Falling leaves signal the beginning of the fall clean up season. Let's get your garden prepared for winter.

Maybe you haven’t spent that much time in the garden over the past few weeks...with the kids going back to school and with all of this beautiful weather maybe you have even managed to get away to spend some time at the cottage, but there are a lot of little tasks that need to be completed. So to all you gardeners out there, here are my recommendations for some basic Fall garden chores that should be completed before the snow flies.

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Gemmell's Fall Garden Tasks to Get Your Garden Winter Ready

01. Wrap any small trees (especially fruit trees) with tree wrap or tree guards to prevent mice from chewing the bark in winter. Trees that are ringed by mice will not survive.

02. Stock up on Bobbex to protect your evergreens from deer. This foliar spray deters deer from feeding on evergreens such as cedars, and yews.

03. Rake up and dispose of any diseased leaves from underneath trees, or shrubs to prevent wintering over of blights and powdery mildews which were prevalent this season. If your perennials were attacked by leaf disease this summer cut them right back and dispose of the foliage (not in your compost!)

04. Clean out your veggie garden and topdress with manure or compost so it's ready for cultivation and planting first thing in the Spring.

05. Plant garlic after Thanksgiving weekend for harvesting next season. Always choose hard neck varieties which are hardy to our area.

06. Water all newly planted trees, shrubs & especially evergreens well into the end of October to help protect against winter damage. Fall droughts can be a killer.

07. Tie up any evergreens/shrubs with twine that can be split by heavy snow loads.

08. Spray boxwood and other broadleaf evergreens with Wilt Pruf or build a burlap windbreak for them (never wrap them directly on foliage!)

09. Plant spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops now ..... You won't regret it!

10. Fertilize your lawn with a fall fertilizer ( high last number feeds the roots!)

11. Keep your garden gloves, and favourite planter handy to build a fabulous Winter Evergreen Planter at one of our workshops. Don't pack them in the back of the shed :)

12. Sit in the Autumn sun and watch the leaves falling.

 

Peace & Plants,
Kelly Heath
Retail Manager

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