Must-Do Late Fall Garden Tasks

Remember to finish up these last-minute fall tasks before winter fully hits the garden:

Don't forget to empty spent annuals from pots, and store any delicate pots indoors.

6 Garden tasks to make sure to do this Fall

Apply an organic mulch to beds and borders. This will keep the ground frozen during winter warm spells, so that shallow-rooted plants and recent plantings aren't heaved out of the ground.

Be sure to wait until the ground freezes to apply the mulch; otherwise, small rodents might build nests in it and nibble your plants all winter. In areas where the ground does not freeze, a winter mulch is still beneficial, because it protects the ground from being compacted or leached of nutrients by winter rains.
Mow your lawn short on the last mow of the season.
Line up an arborist to evaluate and trim your trees this winter or early next spring.
Bring empty frost-sensitive pots, such as terra-cotta pots, into a garage, cellar or shed. Read more about safely wintering garden containers. If you've kept perennials in your containers, here are ways to protect the plants and pots for winter.
Drain water from hoses, and store them inside on a hose reel or loosely coiled on the floor or a shelf. Hanging them from a hook can create lasting kinks. Read more about hoses and other equipment in Checklist for Storing Garden Tools for Winter.
Turn off the water supply to outdoor faucets to prevent the pipe from freezing and bursting.