10 Fall Garden Clean Up Tips

In the spring and fall seasons we have more work to manage around our home. Preparing for colder weather means that a few tasks are set for us to take care of now before it gets colder. Here are 10 fall garden clean up tips. The tasks are simple and will not take up much of your time but will make a big difference in your space.

1. Rake Up Leaves

As of yet the leaves have not fallen on the ground. Once they do, it is a good idea to rake up leaves and clean up the front of your property. Although leaves are good for the grass, they leave a huge mess on the driveway, on neighbours’ property and on our own space. Just like we clean the clutter inside our home, it is good to do the same on the outside. 

 

2. Use some of the fall leaves for composting

In organic garden compost with leaves I share the benefits of using leaves for composting. 

Depending on the size of your backyard and how much you can collect, gather some leaves and use them in the compost bin to break down. The leaves are nutrient rich for the soil and the vegetable garden for the next year. Check out the benefits of creating an organic garden compost with leaves.

3. Prune Your Trees

Pruning your trees is good because you are maintaining the health of your plant. If you have trees that need to have parts removed because they are dead, diseased or in the way, trim them off. By doing so you are preventing the plant from growing out of control and you are helping it to flower better the next year.

We have a tree in our backyard that is obstructing the pergola as well as encroaching on our neighbour’s property. This weekend I will spend some time cleaning it up. You want to make sure that the trees are out of harms way to protect people as well as your property. Pruning the tress on your property will help keep the trees protected. They are dormant in the winter and fall. Spring is another time to prune them.

4. Cut back perennial plants

When you cut back perennial plants you are helping future growth to be better the next year. It will be obvious when this should be done because the plant stems will turn brown and fold over to lay flat on the ground. Go ahead and cut these stems back close to the ground. They will grow anew in the spring and you will not have the old stems to deal with.

Examples of some plants are herbs such as mint, chives, oregano, rosemary, peony etc.

5. Harvest all the remaining vegetables

We are reaching the last of our herbs and vegetables to gather from the garden. Now is a good time to pick them off and clean up your garden. Remove the sticks in the ground that were there to hold your tomato plants. Clean up the garden beds that grew vegetables by pulling out remaining plants after you have harvested the vegetables.

6. Bring in your plants that can survive the winters indoors

There are some plants you can bring inside your home that may continue to grow throughout the winter months. It is a wise idea to bring them inside now, right before we get into the frost. Set a place for them to stay for a few months. I have one plant in particular that is growing so beautifully I am not sure how to manage it.

Nevertheless it has not reached the top of my ceiling so it can hang out inside for as long as I can hold it here. 

7. Leave the planters out in the winter that will survive throughout the year 

There are planters that can stay outside throughout the winter which will be okay. The strawberry planters and the herbs with lemon balm, oregano and rosemary will all remain outside. When spring arrives, they will come back to life.

Although you do not need to cover the planters for the herbs, the ones growing any vegetables or fruits, like strawberries, may require a cover for protection. By March of next year, as soon as the weather gets a litter warmer, remove the covers from them and let them breathe again. 

8. Plant vegetables in the fall

Although gardening is the most successful in the summer, some vegetables thrive in the fall and winter. For example, plant garlic cloves that have sprouted roots in the fall so that it can establish its roots, remain dormant over the winter and then by spring it starts to sprout. Other examples of vegetables to plant in the fall are onions, shallots, and spring onions.

9. Cover up and Protect Patio furniture

If your patio furniture is not under a structure, in the winter there is a greater chance of it getting damaged. It is best to either put the furniture away in a more protected part of your backyard or put a large cover on it. Even something as simple as a tarp is good enough to keep it protected. We have a glass table and bring the glass inside in the winter to protect it from the elements. The rest of the furniture staying outside is okay. 

Put away garden tools-and water hose

To protects your pipes from bursting put away the garden hose. The water needs to be turned off to the outside tap as well so that it does not freeze. At the same time, anything that is garden related is ready to go in the shed.

An example are the sticks for gardening vegetables, a garden shovel, weed puller, garden scoop and anything else remaining outside that no longer needs to be there.

Clean up the clutter before the first snowfall.

After that snowfall, going outside to clean up your space will feel like an unwanted chilly chore. 

October 13, 2022