Put The Garden To Bed Before Winter

Fall garden cleanup is an important step for the long-term health of your garden. Beds cleaned up now will be ready to plant first thing in spring, with fewer weeds and overwintering pests. Plus, there is no better time to be in the garden than a crisp fall day.

Clean up Garden Beds:  

1. Make two piles for garden waste – one for seed-bearing weeds and diseased plants, and one for compostable materials like annuals, veggies and leaves.
2. Pull dead plants and weeds and toss them into appropriate piles.
3. Cut tomato and squash vines, woody plant material and other bulky items into 12” pieces to help them rot faster. 
4. Collect tomato cages and gather up stakes. Store. Dispose of broken or damaged items and make a note of what you will need to replace in spring.
5. Lightly rake your cleaned beds.
6. Mulch with 2-3” of chopped leaves, pine straw or another biodegradable mulch to restore soil health.
7. Trash the pile of diseased and seed-bearing plants. Compost the other.

Tip:

Wait until spring to prune back hardy herbs like sage and oregano. Through winter, the brown branches will shelter the base of the plants from harsh weather.

Product Checklist:

• Garden gloves
• Pruning shears or loppers
• String or twine
• Rake
• Chopped leaves, pine straw (available at some Home Depot Garden Centers) or mulch