It’s the end of September and it finally feels like fall has arrived at our doorstep. Our average first frost date here in Southern Idaho is October 3, yet, temperature lows are predicted to still be in the 40’s for the next 10 days. Nonetheless, I started on my fall clean up in the garden. I figure that I’m more likely to be productive when it is still a little warm outside, than when its frigid out. Plus hunting season for us this year starts next week, so fall clean up it is!
Fall garden prep.
Our season here in Idaho is short, and with this weird spring we had, it felt like summer would never come. This really impacted my flower growing season. This is my first year diving into growing summer flowers such as zinnias, cosmos, celosia, procut sunflowers, dahlias, and other summer loving flowers. With this being the case, my flowers started to bloom pretty late in the season. I did not get my summer bouquet flowers until late into July unfortunately. So they were my first choice in getting pulled for my fall garden prep.
Starting with my flower beds, I pulled everything but my dahlia tubers so far. This year is also my first year planting my purchased mums into the ground. I’m so excited to see how they do in the following years. I’m excited that I don’t have to spend money again next fall to decorate my front porch.
Preparing my raised beds in the fall for winter and spring.
You may or may not have read my post about DIY Garden Raised Beds where I speak about the importance of preparing your garden in the fall. The best time to prepare your garden for spring time is in the fall, believe it or not. Why? First, soil moisture. Preparing the soil when it is dry versus when its wet is beneficial for the soil nutrients and the little creatures in your soil. If you were to wait until your soil is dry in the spring to work it, you may be missing out on the prime time to plant your cold hardy crops. By preparing them in the fall, you can plant your cold hardy crops out when it’s still way too cold to work your soil. Get a head start on your spring crops and prep that soil!
Second, the perfect fall temperatures lets you enjoy the fresh, crisp air while being productive in the garden. No need to worry about rushing into hail, or snow and crazy spring weather to attempt to make your beds, save that for planting your seedlings! Truth be told, save your spring energy to plan and plant seedlings in your beds, rather than spending that time attempting to prep beds, plan AND plant seedlings.
And thirdly, maximize your resources in the fall. Fall is when all the perfect compost material can be found. Leaves are easily obtained to mulch your beds over winter. Dead tree branches and sticks can be used to fill your beds. Also that compost that you have been dying to use, can go into your beds to sit through winter so as not to harm your spring seedlings.
A little about leaves.
This is one of the best compost material I have recently come to appreciate. Living in the city, most people do all the hard work for you. They rake up their leaves, put them into bags and put them out on the curb for someone to pick them up. How convenient is that? Go take your car and pick up some free mulch! Leaves are a great source of carbon for your compost. They decompose quickly and bring a high level of organic matter into your soil.
Use leaves to mulch around your cold hardy annuals you plant in the fall. Use them in your compost. I also use them to mulch my empty beds to prevent weed seeds from germinating. Leaves serve a multitude of purposes in the garden, and it’s a cheap, if not free, resource.
Planting garlic, cold hardy annuals and spring blooming bulbs in the fall.
If you love colorful spring blooms, fall is the time to plant bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and crocuses. These bulbs need the cold winter months to develop, and they’ll reward you with stunning flowers once spring arrives. Coldy hardy annuals are a miracle of nature to me, as you plant them in the fall to get the best spring blooms! For determining cold hardy annuals vs warm tender annuals, check out the Gardener’s Workshop here. They are a great resource for flowers, seeds and much more! Also, if you are hoping to plant garlic, this is the time to do it! Whether you’re planting softneck or hardneck varieties of garlic, October is the perfect time to put them in the ground. Come July, they will be ready for harvest.
Pruning and trimming shrubs and trees in the fall.
Most shrubs, trees and bushes need to be trimmed back to maintain their shape and health. Remove dead or diseased branches to prevent issues from spreading. Pruning in the fall also encourages new growth in the spring. Some people prefer to prune their shrubs come spring time, for different reasons such as letting pollinators and birds have a safe haven over winter. Whether you complete this task in the fall or spring time, either way is okay.
All set?
Now kick back for all things fall, enjoy that pumpkin spice latte, the corn mazes, the hay rides and rest assured that you’re ready for winter to settle in! Getting my garden prep done now allows me to be able to process my tomatoes that I harvested this year, plan for next year’s garden, go hunting, and get ready for the holidays without stressing about my garden.
Happy fall!