What a hot, dry summer we had … plants frying in the sun, early-morning and late-afternoon watering just to keep them alive, only to be rewarded with mildew. I didn’t harvest a single cucumber this year, but that’s gardening. Some seasons are simply more productive than others, but every year teaches us something new. The good news is that fall has arrived, bringing one of the very best gardening seasons of the year. Let’s start by giving the garden the fresh beginning it deserves.

Build Better Soil This Fall

The first thing I’m doing is cleaning out my garden beds. All of the summer plants still standing are headed to the compost pile. Then it’s time to improve the soil. Nothing beats homemade compost if you have it. I spread two to three inches over my beds and work it into the soil before planting. If you haven’t started a compost pile yet, don’t worry. Quality compost products like Daddy Pete’s and Black Kow are readily available at local garden centers, and I’ve had great success with both. Whether you plan to plant right away or simply let the soil improve over the winter, adding organic matter is one of the best investments you can make in next year’s garden.

Plant a Fall Garden or a Cover Crop

Now comes the question: What do you want your garden to do this fall? Personally, I’m getting my beds ready for winter greens and root crops. If that doesn’t fit your gardening plans this year, consider planting crimson clover or winter rye instead. Cover crops do much more than simply fill empty space. They help prevent erosion during winter rains, replace nitrogen depleted during the growing season, and improve soil structure with their deep root systems. Either way, your garden continues working through the winter.

My raised beds will get another layer of compost before I work everything together and remove any remaining summer stragglers. Later, as the hardwood trees begin dropping their leaves, I’ll shred them with the lawn mower and spread them over the beds. They’ll slowly break down through the winter, adding even more organic matter before spring planting. Nature has been recycling leaves into rich soil long before gardeners ever gave it a name.

Give Your Lawn a Fresh Start

Speaking of leaves, don’t let them pile up on your lawn. September is one of the most important months for fescue. If your grass still needs mowing (and hopefully it does), keep it at about 2½ to 3 inches. That height helps protect the lawn while encouraging a stronger root system as cooler weather arrives.

Before reaching for fertilizer, consider having your soil tested. Your local Extension office can provide a soil test kit, and many farmers markets have Master Gardeners available to answer questions and help explain the results. A soil test tells you exactly what your lawn needs – and just as importantly, what it doesn’t. If fertilizer is recommended, apply it in September and again in November before putting the lawn to bed for the winter. Your next feeding won’t be needed until around Valentine’s Day.

If your lawn has become compacted over the summer, this is also the ideal time to aerate and overseed. If you’re simply patching bare spots, loosen the soil and reseed. Just remember that if fall rains don’t cooperate, you’ll need to keep those newly seeded areas watered.

If broadleaf or other weeds are becoming a problem, identify them before choosing a herbicide and always read the label carefully, especially if you’re also planting new grass seed. Your local Extension office is an excellent resource if you have questions. Of course, the tried-and-true method of pulling weeds by hand still works remarkably well.

Bring Color Back to the Garden

Soon, our garden centers will be overflowing with one of my favorite combinations of the season – mums, pansies, violas, and snapdragons. Choose colors that brighten your day and plant them somewhere you’ll enjoy every time you come home, whether in the landscape or in a favorite container. One of my favorite porch combinations is a small camellia planted in a frost-proof container and underplanted with colorful violas. It creates a beautiful welcome through the fall and often continues looking great well into winter. There are so many wonderful plants available this time of year, so choose something that makes you smile.

Plant Now, Enjoy Spring Later

Back to the vegetable garden. After removing the spent summer plants and improving the soil, you’re ready to plant for fall. Greens, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots, and radishes all thrive this time of year. October through November, before a hard freeze, is also the perfect time to plant onions and garlic.

While you’re thinking ahead, don’t forget your spring bulbs. The daffodils, crocus, and alliums you admired in other gardens last spring won’t magically appear in yours next year unless you plant them this fall. Gardening always rewards those who think one season ahead.

Fall is also one of the very best times to plant trees and shrubs in our area. If you have a sunny spot that needs a tree, consider dogwood, redbud, or serviceberry where space is limited. Dogwoods and redbuds also make excellent understory trees. Yoshino and Kwanzan cherries perform beautifully here, as do many spring-flowering magnolias. Cooler temperatures and warm soil allow roots to establish before next summer’s heat arrives. Just remember to keep newly planted trees watered until they’re well established.

There are so many wonderful trees from which to choose, and never quite enough room to plant them all. Take a little time to research what works best for your space, then choose something you’ll enjoy for years to come.

Keep the Garden Growing

The summer season may be winding down, but there is still plenty of work to do in our local gardens. Keep harvesting whatever is still producing from summer, knowing that a killing frost is likely still a month or so away. There’s still time for cleaning up and putting the garden to bed for the season ahead.

Speaking of harvest, get those pumpkins out of the patch and start decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving. Once it’s time to start thinking about Santa, the local deer will enjoy the treat of your pumpkins.

Gardening is a full-time, full-circle job, but we know that – and we enjoy it. Happy fall gardening!