Is it worth the effort to clean up your garden in the fall? The answer to this question is interesting. Why? Because, in the past, most people would agree that you should do a complete garden cleanup every fall. And they meant removing all dead plant material, any fallen leaves, sticks, and other garden debris.
Today’s experts vary much more in their opinions: some still believe in the old-school complete cleanup approach while others advocate for not touching your garden at all.
We’re going to take the middle of the road approach and say yes, you should tidy up your garden in the fall. But that doesn’t mean a full, blown cleanup.
Read below to find out what tasks you should accomplish and what chores you can skip.
Important cleanup chores for your garden this fall
Remove supporting garden materials
The first chore to tackle is bringing in all supporting garden materials and décor. This includes trellises, tomato cages, stakes, etc. Take in any garden décor that may be ruined by the winter elements. Then, make sure to clean all these items before storing them for the winter.
Remove and drain your hoses before you store them. This will prevent the hose from cracking if they are stored in a shed.
Dig up non-hardy bulbs
It’s important to take care of your plants that can’t survive the winter. Dahlias are a great example. You’ll need to dig up your dahlia bulbs:
- Remove excess dirt
- Let the bulb dry out
- Store the bulb in peat moss in a dry place for the winter
Then, you can replant the bulb in the spring.
Don’t forget now is the time to plant your spring bulbs! Plant tulips, daffodils and hyacinths so you have color early in the spring.
Clean your garden tools
It’s important to remove all dirt and soil from your tools. They’ll last longer, but it’s also critical if you used one of your tools on a plant that was diseased. The cleaning process ensures you don’t spread disease.
Remove dead or diseased plants
You should leave plants in the garden that are currently healthy. Chrysanthemums and sedum can stay until spring since their flowers are just blooming and the seeds are great for birds.
However, dead plants can harbor mold and mildew as the season gets wetter. Remove and dispose of dead annuals. Weed your gardens as well. If any of your plants were diseased, don’t compost them. Using that compost in your garden next year will only reintroduce the disease to your new, healthy garden.
Important cleanup tasks you can skip this fall
No need to remove all leaves
Leaf removal is a tedious task, but luckily, you can skip this chore in your garden beds. The leaves are useful because as they decay, they’re good nourishment for the soil. In the spring, you can add mulch right over them.
Leave the foliage on your plants
If you want to provide places for beneficial insects to hibernate, and are worried that cleaning out your gardens will eliminate these, take a look at your neighborhood. Do you have fields or wooded areas around your property, or are there areas of your yard that are more natural? This will make a great habitat for native bees, pollinators and other hibernating species will be fine.
If you aren’t lucky enough to have natural areas nearby, keep the foliage on your plants. It provides a home for beneficial bugs during the winter. If you get rid of the foliage, you displace bugs that will benefit your garden in the spring.
Don’t dead-head your plants
If you leave flowers on your plants throughout the winter, their seeds serve as a food source for birds and wildlife during the winter months. As we mentioned above, if you have late bloomers, those are ideal to leave alone until spring. If some of your flowers have been dead since early summer, chances are the seeds have already been eaten by the birds, so fee free to remove those.
While we provided you with some tasks you can skip, there are still some things you need to do in your garden this fall. Cleanup what needs to go and leave the rest for spring. Your garden will thank you for it.