Avoid fall gardening mistakes
Many of us may think of fall as the winding down phase in the garden, so we may let our landscapes put themselves to bed for the winter. There are many opportunities now to prepare our gardens for the winter and improve their health and beauty next spring and summer. If we miss them, these common mistakes may cost us time and money in the future.
Keep weeding. Weeds continue to grow and cast seeds in cool weather. Seedlings left to overwinter in the garden will get a jump-start over perennials in spring.
Don't put the shovel away. Trees and shrubs can still be planted. The soil remains warm much longer than air temperatures and roots grow until the ground freezes. Fall-planted woody plants get off to a better start than those planted in spring. Be sure to mulch the root zone of trees and shrubs planted in November to keep the soil warm and moist as long as possible.
Don't put the hose away. If rainfall is insufficient, water. Besides keeping newly-planted trees and shrubs well watered, most plants appreciate a thorough watering before the ground freezes. Evergreens continue to transpire during the winter and are especially in need of a bedtime drink.
Clean up the vegetable garden. It is very important to harvest all vegetables and remove all foliage from the vegetable garden. Pests and diseases overwinter in garden debris.
Don't put your leaves on the curb. While there may be instances to rake leaves from garden beds - under Norway maples or oak trees, for instance - the rest can be left to decompose directly in the garden. Consider it mulch delivered by Mother Nature for free. Even those leaves removed from beds can be shredded with a lawn mower and returned to the garden.
Or make leaf mold. Shred and bag leaves while mowing the lawn and pile them in an unused spot. Throw a shovel full of garden soil in the pile and sprinkle it with water. It won't take long for leaves to decompose into an outstanding crumbly soil amendment.
Plant spring bulbs. If I had a dollar for every person who said they wished they had planted bulbs when tulips and daffodils begin blooming in spring, I would be a wealthy woman. Even if you can only be motivated to plant 10 or 20 bulbs now, you will thank yourself come spring.
Clean up perennial borders. There are two points of view when it comes to garden cleanup of perennials. Some gardeners leave the remains of plants standing to provide food for birds and other wildlife, to offer winter interest to the landscape, and to insulate plant roots. Others prefer a clean slate and argue leaving decaying foliage in the garden welcomes pests and diseases to overwinter.
Some perennials should be cut back regardless of the cleanup camp to which you belong. Plants with diseased foliage have to go. Foliage from bee balm and phlox ravaged by powdery mildew or peonies and black-eyed Susan affected by leaf spot diseases should be removed from the garden to reduce the chance of reinfection next year. Do not compost any suspicious foliage.
Most ornamental grasses are statuesque in the winter landscape, but a few flop with the first snow. Prune these now before they get messy.
Even if you are a member of the Clean Slate Cleanup Club, some perennials should not be cut back. Hellebores, coral bells, chrysanthemums and dianthus are examples.
Put your pruners away. Unless you are pruning out dead or damaged branches, delay pruning until late winter or early spring. Pruning stimulates growth when the plant should be going dormant for the winter.
• Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040, ext. 2, or visit planterspalette.com.