Fall Gardening Checklist

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Fall Gardening Checklist

Fall is a great time of year to be out enjoying the cooler, refreshing weather, lovely fall colours…. and for preparing your garden for the onset of Canadian winter!

 Fall is also a great time to plant trees and shrubs, trim back perennials and plant bulbs for loads of colour next spring.

Here are a few tasks to do in the garden in the fall….

September and October:

  • Collect seeds and herbs for drying
  • add compost or manure to garden beds
  • plant new trees and shrubs (give them 6 weeks before the ground freezes)
  • plant spring flowering bulbs
  • continue watering trees and shrubs until the ground freezes (trees and shrubs that are deprived of water now will be easily stressed over winter)
  • pull weeds before they go to seed and to cut down on numbers next spring
  • rake and compost fallen leaves
  • remove dead annuals from garden beds after frost
  • clean up garden debris, remove all vegetable plants and fallen fruit
  • dig up tender bulbs such as dahlia and cannas – store in moist material in a cool, dark space

November, early December:

  • wrap screening around fruit tree trunks to protect from small rodents
  • cut back perennial foliage to discourage over-wintering pests and disease – but leave any flowers with seeds for the birds
  • mulch rose bushes
  • start paper whites and amaryllis for winter blooms
  • clean and sharpen garden tools and mower blades so they are ready to go in spring!

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  • Kristin Ego