With a change in season, the days are slowly getting shorter and the leaves are starting to turn. This is an ideal time of the year to prepare your garden for the approaching chilly weather and perhaps frost and snow.
There are many things you can do to prepare your garden for the coming months that can range from simple projects to some that are a bit more complex. Overall, something as simple as mulching, can do wonders to help prevent run off once the rains begin.
Fallen leaves, should best be left on the ground in order to help build soil and allow for further infiltration of rainwater into the ground. Using leaf blowers promotes environmental and noise pollution, but they also prevent a critical element in the cycle of life to occur. Decomposing leaves add rich nutrients that not only enhance native topsoil and vegetation, but also prevents run off during the rainy season and habitat for many native insects seeking cover during the colder months. Fallen leaves function as nature’s own mulch.
Soil that has been properly managed, allows for more water to infiltrate into the land and replenish local water tables. Fall is an ideal time to sheet mulch and continue to build your soil. The pending winter rains will help decompose your mulch and uncover healthy, vibrant soil ready to be planted. Planting cover crops, aka green manure, can prove to help you with less weeds, pests and diseases in addition to healthier soil! They should be planted early in the Fall to miss all the frost and plant them deep enough to be safe from birds. Read our blog post on Why Plant Cover Crops for more in-depth informaiton.
Begin to shift irrigation timers to different hours to reflect the change of the season and water less often. In order to help establish root systems, water deeply, consult appropriate water times based on species and what is best recommended for your climate zone.
As the weather gets a bit cooler, it is an ideal time to plant your wildflowers, like echinacea, milkweed and sweet peas. For already established native plants and grasses, now would be good time to begin pruning.
To prepare your garden for the approaching winter, add an additional layer of mulch and regulate water schedule. This is also an ideal time to plant cover crops, brassicas, root crops and any other veggies that may be appropriate for your bio-region. Check out our blog post on The Power of Mulching.
Using the end of the dry season for a DIY home project that can have lasting effects can maybe worth a consideration. With water shortages being felt throughout, consider directing all down spouts into the land. There are many ways to approach this and should be well thought out, prior to execution. With proper planning it can be done in one day with help from some friends. Be sure to prevent excessive water settling that may be too close to a structure and effect its foundation and of course take into consideration the amount of water your plants will need. Designing a water plan can help you designate which zones are in need of what.
Take advantage of the approaching season to maintain your garden to assure proper maintenance for the coming months and begin preparing your soil for your spring garden!
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