Garden preparations begin now before the snow flies
Spring-flowering bulbs generally do not perform well in heavy wet soils. Summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum) has some tolerance for more moist conditions so try this one if you have an area in your garden that tends to be moist.
• Continue to harvest vegetables as they ripen. Warm-season crops like peppers and tomatoes should be picked as soon as possible. Full-sized pumpkins need to remain on the vine as long as possible to achieve their maximum size. Continue to snip herbs to use fresh, to dry or to freeze. Try making some extra pesto with your basil and freezing it an ice cube tray. Pop out the cubes and store them in a plastic bag for use this winter. Collards, kale and brussels sprouts will have improved taste if they are allowed to experience frost before harvesting. Maintain good sanitation throughout the vegetable garden. Remove diseased plants immediately as well as those that have finished their growth cycle for the year. It is best to compost only healthy plant material.
• Divide perennials that bloomed in spring and summer as needed. It is best to complete this work soon so that plants will have time to establish before winter sets in. Mulch the newly planted divisions.
• If you did not perform core aeration in spring, it may be done in the fall. Core aeration will help reduce soil compaction and thatch. Core aerating once a year is enough for most residential lawns with normal use. Very high use lawns can benefit from being aerated twice a year. It also provides an opportunity for over-seeding to help improve and thicken up your lawn. Keep the seed moist for good germination. Core aerating is best done when the ground is somewhat moist. Leave the soil/grass plugs on the lawn to break up and filter back down to the soil level. The plugs typically break down in seven to 14 days. Mark sprinkler heads and light fixtures in the lawn so they will not be damaged.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.