Putting Your Garden to Bed for the Winter

October 31, 2017 Rebecca Brown and Norman Cohen

Winterize that garden! (Shutterstock photo)

Fall planting and maintenance is the best way to ensure a beautiful and bountiful garden in the spring. November is an ideal time to amend the soil, divide perennials, add new shrubs and trees or plant glorious blooming bulbs. For a worry-free winter and a carefree spring, simply follow these fall gardening tips.

Improve soil quality

Perform a soil test to determine its level of nutrients, pH and organic matter
Consider multiple tests, particularly if the soil is used for multiple purposes
Pull out weeds and don’t let undesirable plants go to seed
Remove dead and weak plants to reduce pest problems for the coming year
Leave roots of healthy vegetables in place because they’ll provide organic matter as they decay
Add nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium based on soil tests, and allow them to “settle in” over the winter. Examples are: blood meal, fish products, seaweed, bone meal and wood ash
Add organic matter around plants to improve microbial activity and friability (crumbliness). Organic matter can be compost, aged manure, leaves, straw, shredded newspaper and grass clippings that do not contain herbicides.

Care for native trees and shrubs

Prune only dead or damaged branches and stems, not plantings or established trees and shrubs
Remove rotten fruit from the ground around trees
Water evergreen trees to prepare them for the long winter ahead

Feed your lawn

A pH of 6.5 is critical for a healthy lawn. Test soil and if pH is lower than 6.5, apply lime. If pH is too high, apply sulfur. Fall lime application is best since winter snow and rain, along with freezing and thawing, will help to absorb lime or sulfur into the soil.
Fertilize as needed with a slow release fertilizer but keep in mind that Maryland laws enacted to protect the Chesapeake Bay prohibit fertilizing from Nov. 15 to March 1.

Plant and mulch

Plant native spring flowering bulbs and corms (an underground storage unit in certain plants) like Camassia (Indian Hyacinth), Claytonia virginiana (Spring Beauty), Erythronium americanum (yellow adder’s tongue), Lilium (Canada Lily, Turk’s Cap Lily), Zephyranthes atamasca (rain lily) and Allium cernuum (nodding onion)
Plant garlic cloves for harvest in mid-June
Divide existing and plant perennials such as Echinacea purpurea (Coneflower), Coreopsis and Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)
Leave seed heads to provide food for birds and stalks to provide shelter for beneficial insects
Mulch perennials after the first hard frost to prevent heaving

Tool care tips

Keep tools sharp and maintained
Smaller tools like pruners, loppers and shears require a small diamond stone for sharpening
For wood-handled tools, sand if needed and apply a light coating of boiled linseed oil
Apply lubricant to pruners, loppers (gardening scissors) and similar tools to prevent rust
Clean and store tools
Wash off dirt with strong spray from a hose
Dry tools thoroughly before putting them away
Use turpentine to remove stubborn sap
Keep tools indoors. For smaller tools, use a pegboard to hang your tools.

Plan and prep now to reap benefits later. Happy gardening!

Rebecca Brown began her career as a horticulturist over 25 years ago and studied at the New York Botanical Gardens. She has been a University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County master gardener for three years and is a backyard beekeeper.

Norman Cohen is a retired chemist. He has been gardening for 38 years and has been a University of Maryland Extension Baltimore County master gardener for nine years. Cohen also provides gardening education to the public at local farmers markets.