Fall Garden Wrap-up

This article was originally published on September 24, 2009 and expired on November 5, 2009. It is provided here for archival purposes and may contain dated information.

Wrapping up the garden for the season is not the one-day project many people assume, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"This process is usually done over the course of several weeks, since houseplants summering outdoors may need to come inside in September and some outdoor gardening activities may extend into mid- or late October," said Sharon Yiesla.

Home gardeners might find it helpful to follow a "to-do" list for fall prepared by Yiesla.

"First, bring in houseplants that have summered outdoors," she said. "They should come in when night temperatures consistently fall into the lower fifties--and this could be as early as September."

When moving the plants inside, she cautioned, try to avoid abrupt changes in light and temperature. Also check for insects. Cleaning the pot or repotting the plant may be enough to control pests. Some plants that have outgrown their pot may need to be repotted. Pruning may be in order for plants that have grown vigorously while outside.

"Next, clean up vegetable gardens and annual flower beds," she said. "First, harvest all usable vegetables and annual flowers. Any leftover debris can be tilled into the soil or placed into compost piles. Be sure to clean up weeds as they can harbor diseases and insects.

"Add compost and other organic material to enrich the soil and mulch beds to prevent erosion during the winter."

Third, perennial flower beds need to be cleaned up. Remove weeds to eliminate overwintering sites for insects and diseases. After a couple of frosts, mulch the perennial bed with two to three inches of mulch. The tops of the plants can be cut back now or in the early spring, depending on when you have the time. New perennials can be planted in September, and established perennials can be divided.

"The fourth 'to-do' task is tree and shrub maintenance," she noted. "Prune deciduous trees after they go dormant or in the early spring. Prune late-summer and fall-flowering shrubs after they go dormant. DO NOT prune spring-flowering shrubs in the fall as you will remove the flower buds.

"Trees and shrubs can be fertilized after they go dormant. Continue regular watering as long as the ground is not frozen. This is especially important for evergreens."

Finally, there are a number of miscellaneous activities in the garden that are appropriate in the fall season.

"These include planting spring-flowering bulbs from mid-September through mid-October, cleaning garden tools so they will be ready next spring, seeing to the proper storage of seeds, fertilizer, and garden chemicals, and draining and storing water hoses," she said.

Source: Sharon Yiesla, Unit Educator, Horticulture, yiesla@illinois.edu