For some unknown reason I get a kick out of running the leaf blower. During dry weeks it works great for piling leaves. And performs better than the rake on rocky hillsides. When the apple leaves fall, they’re a snap to blow directly into the flower beds (they mulch down so quickly I put them straight to where they can do some good.)
Even though our average first frost is November 5, we could get cold snap any time. Begonias & Dahlias will collapse & turn black in response. Some folks dig them out & bring them inside for the winter. I’m happy that our garden is well-drained, so there’s less chance of them rotting in the ground… And I mulch heavily in the winter to protect them from freezing… so they’re fairly safe.
(Also, I’m lazy that way.)
Irrigation
photo by SVSeekins
It’s a balance between keeping the watering hose out as long as it’s needed & getting it inside before the freeze. (The fall rains haven’t been enough to soak in more than an inch at most, so it’s still very dry). Realistically the hoses will survive a frost, so as soon as the Dahlias drop dead & turn black, I know it’s time to quit watering & bring the hose inside….
Any of the spring blooming perennials that have grown out of their space are ripe for dividing once the ground is moist enough to dig comfortably
eg. iris… red hot pokers… peony… hosta
This is also an optimum time to take a look for plants that aren’t performing as well as they should. I like to get multiples when adding a new species into the garden. That way I can plant it in 2-3 places to find out where it’s happiest. Every autumn I ‘move around the furniture’. 🙂
Planting trees or shrubs now, while the soil is still warm, gives their roots time to establish before the dormant season. They’ll need regular watering until the weather gets really wet, but they’ll be that much further ahead than if I wait until the spring to plant / move.
Seed Saving
photo by SVSeekins
After the flowers finish up, the plant sets seed. Before the pods open I like to pick & distribute them into areas where more are welcome next year
eg. snapdragon… goldenrod… lychnis…
And now it’s time to think about leaving some of the blooms on the plants, to produce bird feed for the winter
ie: dusty miller… yarrow… rudbeckia…
Pruning
photo by SVSeekins
As the roses finish up, prune them back by 1/3 for the winter. Hold off until the forsythia blooms in March to prune them fully.
Now’s also a good time to tidy up the summer flowering shrubs
eg. weigela… escallonia…
Wisteria can be cut back to side branches with 2-3 leaves for better spring-flowering
If growing in a spot that gets strong winter winds, reduce the height of the Butterfly Bush & Lavatera, but otherwise save the pruning until spring.
Tools
photo by SVSeekins
Keep those pruners & clippers sharp
It’s best to clean pruners between bushes. Spray with a 10% bleach + water mixture. This helps to prevent the spread of diseases through the garden.
Lawns
The lawn is green again, but the falling leaves are brown. The clippings are a great combo for the compost bin.
Mowing the lawn just a little shorter than usual certainly makes raking all the leaves & acorns easier.
Veg / Berry Patch (& Orchard)
photo by SVSeekins
It’s clean up time in the veggie patch. Compost any of the annuals that have finished, but garbage any foliage that has mildew or disease on it (it’s best to keep it out of the garden cycle)
Some tender plants will survive longer if they’re protected under row covers
Plant garlic now for a crop to harvest next July
It’s harvest time for late tomatoes… and apples… and pumpkin!,… squash… salad greens… beets…. carrots… cabbage… kale… chard… leeks…
Dig the potatoes as the foliage dies back. Leave them to dry indoors if it’s wet outside.
The herbs are finishing, too! Cut 6 inch young stems, bind into bunches, then store them in a paper bag in a warm dry place for a couple of weeks to dry
Remove the last of the leaves around the tomato fruit so it gets more sun for ripening. If it’s looking like we’ll be hit with a frost, cut down the tomato skeleton with the green tomatoes still on it & bring it inside. Hang it in a cool, dry room & check regularly as the fruit continues to mature 🙂
Save some seed from the best plants for next year’s stock
Bay trees & young rosemary are too tender to survive outside, so if you want to keep them, find some space inside for them
Large Rhubarb can be divided now to rejuvenate & increase production
Cut back the asparagus to about an inch & mulch well over it. (Like rhubarb, it’s a heavy feeder)
The tall stalks of the sun-chokes can be cut back now. The tubers survive well in the ground, so they can be harvested as you need them
The vines grew like crazy all summer benefit from being fastened to the trellis before the wicked winds & wild storms hit.
Greenhouse
photo by SVSeekins
Tidy up the greenhouse & any of the plants intended to overwinter there. Any powdery mildew or other disease will spread while my attention is elsewhere & put everything at risk
Even an unheated greenhouse does the trick for overwintering tender plants like some of the sedums that I couldn’t resist
I remove any annuals from the hanging baskets, but choose to keep the fuchsia. I find they overwinter in the greenhouse just fine & are happy next year with fresh potting mix.
Clean any freshly emptied pots in bleachy wash water. No sense storing possible virus over winter + so nice in spring to start planting without having to clean up first.
Ponds & Water Gardens
photo by SVSeekins
Clear out any of the annual floating plants before they end up rotting & sinking to the bottom
Move water lilies into deeper water where they’re less likely to freeze
Stretch a fine net over the pond to keep the leaves out of the water. They’ll mush up & cause all sorts of mess in pumps.
Wild mushrooms grow like crazy at this time of year & Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary can always be counted on for interacting with local experts.
The Compost Education Centre has lots of information on soil science, growing food & (of course) composting. It’s so nice to soak up a free workshop (or two).
One day I wake up & the sky is blue but there’s a chill in the air. It’s time for long pants… maybe even socks!
