Fall is one of the best times of the year for the green-fingered among us. Aside from pumpkin-picking and autumnal cooking, fall has plenty to offer when it comes to tending your garden.
As we transition from summer heat into the cooler months, it’s important to make sure your outdoor space is well-prepared. In this blog, we’ve prepared the essential fall gardening checklist for novices and experts alike.
Read on to discover how to keep your garden looking fresh this fall!
Your Essential Fall Gardening Checklist:
September
In Canada, Europe and North America, September is the mildest of the fall months. Spectacular golden foliage becomes commonplace and the weather is usually still dry enough to spend plenty of time outdoors.
Here are some key tasks to check off your list in September:
Plant and Maintain
- Plant new trees or shrubs to give them at least six weeks to settle before the frostier months arrive.
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs in their beds, including daffodils, crocuses and tulips.
- Pull out any weeds before they seed to reduce the following year’s weed growth.
Clean and Tidy
- Cover water features or ponds with netting to catch falling leaves.
- Check houseplants for any pests and move them indoors to enjoy a warmer climate for the winter.
- Clean bird feeders, gardening tools and clay pots. Put them away somewhere dry, ready for the upcoming rainy season.
- Leave your leaves on the lawn and enjoy a whole host of benefits while saving the planet in the process. Find out why you should ‘leaf’ them be on our blog!
Feed and Nourish
- Fertilize your lawn. You can do this with shop-bought fertilizer, recycled food waste, or allow fallen leaves to decompose naturally for a more organic approach!
- Continue watering trees and shrubs until the ground begins to freeze over.
- Add compost, manure or organic fertilizer to your garden beds. Why not try making your own nourishing plant food with an indoor food waste recycler?
October
October is the best month of fall, right? Golden leaves reign the streets, pumpkins line our porches and the festivities can finally get started. When it comes to gardening, October is all about ramping up those winter preparations.
The crucial tasks to check off your list in October:
Move and Protect
- Transplant shrubs or young trees to their permanent locations.
- Protect your delicate bulbs by digging them up, wrapping them in moist material and storing them in a dry place for the winter.
- Harvest any seasonal vegetables if you’re an avid grower.
- Remove any pot saucers and raise pots up onto feet to avoid water-logging during the rainier months.
Cut and Refine
- Cut any diseased parts from perennial plants – avoid composting!
- If you’re not keen on leaving your leaves be, rake them up and compost.
- Trim tall grass surrounding trees or near your home to avoid rodent infestations throughout the colder seasons.
- Cut back perennial foliage for the same reason, but don’t forget to leave some seeds out for the birds!
Keep Watering
- While October tends to be much wetter than September, it’s still important to keep lawns and beds watered until the ground begins to freeze over.
November
Whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah or gearing up for Christmas, November is also a beautiful time to spend in the garden. While things certainly take a turn for the cold, it’s the perfect opportunity to prepare for the coming winter.
What to do in your garden throughout November:
Get Your Flowers in Check
- Send off for your seed catalogues and start planning next year’s growth!
- Clear faded sweet peas, morning glory, thunbergia and other annual climbers from their supports.
- Gather up the fallen leaves of roses affected by blackspot so they don't carry the disease over to next year. Burn them on a festive bonfire or bury them deep in your compost out of harm’s way.
- Mulch rose bushes to retain moisture and prevent heavy frosting in the winter.
Prepare for the Cold
- Clear fallen leaves from gutters and downspouts. Make sure to compost them instead of throwing them into your usual waste bin – this is much better for the planet and can benefit your garden in the long run!
- Turn off any outside water connections and drain your hose pipe to prevent it from freezing over in the winter.
December
Log fires, cosy cocoa and Christmas lights is what December’s all about, right? For most gardeners in Canada, North America and Europe, you probably won’t be spending much time outdoors at this time of the year. However, there are still some things you can do to keep your green fingers busy.
The key garden tasks for December:
Get Decorative
- One of the highlights of the festive season: creating your own decorations! Cut stems of berried winter shrubs, seasonal flowers and evergreen leaves for a personalized twist on the Christmas wreath.
- Plant winter shrubs in pots on the doorsteps for a fragrant and inviting feel, including chimonanthus, sarcococca and Daphne odora.
Protect and Maintain
- Add straw or bracken to the base of delicate shrubs and climbers when the temperatures drop below freezing.
- Prune climbing roses, overgrown hedges and dormant shrubs.
- Check your stored bulbs regularly to ensure they’re moist and rot-free.
- Move plants into sheltered areas if the weather gets particularly chilly.
That’s the end of our essential fall gardening checklist. Fertilizing your plants all year round is the best way to produce an exceptional garden, so why not create your organic matter to nourish them with?
A FoodCycler is the perfect solution. Recycle food waste indoors without the nasty odours of a compost bin, then add the by-product to your plants for healthier blooms this coming spring.
Visit FoodCycler now to find out how to make your garden greener than ever before!
A Note on Terminology
The FoodCycler® is a countertop electric food waste recycler that breaks down food scraps through a mechanical process into a dry, lightweight by-product that can be used in gardening applications as a fertilizer. The FoodCycler® and other electric food waste recyclers are not composters, nor do they produce compost or soil as they do not require additional microbes to break down food waste with bacteria. However, the term "electric composter" has been used to describe electric food waste recyclers.