As the warmth of summer fades and the vibrant hues of autumn begin to paint the landscape, gardeners know that it’s time to shift their focus toward preparing their gardens for cooler months. In this article, we’ll delve into seven indispensable tips for preparing the fall garden that will guide you through the process of readying your garden beds, plants, and soil for the challenges and rewards that fall and winter bring. From planting cool-season crops to safeguarding your plants from frost, these insights will empower you to make the most of this transitional period and set the stage for a bountiful spring garden.
Summer draws its final breaths. You can feel the earth and all her creatures heave a sigh of relief as the heat is dissipating and crisp, cool mornings arrive. The change in temperature turns my gardener’s thoughts to the fall garden.
The onslaught of harvest and preserving is over. Time for some deep breaths while we start new seeds and do the fall garden preparation.
Here in U.S. Growing Zone 8, we’re able to have a garden pretty much year-round. January and February are our slowest times but with the use of hoop row covers, we still enjoy fresh garden produce.
Based on where you live, you may be thinking of putting the garden to bed for the winter. No matter what gardening zone you live in, there are certain fall garden preparations to perform during this transitional season.
7 Tips For Preparing The Fall Garden
1. Debris Removal
Removing diseased plants from your garden is essential. Any diseased plant gets burned here at our place.
It’s important to not put diseased plants in the compost as the disease can incubate there.
Do you till your garden, use raised beds and containers, or have a combination of the two like we do?
No matter which garden style you prefer, the first step in fall garden preparation is the same: Remove and/or incorporate all the plant debris from your garden.
Healthy plant debris can be incorporated into the soil or added to compost. Incorporating it into the garden improves drainage, introduces oxygen, relieves compaction, and enriches the soil.
You can also feed it to your livestock. Be certain that what you give them is safe for their kind.
2. Fertilization
As organic, non-GMO farmers, we don’t use any chemicals. We enhance our soil with composted soil, vermicomposted soil (composting done with worms), compost tea, cover crops, and manure from our animals.
Our animals are free ranged and receive Non-GMO, organic feed, so this suits our needs well. We also use BioWash.
Your garden has used much of its energy and nutrition producing the harvest. Fall is the best time to return the favor to your soil. There are many fertilizing options. Choose the one that suits your lifestyle and goals.
Organic fertilizers are easy to find if you don’t have access to your own. Fall fertilizing allows winter rains to carry vital nutrients deep into the hungry soil.
Leaving your tilled soil bare naked will result in the loss of soil and nutrients. Tilling in two directions will help prevent most of this runoff.
3. Till or Mulch
Our 100′ x 50′ garden is deep mulched. Our goal is to do away with the need for any tilling, except in the feed plots.
Deep mulching, for us, is 3 to 6 inches of mulch material. Pine straw, leaves, decayed wood, and wood chips are ready resources on the farm.
We lay healthy plant debris down in the garden and use the chickens to “till” it in. They are rotated through the garden one area at a time. Chickens scratch and incorporate the debris for us and fertilize as they go!
They also remove any unwanted bugs for us like squash bugs and spiders. We’ve had a problem with black widows this last couple of years so we’re looking forward to the chickens eradicating them for us!
Once they’ve done their job in each area, we add any fertilizer we want and finish it off with a fresh layer of deep mulch.
4. Cover Crops
Cover crops are a favorite here, especially for the fall garden. We use them fall and winter. We are careful to use only non-GMO seeds in our garden.
Buckwheat is our favorite cover crop. It enriches the soil and makes beautiful flowers which the honey bees love. This provides a valuable food source for them at this late time of the year. It does it again in the spring for an early source of food for these most helpful critters.
An uncultivated area can be planted in buckwheat to prepare it for use. It will choke out weeds and grass while enriching the soil. Your local extension office can help you determine what grows best in your area.
Cover crops protect against erosion as they boost the organic matter in your soil. Many gardeners lay cover crops down by cutting or tilling them into the ground.
They usually do this before they are able to form seeds. We allow buckwheat to go to seed and come up a second time. Just before it goes to seed again, we cut it down and let it lay there until the chickens take care of it.
5. Cool Weather Crops
Here in the deep south, part of our fall garden prep is planting cool-weather crops. We’re careful with our crop rotation. This helps to ensure soil integrity and healthy crops.
Among our favorite cool-weather crops are broccoli, cabbage, kale, Swiss chard, beets, radishes, carrots, Brussel sprouts, and of course turnip and collard greens!
6. Keeping a Garden Journal
A garden journal is essential to successful gardening. Accurate records put valuable gardening information and your fingertips.
A successful harvest depends on crop rotation, plant production, disease, and weather patterns. A good garden journal will handily help keep up with these.
Also, it helps you remember what you liked and didn’t like. Knowing what you planted, how much, and the success of each is essential.
This is the one I use:
For me, fall is the best time to be sure my notes are in order. During my winter review, I’m able to make decisions and improvements without trying to “remember everything.” This proves more and more challenging for some of us.
