming or dying back at that time.
This strategy helps me keep up with gardening chores and keeps my rather large garden from becoming overwhelming.
Now that the growing season has pretty much come to a close, I am thinking ahead to winter and to next spring. Completing work now with the future of the garden in mind will make less work for me when those seasons arrive.
Here is a sampling of chores that may help you plan in your own garden.
–Cut yellowing perennials back to the crown so they have time to establish basal growth prior to winter. This practice is beneficial to many garden perennials, and makes spring clean up much easier.
–Take soil samples from your vegetable garden and send off to your local county agricultural agent for testing. Prepping your soil now for deficiencies will pay dividends in next season’s bounty.
–Place netting over ponds and water features to keep out blowing leaves. This will not only save you time during future cleaning, it will also keep pumps and filters working as they should.
–Order spring bulbs while there is still time to plant them, and plant them as soon as they arrive. Planting bulbs prior to cutting back annuals and perennials allows you to place them in spots where they will be the most visible — rather than guessing. If you have already cut things back before your bulbs arrive, place markers in the ground where you have space for bulbs to grow.
–Check gutters to make sure they are clean. It is surprising how much gunk builds up in gutters and how quickly. Cleaning them now while the weather is mild is much better than cleaning them later when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
–Divide and transplant perennials that have grown too big or too crowded. Cut back the plants before dividing to make the task easier. Let your friends know your plans ahead of time and you will have a waiting list of willing takers for extra plants you don’t have room for. Good gardening friends will happily reciprocate with extras of their own!
–Top dress garden beds with finished compost. Conditioning soil in the fall is easier once beds are cut back and clear. Adding compost in the fall allows time for the compost to work into the soil prior to planting next spring.
— Begin new compost piles with fall cleanup refuse.
–Collect and save seed from favorite plants and vegetables. I save the seeds from my heirloom tomatoes every fall by collecting them from tomatoes that ripen faster than I can eat them; inevitably, my heirlooms ripen all at once!
–Sew seeds for biennials such as foxgloves. Once they are large enough, transplant them directly into the garden. Planting many biennials in the fall will yield better results than planting in spring.
(Sean Conway’s book “Sean Conway’s Cultivating Life” (Artisan Books, 2009) describes 125 projects for backyard living. www.cultivatinglife.com.)
(c) 2012, SEAN CONWAY. DISTRIBUTED BY Tribune Media Services
This was printed in the October 21, 2012 – November 3, 2012 Edition
