Preparing for Spring Gardening

Now that fall is on the horizon, it is time for gardeners to kick back, relax and enjoy a well-earned rest. Maybe not just yet. Fall is the best time to evaluate what was the good, bad, and ugly about the current landscape and plan for the spring. Plan a new bed, revitalize an old bed, or prepare the landscape for next spring.

Walk around the landscape and decide what features are appealing and what are less desirable.  If it is time to downsize, decide what can be eliminated and what might be replaced with less labor-intensive plants. In general, small trees and shrubs will take less effort than many perennials.

If a new bed is the goal and sod is on the existing surface, try using a lasagna garden method to start the process. Put a layer of cardboard or several layers of newspaper down and wet them thoroughly. Layer green organic material (fresh grass clippings, yard waste) with dry organic material (leaves, straw, etc.) for several inches. In the spring, the sod will have decomposed and the organic material can be tilled into the soil, allowing planting to begin.

If lasagna gardening is not an option, rough till the new garden in both directions in the fall.  This will break up the soil, increase the oxygen, and increase the decomposition process. Since planting won’t occur until spring, there is no need to fine till. The soil will level off considerably by the freezing and thawing process during the winter. Final preparation of the bed will take place in the spring.

One of the most important tasks when starting a new bed is to take a soil sample and submit it for analysis. An analysis will give information about what the soil amendments might be needed for the specific plants that will go into the bed.

If an existing bed needs some revitalization, fall is a great time to tackle the task. If the spring blooming perennials have declined in blooms, divide and move them, but allow at least 6 weeks before the ground freezes for roots to establish. If more color is needed, add some hardy spring bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocus, or hyacinths.

Good garden hygiene will help reduce disease and insect infestations in the spring. Remove any dead or diseased plants and any broken or damaged plants. As the weather gets colder, cut plants to the ground that will succumb to frost, such as hostas and lilies. Put those into the compost bin as long as they were still healthy; if diseased, dispose of them. Plants like heuchera and strawberries have a crown that benefit from the insulation of the leaves, so allow them to remain unpruned. 

Leave standing plants that provide winter interest or that provide nourishment for wildlife. This might include coneflower, ornamental grasses, butterfly bush, and rudbeckia among others.

Weeds that go to seed in the fall will dramatically increase the gardener’s work in the spring. Seed production is prolific, ranging from several hundred to several thousand. Some seeds can remain dormant in the soil for decades.  Lamb’s quarter alone can have more than 72,000 seeds per plant; purslane 52,000. If even a quarter of those seeds germinate, a gardener’s work is magnified. To make garden chores less in the spring, remove as many weeds as possible in the fall, especially before they go to seed.

Carol Shirk

Certified Master Gardener