7. General Preparations
Transitioning your garden from spring to fall involves more than garden work. Not that anyone needs more chores, but let’s look at a few. While taking more time now, doing these will make our spring gardening experience better.
- Remove and drain irrigation systems: soaker hoses, water hoses, water jugs, etc.
- Tools: inspect, repair, and clean them. My grandfather taught me to store shovels, hoes, and blades in a bucket of oil or sand to prevent rust and dullness.
- Check your stock and organize it now. Make note of what you used and didn’t use. Decide what you’ll need to repurchase. Your garden journal will prove itself prime property for this chore.
- Take note of any expiration dates and temperature restrictions on supplies. Botanicals tend to be temperature sensitive.
FAQ: Preparing Your Fall Garden
Q1: Why is fall preparation important for my garden?
A: Fall preparation sets the foundation for a successful and vibrant garden next spring. It helps plants establish strong root systems, improves soil health, and prevents winter damage.
Q2: When should I start preparing my fall garden?
A: Start preparing your fall garden about 4-6 weeks before the average first frost date in your growing zone. If you live in an area where you can plant fall crops, this will give your plants enough time to establish themselves before winter.
Q3: What tasks should I prioritize in fall garden preparation?
A: Focus on tasks like clearing out spent summer plants, amending the soil with compost, mulching to protect plants, planting cool-season crops, and dividing perennials.
Q4: How do I clear out my summer plants?
A: Remove dead or diseased plants, cut back perennials to a few inches above the ground, and compost healthy plant debris. This prevents pests and diseases from overwintering in your garden.
Q5: Can I plant in the fall?
A: Absolutely! Fall is an ideal time to plant cool-season crops like lettuce, spinach, kale, and broccoli. You can also plant spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips and daffodils. Of course, if you live in an area where you have snow and ice, you will need to plant crops in a greenhouse or something like that.
Q6: How do I amend the soil for fall planting?
A: Add compost or well-rotted manure to your garden beds. This improves soil structure, drainage, and nutrient content, providing a healthy environment for plants to grow.
Q7: Is mulching necessary for fall gardens?
A: Yes, mulching is crucial. Apply a 3-6″ layer of mulch, such as straw or wood chips, to insulate soil, regulate temperature, and retain moisture. Mulch also prevents weed growth. You can read more about deep mulch gardening by clicking the link.
Q9: Should I prune in the fall?
A: Light pruning is fine in the fall, but avoid heavy pruning that stimulates new growth, as tender new growth can be damaged by frost. Save major pruning for late winter.
Q10: How do I protect my fall garden from pests and diseases?
A: Clean up garden debris, as pests and diseases can overwinter in dead plant material. Consider using row covers to protect plants from pests, and avoid overhead watering to prevent fungal issues.
Q11: What should I do with my garden tools after fall preparation?
A: Clean, sharpen, and oil your tools before storing them for the winter. This ensures they’re ready for spring and helps extend their lifespan. We do something my grandfather did with his tools. we put them in a bucket of sand and/or a bucket of used oil. Either works and we have some in sand and some in oil.
Q12: Are there any specific tasks for preparing container gardens in the fall?
A: For container gardens, remove spent plants, refresh the soil by adding compost, fresh soil, or by using our super soil recipe, and consider moving frost-sensitive plants indoors. Place containers in a protected area to prevent freezing.
Q13: Can I compost fall leaves?
A: Yes, fallen leaves can be composted. Shred them for quicker decomposition, or use them as a natural mulch around shrubs and trees. Avoid using diseased leaves in your compost.
Q14: What else should I consider when preparing my fall garden?
A: Keep an eye on weather forecasts and water your garden adequately, especially if rainfall decreases. Also, consider planting cover crops to improve soil fertility during winter months.
Wrap Up
Remember that specific tasks may vary based on your climate and plant preferences. By following these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to creating a thriving and beautiful garden next spring.
If you’re new to gardening, we can help you get started.
What are you waiting for? Get out there! Frisk up that fall garden. Start your seeds for your cool-weather crops. It’s never too late to get gardening!
As always, we’re here to help.
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I’ve always been terrible about garden clean-up. I’m determined to do better this year! I should be able to, do better, especially with the help of the chickens this year. I’m trying clover as a cover crop in our pumpkin patch to act as a mulch, and it’s definitely helping. I might be trying a cover crop in some of our other garden spaces in the future.
What kind of oil would your grandpa put his garden tools in? And what about sand and oil in the bucket?
Rosalie, Papa kept any oil he drained from the tiller, his truck, power saw, any oil. He kept it in metal buckets – two that I remember clearly. He just set his tools over it it. He also had a few smaller cans he kept sand in. Those that were too small for the oil or that he just wanted in them, for reasons only he knows, he put down in them. I particularly remember his files, shears, and hoof pruners being in the sand. I hope this answers your question. If not, please feel free to let me know. Thanks so much for taking the time to visit!