Fall To-Do List for Your Lawn and Garden

Matt Huculak • October 14, 2013

Fall is here! In most parts of North America, the growing season is coming to an end for the winter. If you haven’t already, you’ll soon be able to stop mowing your lawn every week, and your plants will begin to wither for the winter. While it’s still pleasant outdoors and before the ground freezes, there are some things that you should be doing to make your work in the spring less onerous. Here are some tips on completing a fall to-do list for your lawn and garden:

Divide and cut back your perennials

As the last blooms on your lilies, asters, coneflowers and black-eyed susans die back, it’s time to cut them. You can cut to the main stalk or to the ground, but either way, you won’t have to watch them turn brown and wither away into lifeless sticks. Before the first frost, while they’re still alive, is also the time to divide them, if you’re hoping to move some of the blooms to other areas of your garden. Don’t worry; they’ll be back next year! (You can leave your sunflowers instead of cutting them back, as birds will be happy to eat the leftover seeds.)

Plant bulbs for your early blooms

If you are looking forward to seeing more crocuses peeking up through the snow than you had last year, now is the time to plant those bulbs. You can also plant hyacinths, tulips and irises. All of these will bloom in the early to mid-spring, bringing a welcome pop of color as the winter wears away. You can also plant most trees and shrubs now; ask at your local nursery to find out whether it’s a good time to plant the trees that you want to add to your landscape.

Lay down mulch

Ideally, you’ll put down about three inches of new mulch in your garden beds. This will help retain moisture in the garden, and it will also protect plant roots and the bulbs that you put down. Even better, mulch will reduce the amount of weeding that you’ll have to do once spring comes.

Rake your leaves

This chore is one that many people put off, but if you put it off too long, you’ll find yourself dealing with a frozen, muddy mess of rotted leaves every time the snow melts all winter long. Just get it done now. It’s best to rake once right after the bulk of the leaves fall, in case of an early snow, then again later in the season, when there are almost no leaves on the trees.

Winterize your hose and irrigation system

Before your area is scheduled for its first freeze, water the garden one last time, then turn off your spigots and drain hoses and irrigation systems. If possible, store your rolled-up hoses in the shed, basement or garage to protect them from the elements.

Doing all of these fall to-do items now will let you relax and not worry about your lawn or garden through the winter. Remember that if you don’t want to handle these tasks yourself, you can ask your local landscaper to handle them for you.

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