Vibe-Fall-2024 - Flipbook - Page 12
NURTURING NATURE
Putting Fall Gardens to Bed
Lea Camille Smith
A
s autumn moves into the Valley, it’s time to set your sights
on fall garden tasks. There’s plenty to do before the frost
comes and the snow soon follows to set yourself up
for success when spring rolls back around. It’s easy to let the
gardens go after they’ve stopped producing or flowering, but
abandoning the gardening tools too early will only create more
work when the frost melts and it’s time to get going again. These
four tips will motivate the tired gardener to take just a few extra
steps in late October and early November to avoid perennial loss,
unhealthy soil, plant disease, and extra work in the spring. You’ll
thank yourself in April.
HARVEST AND PRESERVE
The first step for fall gardening is to do a little detective work. Is
there any remaining produce such as hearty squash and Brussels
sprouts still hiding in the garden that you missed during the
harvest? Take a sweep of your gardens and check for any last
delights before the animals figure it out.
Fall is a great time to start preserving any squash or veggies
that didn’t get eaten. Winter squash keeps well in a cool, dry
place for two to six months, depending on variety. Or, cut into
cubes and freeze for a mid-winter treat. Brussels sprouts can be
quickly blanched and placed in freezer bags or containers for
hauling out for holidays. Herbs can be cut and dried by bunching,
tying, and hanging in a cool, dry place or in a dehydrator. When
dry, crumble into containers for a pop of flavor.
Lea Camille Smith photo
PULL AND CUT
Pull back annuals, stalks, vines, and plants that have died. Focus
on cleaning up as much garden debris as you can to keep the soil
healthy and to reduce the risk of harboring diseases or harmful
bacteria in your garden. However, if you grew peas or beans in
your garden, cut down to the ground, haul away, and leave the
roots; their nitrogen fixing properties will help with soil health.
In the spring, you can remove the remaining plant matter.
With the soil free of dead plant matter, take some time to
weed the garden before winter, so the beds are clean at the start
of the next season.
What about leaves? The jury is still out about those. Some
gardeners insist on removing leaves, as they believe the moisture
that the leaves bring can encourage rot or introduce bacteria and
fungus; other gardeners argue that leaves act as a free mulch and
fertilizer that will protect the garden and feed the soil throughout the winter. If you prefer to remove leaves from your garden,
a rake or leaf blower is your friend. If you want to keep the
leaves, still plan on removing other dead plants, as the spring leaf
removal will be easier without additional plant matter in the way.
There are countless Northeast perennials to discuss for
cutting back. Next is a list of some of the most popular.
Most of these plants can be cut back with a pair of hand pruners,
but woody branches and shrubs might require loppers or a small
hand saw.
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Lea Camille Smith photo
MWVvibe.com
