Autumn Do's and Don'ts

If you are a calendar watcher, autumn officially arrived on Sept.22 at 11:09PM EDT. But if you are a gardener, you probably could never really point to a moment and say, “This, this is the moment. All summer is past. Autumn is here.” But still the urge to do something autumnal in your garden has or will soon arrive.

It may be that your only hope or urge is the longing for a killing frost so you can quit feeling guilty for not weeding and providing all the life support you dreamed of gladly contributing when spring was calling your attention into the garden. All you want now is to put down your tools and go inside. On the other hand you may be an exceptionally disciplined gardener who dutifully rises to the tasks of each and every season. If that’s the case, you probably know what to do.

But just in case, there are a few articles that can help in your pursuit of perfection. Just go to the Internet and search any of these following titles:" Monthly Maintenance Checklist for Your Garden: Autumn," "Five Ways to Use Autumn Leaves in the Garden," "How to Prepare Your Garden for Autumn," "Enjoying Autumn in Your Wildlife Garden." Articles guiding you and your garden through autumn are bountiful.

I however want to point out a few things that frequently go unstated and unknown or perhaps they are just so obvious they get overlooked:

• Don’t prune your evergreens too early. It will encourage new growth that won’t have time to harden off before winter.
• Winter is a time for root growth.
• Soil needs to be close to roots and plentiful enough to feed the new growth.
• Now is a good time to plant and/or transplant in your garden. Come next spring, they will be far more established than if planted at any other time.
• If you can afford the time and the water, your plants should go into winter well watered.
• Don’t over clean/weed your garden. All that chaotic wildness is also habitat for many beneficial insects that would be good to have around - come spring.
• Don’t throw away or burn the dead leaves and brush. It’s simply mulch in disguise capable of making wonderful warmth for winter and food for spring….and it’s free.

Enjoy.  KB