Remember to finish up these these last-minute fall tasks before winter fully hits the garden:
- 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. Read more about fall tree care.
- 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.
Meghan ShinnAuthor
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