Winterize your Garden

Seasonal Garden Tasks

• Spray citrus and other tender plants with Cloud Cover to protect them from frosts.
• Hang bird feeders around the yard to attract migrating birds this fall.
• Mulch asparagus beds with three inches of well-rotted manure.
• Empty and cover birdbaths and fountains to prevent freezing and cracking.
• Cover vegetable plants with bird netting to deter quail and other birds.

End-of-Season Cleanup

• Clear leaves from gutters, grass, driveways, and shrubs using a rake, blower/vac, or mower.
• Shred leaves with a lawn mower—leave them on the lawn for nitrogen or collect them for mulch/compost.
• Time leaf cleanup before rain to avoid clumping and clogging tools.
• Start a compost pile by blending chopped leaves with topsoil, cover with a tarp, and let sit until spring.
• Clip perennial stalks to 3 inches after a hard freeze; leave stalks with attractive seed heads for winter interest.
• Dig up non-hardy plants (e.g., geraniums) and pot them for indoor overwintering.
• Cover garden beds with several inches of compost to enrich soil for spring planting.

Plant Care and Preparation

• Avoid pruning or fertilizing in autumn to prevent stimulating new growth that may not survive winter.
• Remove only dead or diseased branches now—delay pruning woody herbs (e.g., lavenders, sages) until spring.
• Dig up fragile tubers (e.g., dahlias, begonias) and store in a plastic bag with vermiculite or peat moss in a cool, dark, dry place. Check monthly and ventilate if moist.
• Plant spring-blooming bulbs (e.g., tulips, daffodils, hyacinths) in autumn to allow root development before spring.
• Plant trees and evergreens in autumn to establish roots over winter for vigorous spring growth.