Most of my garden inspiration comes to me in the spring when I hear the peepers peeping and see buds popping on the trees. But, fall is a great time to garden, too—the bugs are gone, it’s much cooler and there usually isn’t as much going on (unless you have kids playing football!). So, [...]

Most of my garden inspiration comes to me in the spring when I hear the peepers peeping and see buds popping on the trees. But, fall is a great time to garden, too—the bugs are gone, it’s much cooler and there usually isn’t as much going on (unless you have kids playing football!).

So, this year I’m making a list of things to do in my fall garden, including a little different approach that is also good for the environment and wildlife.

The Flower Garden
Fall is the time to remove the spent annuals and compost them. They’ll make good humus for next year’s garden. Perennials can be left standing or cut back to almost ground level. Traditional advice was to cut all perennials back in the fall, but some perennials, such as black-eyed Susan and purple cone flower, add winter interest to the garden and food for wildlife when left standing. Leaving foliage on perennials in the fall is a good thing as the dead foliage provides a mulch that protects against winter temperatures. In the spring, simply clip and clear away the dead foliage.

This is also a good time to take stock of what you have in the perennial garden. If it is large, take a picture of the garden and its plants, or at least draw a rough sketch, noting the location of each perennial. It will be beneficial next spring when you start weeding and hoeing.

Fall is also a good time to add any garden amendments, such as compost or well-rotted manure. All gardens, including flower gardens, need to have the soil periodically (annually, if possible) amended to maintain good moisture retention and add nutrients to the soil. Amendments for any type of garden include compost and well-rotted livestock manure. Cow manure has the fewest seeds and can be purchased in 40-pound bags; or, you can use sheep, chicken or horse manure. Why not do some of this bull work in the fall when it is cooler (maybe you can get that football player to give you a hand!)?

The Vegetable Garden
One thing I try to give priority to in the fall is removing dead plant material and putting it in the compost pile. Diseased plants need to be removed, and turning the garden over with a rototiller, if it is not too wet, will help control weeds for next year.

A more effective weed control method is to do what farmers do and apply a glyphosate herbicide, such as Roundup®, over the entire garden. You can either turn over the soil one last time after the vegetation turns brown, or leave it until spring. Make sure to apply the Roundup on a warm, dry day. If you’re hesitant to use a chemical herbicide, a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water will work, though perhaps not as effectively.

Of course, fall is also a good time to add amendments to the vegetable garden, such as those mentioned above.

Another fall task is a soil test, which measures soil fertility and pH. For $10, your local MSU Extension office will provide you with a cardboard mailer and instructions for taking a soil sample. The sample is sent to MSU’s laboratory, where they’ll do a thorough analysis and give recommendations for adding whatever the soil needs to ensure a good garden next year.

The Lawn
Traditionally, fall was the time to rake every leaf in the yard, stuff them into oversized trash bags, and send them off to the local landfill. As kids, we also built big bonfires with the leaves and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows. Boy, have times changed!

These days, landfills won’t accept organic waste and you need a permit to burn most anything. So, one thing you can do with those leaves is mulch them with a mulching mower. The shredded leaves add nutrients for your turf and trees. Or, simply rake the leaves and put them in a compost pile. Be sure to add green plant material or livestock manure to aid in breaking down the leaves to a usable form.

So, before you settle into that easy chair and tune into the football games, tackle some of these fall chores. You’ll be glad you did when you hear the peepers peeping next spring.