Basic Fall Garden Cleanup Tasks

Green Leaves Turning Brown

I’m pulling out weeds and plants that have gone way past their prime, leaving those that birds and bugs still use for habitat and food. The sunflowers and coneflowers will stand all winter, for example.

There will still be plenty of material for the compost pile. It will be getting bucket loads of new additions, some green but mostly brown, to work on all winter.

I’ll be adding compost that’s ready now, to amend soil for the future. It will have all winter to work, getting the ground ready for spring planting, and make that more efficient. If I need bone meal or other additions will give me a reason to visit the garden center.

Replanting or Moving

This year I dug my alliums after they were finished and the foliage had died back. They will benefit from me replanting them in a new spot where I’ve freshened up the soil with a good dose of worm compost.

My notes about this past year’s plants and what I might be growing next year will tell me exactly what amendment to put where. For example, bone meal for bulbs. Extra compost for the vegetable plots.

I’m dividing and moving some cone flowers, too. They just didn’t do well in the spot where they grew this year. There’s a new sunny spot in a raised bed that’s ready to accept them. They will be well watered before the weather turns cold and soggy, to help them over the winter. 

My garden ornaments – including a small ceramic birdbath and glass garden orb – will come into the shed to keep them out of winter weather. I didn’t think I would, but I really enjoy having these extra eye-catching pieces and want to keep them in good condition for years to come.

Similarly, my tools get a cleaning and will be stored in dry places to keep them in good shape, ready for use as soon as it’s time to work outdoors in the spring.

My garden art sun face needs to have some of its glass pieces glued back on. When it was originally made, there was no clear Gorilla Glue, which seems like the perfect product for this task. This kind of maintenance can wait until the end, or even come indoors and be done when it’s snowing outdoors.

I have space in the garage for my tools, my garden wagon, hoses and other things related to the garden. Open shelves make it easy to see what I have, and what I might need.

And it seems I always end up with extra seeds. I have a place for them, too. I keep certain garden items in the basement, such as new peat pots and the parts to my seed-starting kit. That will come out in January to get ready for next year.

There’s always a next season related to having a garden!

This is my first year growing alocasia, a giant elephant ear plant, and I cannot bear the thought of losing it to the winter cold. It will have company of some caladiums, too, smaller and more colorful versions of the same general type. I have to set up space and lighting for those. The plan is made, just in time to do it.

I’ve been doing some research, and it looks like some daylight color temperature (around 5000K) LED bulbs will suit my purposes.

My cannas, four o-clocks and dahlias will be dug after the first frost kills the foliage, and spend the winter sleeping in a bed of peat in a cool, dark corner of the basement.

Until recently, I hadn’t had a garden in many years. I’m relearning some things, and adding to my knowledge with a basic plan this year, to make next year more efficient.

Dividing my basic fall garden clean up tasks into groups is helping me finish off the season well prepared for next. Everything I need to do (so far) fits into one of three buckets: clearing, storage or overwintering.

There’s always something new to learn and do in a garden. It’s never boring, one of the things I like best about gardening.