Fall might feel like the season when gardening winds down, but some of the most important work you’ll do all year happens right now. What you do in your garden over the next few weeks sets the stage for how your plants survive the winter and how strong they come back in spring. Here are the five things to put on your fall to-do list, plus a bonus tip that a lot of gardeners get wrong.
1. Mulch Like You Mean It
If you only do one thing this fall, do this. Lay a fresh layer of mulch. Laying mulch around your beds regulates soil temperature so roots aren’t hit by the wild temperature swings we get in late fall and early spring, locks in moisture before the ground freezes, and protects roots through the cold months, helping anything you’ve planted recently get established. It’s also an easy curb-appeal win if you want your home to look sharp for the holidays. We carry both bulk mulch for larger beds and bagged mulch for topping off a few spots. For more information about mulching, check out our blog: Benefits of Mulching Your Garden.
One important note: don’t pile mulch against the base of your plants or tree trunks. That’s called “mulch volcanoing,” and it traps moisture against the stem, which can lead to rot and invite pests to move in. A good rule of thumb is to keep a couple of inches of breathing room around the base of the plant and spread it two to three inches deep throughout the rest of your landscape.
2. This Is Your Last Call to Fertilize
Fall is your last window to fertilize, but you want to be smart about what you’re using. This isn’t the time for a fertilizer that pushes a bunch of new leafy growth, since tender new growth won’t have time to harden off before frost hits and has a higher risk of damage. Instead, look for something that supports root development and helps your plants stabilize as winter approaches, like a root stimulator rather than a standard nitrogen-heavy feed.
Think of it this way: spring and summer fertilizing is about growing up top. Fall fertilizing is about building strength underground. Strong roots now mean a plant that bounces back faster and stronger next spring.
3. Do a Full Plant Checkup
Walk your garden and actually look at your plants. Fall is the perfect time to assess for disease and pests before you put the garden to bed for the season. Check leaves for spots, discoloration, disease, or powdery mildew. Flip leaves over and check the undersides for insects or eggs. Look at stems for anything that looks off.
If you catch something, deal with it now. Remove and dispose of diseased leaves and debris rather than composting them, so problems don’t overwinter in your soil and come right back next season. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, our blog ‘What’s Bugging Your Garden’ identifies 10 garden bugs and how you can treat them. If you’re still stumped, bring a photo, and our expert staff can help you develop a treatment plan.
4. Plant Now for a Better Spring
This one surprises people: if you’re planning changes to your garden, plant earlier this fall rather than later. The soil is still warm from summer, air temperatures are cooler, and there’s typically more consistent rain, which is ideal for root growth. The earlier you get something in the ground this fall, the longer it has to establish a root system before winter really sets in, and the stronger it’ll come out of dormancy in spring.
So don’t wait until next spring to start planning your spring garden. Whatever you’re dreaming up right now, whether that’s a new shrub bed, some spring bulbs, or filling in gaps, this is the season to get it in the ground.
5. Plan Around Your Wildlife
As natural food sources become scarcer, deer start browsing the garden much more heavily in fall and winter. If you’ve had deer damage before, now’s the time to add some deer-resistant plants into the mix, or protect the plants you already have.
But it’s not all about keeping wildlife out; it’s also about feeding the ones you want around. Birds have a much harder time finding food once the weather turns, so planting something like holly is a great move. Varieties like Nellie Stevens Holly, and native Winter Red Winterberry Holly hold their berries right through winter, giving birds a reliable food source when almost nothing else is available. It’s a small change that makes a real difference for the wildlife in your yard.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Stop Watering
Here’s one thing people forget the most: your plants still need water in the fall. It sounds counterintuitive, but a plant that goes into winter well-hydrated handles the cold a lot better than one that’s dry. It’s better for your plants to freeze while hydrated than while dry, since dry roots entering a hard freeze are much more vulnerable to winter damage.
Keep watering, especially before a hard freeze is expected, and especially anything you’ve planted this fall. Want to go deeper into watering technique? We have a full YouTube video about ‘The Secret to Watering New Plants Successfully.’
Putting It All Together
Mulch, feed your plants’ roots, check for problems, plant now, and think about the wildlife that’s about to move in. Handle these five things over the next few weeks, and your garden will bounce back stronger than ever come spring. Stop by our nursery or shop online for everything you need to check off your fall list.
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