Fall remains a great time to make garden improvements

By Kendra Raymond

Now that the first frost has arrived and fall colors have mostly passed, area gardens are taking on a brownish-yellow hue. Fall cleanup is well underway and property owners are busy raking and trimming expired plant material from their gardens and yards.

Invasive Blue Flag Iris plants are removed
from a Raymond residential gardening
space during a recent fall garden cleanup.
PHOTO BY KENDRA RAYMOND

Aside from the typical garden maintenance, fall can be a great time to work on improvements and projects that are often neglected during summer. Unseasonably warm temperatures provide the perfect conditions to prepare for next spring’s growing season.

As a horticulturist, I recommend tackling a substantial list of projects as part of the fall clean up routine. This practice puts home gardeners ahead of the game.

Let’s explore a few steps home gardeners can take right now to get a head start on spring gardening.

Weeding

Even though weeds are not actively growing or spreading, beware of latent weeds in your garden. A harmless weed can have a large root system or millions of seeds just waiting to spread. It’s simple enough to pull the weeds and dispose of them away from the garden area. For pesky weeds, especially in large areas, you may want to consider laying black plastic or a dark colored tarp. Make sure to secure the material well with landscape pins or rocks. When spring arrives, don’t be too eager to remove the covering. Leaving it on as long as possible will eliminate the chance of regrowth. At my place in Raymond, I am currently trying to smother a very aggressive shrubby area that contains invasives such as Barberry and Bittersweet.

Thinning

Perennials and shrubs can spread rapidly, and you can lose the once-manicured appearance of your garden. While some gardeners appreciate a natural look, keeping the plants under control is most always a good idea. Fall is a great time to neaten up your garden beds and eliminate any overgrown plants that are aggressively spreading. We recently battled several gardens that were being taken over by Blue Flag or Siberian Iris, a native flowering plant that can spread into wetlands. The task was tedious and involved a lot of physical labor cutting the roots and lifting hundreds of pounds of plants out of the area.

Soil testing

Fall is an ideal time to get your soil tested if you suspect any deficiencies, and to make note of the acidity. The University of Maine offers a soil testing service where you simply request a kit, collect the sample, and mail it back in. Within a couple of weeks, you will receive a comprehensive soil analysis complete with recommendations. Once spring draws closer, simply amend the soil with the necessary nutrients, and your garden will be ready for a productive growing season.

Pests and diseases

The late season is the perfect time to reflect on your garden health over the past summer. Did you have any diseases such as powdery mildew, rust or black spot? How about pests? Did you notice a lot of grubs, Japanese beetles, or chewing caterpillars? Now is the time to start thinking about control methods for next season, because they are likely to return. Make note of the pests you encountered and take that with you to a local greenhouse or garden center where experts can help you find the products to protect your plants.

The website of the iconic publication the Old Farmer’s Almanac offers a few additional ideas to supplement your fall garden clean up:

· Before it gets too cold, take care of your garden shed, pots, tools, and equipment.

· Turn off the water to the hose and drain it completely if you’re in an area where leftover water could freeze.

· Pumps and fountains should also be removed, cleaned, and drained before storing.

· If you have a lawn mower or string trimmer, drain out the gas.

· Clean, sand, and oil your garden tools before storing them for the winter.

· Clean out cold frames if you use them for a head start on spring vegetable growing.

· Remove canes and other plant supports; wipe off soil with soapy water, let them dry, and store them in a shed or garage.

· Bring ceramic and clay pots inside, or they may crack in freezing temperatures. Dump the soil on your garden bed and sterilize the pots with a diluted bleach solution.

· Don’t stack pots; it’s hard to get them unstuck in the spring.

The University of Minnesota shares some information on dividing perennials here: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/dividing-perennials while the University of Maine’s Cooperative Extension provides links for home gardening publications at https://extension.umaine.edu/publications/home/garden-and-yard/.

To order a soil test, visit the University of Maine Soil Testing Service at https://umaine.edu/soiltestinglab/ <