Fall Garden To-Do List

Autumn may be the time for warm sweaters and pumpkin picking, but don’t let the cooling temperatures and shorter days keep you from tending to your garden. Here are a few important tasks (and fun projects) to put on your fall garden to-do list in September, October and November.

September

1. Plant new trees or shrubs

Did you know fall is the perfect time to plant new trees? Despite the impending winter temperatures, autumn planting gives trees enough time to establish roots before the ground freezes. Aim to plant in September so your young trees have enough time to settle in before it gets too chilly.

See more: 11 Trees to Plant in Your Yard for Beautiful Fall Colors Year After Year

2. Keep weeding

You’ve been tending to those pesky, determined weeds all summer. But now is not the time to stop. You can still battle weeds into late autumn, so be sure to stay on top of this garden task throughout the month of September.

3. Plant a salad garden

Many salad greens, such as lettuce, arugula and kale, love crisp, cool autumn temperatures. In fact, cooler weather can make salad greens taste sweeter than those grown in the summer. If you want to enjoy fresh-cut salads this fall, go ahead and plant a few of those cool-loving varieties.

See more: 8 Gardening Projects You Can Do This Fall

4. Take plant cuttings

Propagating plants is a simple enough task that will save you an arm and a leg on future plants. When the temperatures begin to drop, you can start taking cuttings from a variety of tender perennials, such as geraniums. You could also take hardwood cuttings or harvest seed pods from azaleas or rhododendrons after the first frost.

5. Plant fall-flowering annuals

You can find wonderful discounts on fall-flowering annuals this time of year. Check your local nurseries and garden centers to see what deals you can find on plants that will give your autumn garden a beautiful burst of color.

See more: 12 Flowers to Beautify Your Landscape This Fall

October

1. Tuck in spring bulbs

You know what they say: Those spring bulbs won’t plant themselves! Okay, maybe they don’t say that, but it’s true. The exact planting time will vary based on your specific zone. But as a general rule of thumb, now is the time to tuck in those bulbs you want to enjoy when spring rolls around.

See more: 8 Bulbs to Plant This Fall for Spring Blooms Next Year

2. Tidy up fallen leaves

Everyone loves a vibrant display of autumn leaves, but they won’t do a lot of good if they’re scattered about your lawn. Break out the rake and get to piling up those leaves. You can see if your area has a leaf recycling program or use them to mulch your beds for winter.

3. Clear out the garden beds

Even if you anticipate planting crops in your garden beds over the winter season, you need to remove the ones that grew into autumn. Grab a wheelbarrow or garbage bag, some garden shears and gloves and get to cleaning up what’s spent before planting things like garlic or cover crops.

4. Dig up and store tender bulbs

With cold temperatures just around the bend, you need to make a plan for tender bulbs, such as amaryllis, canna, gladiolus, dahlia, begonia, caladium and colocasia. Look up specific instructions on how to dig up, clean (if necessary) and store your particular bulbs. Some require rinsing and curing while others simply require brushing off the soil and tucking them in a dark, cool place until spring.

5. Mulch your beds

Mulching your beds in the cold months may seem counterintuitive, but it’s well worth the effort. Winter mulch will help stamp out unwanted weeds, protect your soil from erosion and give your beds a much-needed nutrition boost after the fall harvest. Apply 3 inches of organic matter after the first frost for best results.

November

1. Remove and clean stakes, labels, and other garden accessories

This is admittedly one of the most arduous tasks a gardener faces, but it’s important if you plan on reusing your stakes, labels and other garden accessories in the upcoming year. Take advantage of the cold weather to bring in your tools and give them a good cleaning before storing them for winter.

See more: Seed Saving 101: Harvest This Fall to Plant Next Spring

2. Plant cover crops

Mustard, winter rye, oats and clover are a few of the most popular choices for fall-planted winter cover crops. If you’ve never grown a cover crop, experiment by adding this task to your fall garden to-do list this year. Cover crops help enrich your soil with organic matter, prevent compacting, control soil erosion and prevent weeds.

3. Prune trees and shrubs

If you have trees and shrubs on your property, now is the time to prune. Just make sure the temperatures are low enough that the plants have all gone dormant. If you prune too soon, the trees and shrubs could begin to sprout and produce new growth that will immediately die in the first cold snap.

4. Assess and plan for spring

Before you start sketching out plans for next year’s garden, it’s a good idea to sit down and assess how this year worked out. What succeeded and what failed? Which crops surprised you and which ones underwhelmed you? Did you find a good method for tackling weeds, or do you need to research new techniques? Once you decide what you want in next year’s garden, you can get a head start on spring seed purchases.