It’s coming
Although it’s not officially fall until September 22, the leaves start falling earlier. We’ve got a big stucco wire cage in the side yard just waiting for the raking to begin…
Bring houseplants back inside after checking closely for any unwanted pests.
Our average first frost is November 5, but really we could get an early cold snap. Begonias & Dahlias will collapse & turn black in response. Some folks dig them out & bring them inside for the winter. I’m happy that our garden is well-drained, so there’s less chance of them rotting in the ground… And I mulch heavily in the winter to protect them from freezing… so they’re fairly safe.
(Also, I’m lazy that way.)
Irrigation
photo by SVSeekins
There might have been a little rain this month, but it’s only enough to ease up on the watering a little bit…
Colchicum are gorgeous, but flatten quickly when wet. I’m particularly careful with the watering wand around them.
Seed Saving
After the flowers finish up, the plant sets seed. Before the pods open I like to pick & distribute them into areas where more are welcome next year
eg. snapdragon… goldenrod… lychnis…
Dead-heading can spur plants into producing even more blooms. (Dahlias especially will peter out if not cut)
In other cases, like shasta daisies, dead-heading is key to stopping its offspring from taking over the world!
In even more other cases, like with the lavender, I sheer off the finished blooms just for a tidied look.
And now it’s time to think about leaving some of the blooms on the plants, to produce bird feed for the winter
ie: golden rod… dusty miller… yarrow…rudbeckia…
photo by SVSeekins
Planting
Bulbs! Woo hoo! Go nuts… find some little spaces between all those shrubs & perennials to plant something to delight in winter & early spring. The best selection is in the garden shops by mid month. I like to get them into the ground before the summer perennials die back completely & disappear.
Any of the spring blooming perennials that have overgrown their space are ripe for dividing once the ground is moist enough to dig comfortably
eg. iris, red hot pokers… peony… iris…
Planting trees or shrubs now, while the soil is still warm, gives their roots time to establish before the dormant season. They’ll need regular watering until the weather gets really wet, but will be that much further ahead than if I wait until the spring to move.
Pruning
photo by SVSeekins
As the roses finish up, prune them back by 1/3 for the winter. Hold off until the forsythia blooms in March to prune fully.
Now’s also a good time to tidy up the summer flowering shrubs
eg. weigela… escallonia… butterfly bush…
Wisteria can be cut back to side branches with 2-3 leaves for better spring flowering
Tools
photo by SVSeekins
Keep the lawn mower blades sharpened & the proper bits lubricated as the machine will be busier this month.
Keep those pruners & clippers sharp, too!
It’s best to clean pruners between bushes. Spray with a 10% bleach + water mixture. This helps to prevent the spread of diseases through the garden.
Lawns
photo by SVSeekins
The lawn is green again, but the falling leaves are brown. The clippings are a great combo for the compost bin.
I’m happy to keep the lawn sprinklers programmed for 1 inch of water every two weeks through mid September.
Keeping the mower blade above 2 inches will give the grass’ roots a little shade so they don’t dry out so quickly
Fall fertilizing grass calls for low nitrogen & phosphorus numbers, and higher potash numbers to encourage strong root growth
eg. 3-6-36 or 0-3-30
Veg / Berry Patch (& Orchard)
photos by SVSeekins
It’s harvest time for tomatoes!… and apples… and blackberries… grapes, corn… pumpkin,… squash… beans… salad greens… beets…. cabbage… kale… Time to get busy canning & preserving.
Dig the potatoes as the foliage dies back. Leave them to dry indoors if it’s wet outside.
The herbs are ready too! Cut 6 inch young stems, bind into bunches, then store them in a paper bag in a warm dry place for a couple of weeks to dry
Cut the top-most stem of the tomato plant & remove all remaining flowers. Remove more of the leaves around the tomato fruit so it gets more sun for ripening. The improved air circulation around the plant helps avoid disease too.
photo by SVSeekins
Ponds & Water Gardens
Keep the leaves out of the water. They’ll mush up & cause all sorts of mess in pumps.
So much for the golden haze of summer. It’s been below freezing here for almost a week. That’s not a complaint, because we’re cozy inside, but I feel badly for the creatures living outdoors.
A couple of winters ago C & I started hanging a suet log. The birds love it!
They also clean it out fairly quickly – – which means one of us must refill it. We’re pretty good at that, but not perfect. 😦
photo by SVSeekins
This autumn I decided to make a change in garden maintenance that would help out the birds just a little more. I chose to NOT cut back some of the perennials when their bloom finished. I reckon the seed heads might come in handy when the suet log is empty.
Goldenrod has really funky looking seed heads. This perennial is native to North America, so I figure the birds have learned to make use of it over the centuries just as the First Peoples did.
photo by SVSeekins
And if the birds don’t eat these seeds, perhaps they’ll use the fluff to insulate their nests?
photo by SVSeekins`
Lychnis is another with great summer blooms & and an abundance of winter seed. This patch along the fenceline is left standing in hopes it’ll be useful for the birds too.
Happily I’m not worried about those seed heads foretelling a full future for weeding. We mulch the garden beds quite heavily, which (aside from keeping roots warm) has the added benefit of slowing down scattered seeds turning into unwanted plants.
But hopefully the seeds will all be eaten before my pruning hand become so itchy that I just HAVE TO cut the plants back for tidiness sake. (I have good intentions, but I also know my nature.)
Even as we speak the crocosmia & the hardy fuchsia are dying back & will soon be luring me outside to tidy up.
Garden Variety Life 