Source: The Spruce
Taking care of your garden bed before winter will save you a lot of work in Spring, allowing you to focus on planning your garden, choosing varieties, and planting – the fun stuff!
- Cutting Back: Do some research on the perennials you have to determine if they should be cut back in fall or spring. For instance, while irises should be trimmed down after blooming, all foliage should be removed after a couple of hards frosts to prevent diseases.
- Cleaning: Remove annuals that have passed their prime/are not bearing any more fruit. Harvest any fruits or vegetables. If this isn’t done, they will rot (attracting wildlife) or seeds you do not want will start to grow next summer. This is a good time to take care of your garden tools as well. Clean off tools, washing down pots, etc. Sharpening and lubricating tools that need it are also helpful.
- Planting: Yes, certain plants are planted in the fall. This includes flowering bulbs, garlic, and rhubarb. If you want to plant these, get them in the ground before it freezes. Water until the soil freezes – this is true for your trees and shrubs at home.
- Add Compost: Fall is a great time to amend the soil for next spring. Adding 1-2 inches of compost on top of your bed can help replace vital nutrients. The freezing and thawing over winter will work the compost in for you. Denver’s Own EcoGro Compost is organic, produced locally, and available at Ace Hardware stores.
- Soil Testing: If you want to get really technical, fall is a great time to test the properties of your soil, which can help inform any specific amendments your garden might need. Soil testing kits for the CSU Extension Office are available at most garden nurseries. After the soil is collected and sent to the lab, CSU will send you a report detailing their findings around different nutrients, carbon/nitrogen ratio, pH, etc. This type of soil test will run $30-40.
To all of the gardeners who came out to garden at Foxridge Community Garden during its first full season – thank you! We’ve enjoyed having neighbors in the garden and hope to see you next year.
If you are interested in signing up to rent a raised garden next year, please reach out via our Contact Us form.