by Karen Ellis

Created on: March 13, 2010   Last Updated: April 05, 2010

The job of a fall garden cleanup can seem overwhelming when you look out at your once lovely summer landscape. It may appear to be a huge job to clean up and put the landscape to bed for the winter, but if you take it one step at a time it can be quite manageable. Most of all, don’t feel that you have to complete the entire job at one time. Space it over a few weekends and check off each listed cleanup job as it is completed. While you are out working in the yard, stop every once and a while and take in a deep breath of fresh fall air. Enjoy the beautiful scenery and experience the satisfaction of chores as you complete them.

First Weekend

Start your fall garden cleanup by removing all the dead and dried up annuals, roots and all. Pull all the weeds. Remove any broken or diseased limbs and/or leaves from your perennial plants and trees. However, save further pruning for early spring. Pruning now, may cause an early stimulation of new growth. Pick up and haul off any dead leaves or twigs on the ground.

Second Weekend

Dig up non-hardy bulbs, in colder winter location. These bulbs might include gladiolas, dahlias or cannas. With no rain in the forecast, spread them in the sun to dry. Protect them from wildlife by placing a screen over them. Then, store the bulbs in a cool, dry location. The exception to pruning are perennials that benefit from cutting them down, or nearly, to ground level. Some of these plants include, roses, hostas, coreopsis, delphiniums, campanulas, alchemillas, geraniums and veronicas.

Third Weekend

In locations with colder winters, spreading mulch under plants can insulate roots and protect plants from soil erosion. Make this your last chore , after the first frost of your location. Mulching too early, while the whether is still too warm, can cause disease and insect infestation. Use 5 or 6 inches of dried leaves, shredded bark, pine needles or a mixture.

Tip Box: Container Cleanup

Prepare outdoor containers for next spring, by removing spent annuals and all of the soil. Use a stiff brush to scrub the inside of the pots with soapy water. Rinse them thoroughly and then set them in the sun to dry out, before storing. This will ensure no fungus or plant diseases will infest new spring plantings.

Learn more about this author, Karen Ellis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.