By the time fall arrives, I always seem to be confronted with a messy tangle of dying plants, destructive enthusiasm, and blooming weeds. It’s tempting to ignore it all, but if I spend more time in the garden now, it could save me a lot of headaches next spring. There will be fewer pests, fewer diseases and fewer weeds.
When preparing the garden for winter, it is very important to clean up dead plant material, especially spent vegetable plants squash and tomato. These plants are a magnet for diseases and pests. Any diseased plants should be burned or discarded, while those that are not can be added to the plants compost heap.
Gardening during the fall also requires removing, cleaning and storing temporary garden structures, such as vegetable fencing and plant markers. Don’t forget to remove all live and invasive weeds; this will save you a lot of work in the spring!
I like to save the most beautiful dried plants to make a homemade wreath or autumn flower arrangement; it’s very easy and fun! You can also use them as homemade Christmas decorations.