10 Easy Things to Do Now for a Better Garden Next Spring

Whether you lay sod (learn more about how to do it correctly here) or plant grass seed, late summer and fall generally are good times to fix bare spots. Ideally, you should do it when your type of grass—which depends on where you live in the country—is actively growing. Cool season grasses, which are found mostly in the north and upper third of the country, grow during the cooler times of year until the soil freezes (around Dec to February). Warm season grasses, which are found in the South, grow during the warm times of year, which is May to mid-September. If you’re not sure what kind you have, your local university coop extension service can help (find yours here).

SHOP GARDEN RAKES

Nothing’s more uplifting to your winter-weary spirit than the first flowers of spring popping through the earth. But if you want spring flowers, you need to plant bulbs now! Plant springtime favorites including crocuses, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, and allium for color all season long. If digging rodents such as chipmunks are an issue in your garden, plant bulbs they don’t prefer (daffodils, hyacinths and allium) or protect bulbs with a layer of chicken wire to discourage digging. Generally, you can plant bulbs as long as the soil is “workable,” meaning you still can get a shovel into the ground.

SHOP HAND TROWELS

Many plant diseases are soil borne and can survive the winter in plant debris. For example, if you struggled with powdery mildew on perennials this season, destroy affected stems and leaves because it will otherwise hide out on these fallen materials. Remove any weeds from your garden, and pull up dead veggies and annuals. It’s fine to compost faded plants as long as they were healthy, but toss any diseased plant foliage.

SHOP LEAF RAKES

Perennials—such as irises, coneflowers, and sedum—come back year after year, so they’re a great investment for your garden because you buy them once and reap years of returns. But sometimes, these plants get a little overgrown or crowded by other plantings so they stop performing well. There’s no set rule, but every 2 to 3 years, you may need to divide perennials for better blooms.

Plants such as coneflowers, black-eyed Susan, sedum, Heuchera, perennial geraniums, and daylilies are all great candidates for fall division. It’s not complicated to divide perennials; simply chunk a piece off the edge with a shovel or hand trowel, making sure to take some roots. Then replant elsewhere in your garden, or share with friends! Keep the transplants watered, and make sure you have them in the ground at least six weeks before the ground freezes so that they can get well established.

SHOP DIGGING KNIVES

If you haven’t already, fall is the time to start composting! Why waste all that good free stuff when you can be making compost? Simply start a pile behind your shed, or DIY a compost bin from basic materials you can pick up at the hardware store. There also are many commercially available compost bins that are attractive enough to be left out in plain view without annoying the neighbors.

SHOP COMPOST BINS

Fall is the ideal time to plant new perennials, shrubs and trees because the temperatures generally are less extreme and rainfall is plentiful. The soil still is warm, too, which promotes healthy root growth so plants get established. You also can take advantage of those clearance sales at local nurseries as they try to clear out stock before winter! Just make sure to plant at least six weeks before the ground freezes to give your plant babies time to get established.

SHOP GARDEN SPADES

If your area is experiencing a particularly dry fall, you’ll need to water, because roots still are growing! If it hasn’t rained in 10 days or more, give your plants a drink— especially any new perennials, shrubs or trees you added to the landscape this year. Broadleaf evergreens, such as holly and rhododendrons, have leaves year-round but can’t take up water once the ground freezes. So, give them a little extra water in the fall so they can enter the winter stress-free.

SHOP WATERING CANS

It’s not just about aesthetics: Leaves from trees such as maples and oaks can get matted together and make a big, slimy mess on your lawn or perennial beds by next spring. Use a mulching mower to chop up the leaves and add (free!) nitrogen back to your lawn, rake them up and add to your compost pile, or shred and add to garden beds as mulch around plants. Mulch will reduce weed germination next spring, protect plants from freeze/thaw cycles, and provide nutrients to the soil as they decompose.

SHOP LEAF BLOWERS

Plant diseases can be transferred from plant to plant by contaminated tools. Before you put everything away for the year, do a quick cleanup: Knock off dirt with a wire brush, buff out any rust spots with sandpaper, then clean the tool in a soapy water bath. Next, dip in a dilute bleach solution and dry completely. Apply a thin coat of mineral oil to inhibit rust on metal surfaces. If your tools have wooden handles, give them a thin coat of linseed oil. These few housekeeping steps will not only kill disease-causing pathogens so you don’t pass them on to new plants next year, but your tools will last longer, too.

SHOP LINSEED OIL

It doesn’t have to be complicated, just scribble down a few notes about what you planted and how it did in a simple notebook. Trust us: You’re so not going to remember what did great and what wasn’t worth your time when you’re shopping for new plants next spring. If you’re feeling ambitious, sketch out where you planted things, too, so you can rotate where you plant veggies next year or remember what combinations of flowers you used in pots. Taking a few minutes now will save time and frustration next spring!

SHOP GARDEN JOURNALS