Fall Gardening To-Do List

 Though our temperatures are still surging now and then, shorter days and cooler nights mean that fall is on its way. Time spent in the garden is more comfortable for us AND our plants. After a summer spent watering and weeding, other landscape jobs are calling for attention. 

September and October are great times to add perennials, trees, and shrubs. Pansies and mums take center stage, though scores of other plants add gorgeous color to our fall landscape. Consider plants for migrating pollinators.  Ironweed, Goldenrod, Asters, and Sedums are among fall bloomers.

Goldenrod

Winterberry

Click for Top Plants for Pollinators from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

Add grass clippings, leaves, and smaller yard and kitchen waste to the compost pile. Turn weekly, adding a little water each time to speed up decay into rich compost. Topdress garden beds in October and November, adding organic matter. Here's more on backyard composting.

Collect native seed to store or sow this fall. Consider sowing wildflowers as one would seed a lawn. 

Houseplants that loved being outside this summer are ready to move back inside in the next month or two. 

Move houseplants indoors when nighttime temperatures are the same inside and out. Use insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to address insect issues. Avoid repotting unless absolutely necessary. Most houseplants go dormant from November to March. Limit fertilization as well. 

Harvest and store green tomatoes in paper bags to ripen. Keep at room temperature. 

Lift tender bulbs like Cannas, Callas, Begonias, Dahlias, and Caladiums before a hard frost. Store in a cool, dry place and set out in spring after the last frost date. 

Dahlia tubers should be dug before the first hard frost

Plant spring-flowering bulbs in October or November, as soil temperatures cool. Here is a guide to bulbs from the University of Maryland.

Fertilizing and seeding the lawn is best done in fall. Soil temperatures remain warm, so seed germinates faster. Most of our grasses are cool-weather turf-type fescues. Check our seminar schedule for our fall lawn clinic and other Fall Events. 

Empty pottery containers not in use. Remove saucers from beneath the pots. Store upside down in sheds or garages.

Drain hoses, clean and sharpen gardening tools. 

Invest in frost cover like Harvest Guard for blooms deeper into the season.

Pivot to indoor gardening. 

Dream of next spring's garden.  

Enjoy the cooler weather...it should be arriving soon. And get back out to the garden!