Getting Your Garden Ready for Winter

It's that time of year again ... Fall! I say this with excitement because after months of very hot and humid weather, (at least in my part of the country), I can finally get out in my yard and do some serious gardening. I welcome the cooler temps with open arms. Now I can enjoy my yard and gardens, get some work done, and also get some much needed fresh air!

No matter what part of the country you live in, fall means cooler temps, which in turn means time to prune, divide and transplant any plants needing it, as well as re-potting, cleaning up beds, and getting plants ready to bring in doors for the winter, if needed.

I like to do this over a period of two to three weekends. You don't want to do everything to the plant at once, because they can easily go into shock. I always start with a good watering, and some good fertilizer. I will go through my yard, and water and fertilize everything. You may also want to start doing a little weeding too at this time. So, step one, week one, water and fertilize. Then step two, week two, I will go through my yard, and prune any plants that are over grown. The third step, week three, is when I will divide any plants that need it, and either pot them to get ready to bring inside for the winter, or transplant them into the ground. I will also check all my potted plants at this time, and see if they need bigger pots.

There really aren't too many guidelines to follow when pruning. If you are pruning your roses, make sure you cut at a 45 degree angle, 1/4 inch above an outward facing bud. Prune each cane 4-6 inches above the crown. Only in milder climates do you really need to prune your roses though. Cooler climates can do this in the spring. For all other plants, fall is the ideal, and recommended time to prune. You want to cut off all the deadwood first, along with any damaged and/or diseased parts. Then remove overly tangled stems, starting in the center of the plant to open it up. You want to cut back each stem to a bud or side branch. Try to prune it somewhat to it's natural shape.

The third weekend is when I will do all my re-potting, dividing, and transplanting. Some of your plants will most likely have a much bigger root system by now, and will either need to be re-potted, put into the ground, (if you are in a zone that the plants will survive in during the winter) or divided into more then one plant. When re-potting, or potting a plant to bring indoors, I highly recommend buying a good, nutrient enriched soil, especially if that plant will be living indoors for the winter months. I also recommend self watering planters for those plants that will be going indoors. Plants dry out quickly indoors. Before you bring your plants inside make sure you have picked out a good spot. Pick somewhere bright, and with as much humidity as possible. Also make sure it isn't near a draft. Bathrooms and kitchens are usually good choices. Remember if you live in a cold climate, protect those plants that are staying outdoors, especially your roses. Also, after you get the plants ready to bring indoors, move the plant to a shady location outside for a couple weeks. This will get the plant use to less light...which is what their climate will be like in your house.

I also like to give all my garden beds a good cleaning at this time. Weed, if you haven't already done so, remove old leaves, sticks, etc. This will prevent disease from spreading throughout the winter. Plus, if you live in a colder climate, this would be a great time of year to clean off all your 'yard art', and put away until the spring.

Now you should be in pretty good shape for the winter. Remember to enjoy this time of year too...it will be gone before you know it!