Published October 20, 2022
Autumn Gardening at Home
Heads up! This article was published 2 years ago.
With fall just beginning there are lots of gardening tasks to be done to put your plants to bed and get ready for next spring. Below are some ways to enjoy your garden and keep things looking good for the season:
Watching and Listening
September is the time to watch our pollinators (butterflies, bees, hummingbirds) and listen to the chorus of the crickets and katydids and grasshoppers while they are still singing to us. Some birds are migrating, but others will remain with us for a while yet, so be sure to enjoy their songs as well as the always-wonderful sight of hawks circling or playing in the wind.
Shopping and Saving
Buy flower bulbs, garlic, shallots early to get the best selection. But don’t plant until later in October. If you dig your dahlias in fall, begin making preparations now. Late September/ early-October is also the last chance to put in perennials, so do this quickly as possible.
Cleaning-Up and Composting
Please don’t throw away the leaves! They are valuable as compost and as overwintering sites for many insects. As they begin to fall, rake them into beds or compost heaps. Weed now or suffer later. If you’ve never composted before or if you want to learn more about composting, check out the Compost Kitchen series at Possum Creek MetroPark. Registration is required.
Weeding and Watering
Weeding is essential this time of year so you don’t carry over seeds or plants into next spring. As soon as the ground is cleared, top with leaves or compost. Watering should continue through the end of November, but always check if the soil needs it—soil should be slightly moist to a depth of two inches. Watering assures that perennials and shrubs going into dormancy will emerge healthy and strong next spring.
