Spring garden centers have a way of convincing us that our soil desperately needs another bag of something. Fertilizer, lime, compost, sulfur and specialty amendments can quickly turn a simple vegetable bed into an expensive project, especially when you’re guessing about what the soil actually needs. Fall soil testing replaces much of that guesswork with…
garden tips
What to Do With Tomato Plants After the Final Harvest
That last tomato may be off the vine, but your tomato season isn’t quite finished. What you do with those tired, brown plants now can affect disease pressure, garden cleanup, and even where you should plant next year’s crop. Simply leaving old vines sprawled across the bed until spring may allow infected plant debris to…
How to Clean Up Garden Beds Without Removing Every Habitat
Fall garden cleanup used to mean cutting every perennial to the ground, raking out every leaf, and leaving beds nearly bare before winter. We now know that some of what looks like garden debris is actually valuable shelter for bees, butterflies, moths and other beneficial insects spending winter in our yards. That doesn’t mean you…
How to Protect Tender Herbs From Sudden Frost
One chilly night can wipe out months of herb growth surprisingly quickly, especially when a warm fall suddenly turns cold. Basil is particularly vulnerable, but container-grown rosemary and other tender herbs may also need help when temperatures tumble. Fortunately, protecting herbs from frost doesn’t require an expensive greenhouse or a cart full of garden supplies….
Cold-Frame Crops That Can Stretch Your Growing Season
The first frost doesn’t necessarily have to end your vegetable garden, and you don’t need an expensive heated greenhouse to keep harvesting. A simple cold frame—a low, enclosed growing space topped with glass, polycarbonate or another transparent material—captures solar warmth during the day and provides plants with additional protection from cold nights. The trick is…
How to Prepare Raised Beds for Cold-Weather Growing
Your summer tomatoes may be finished, but that doesn’t necessarily mean your raised beds need to sit empty until spring. With the right crops and a few inexpensive adjustments, cold-weather raised beds can keep producing lettuce, spinach, kale, carrots and other hardy vegetables well beyond the traditional gardening season. Raised beds are particularly convenient for…
Leaf Mulch Uses That Feed Garden Soil All Winter
Every fall, gardeners fill bags with something they may turn around and pay to replace a few months later. Fallen leaves can become mulch, compost and organic matter, making them one of the most useful free materials your yard produces. Instead of hauling them away, strategic leaf mulch uses can protect exposed soil, suppress winter…
October Lawn Care Tasks That Protect Your Grass Before Winter
By October, the lawn mower may be running less often, but putting lawn care completely on hold can create problems that show up next spring. Grass type, climate and local frost dates determine exactly what your yard needs, yet several October lawn care jobs can protect turf through colder weather without requiring an expensive lineup…
Fall Pruning Mistakes That Can Weaken Spring Growth
Fall cleanup has a satisfying rhythm: pull the annuals, rake the leaves, put away the hoses and trim everything that looks unruly before winter. But reaching for the pruning shears simply because a shrub looks messy can create problems that won’t become obvious until months later. Some fall pruning mistakes remove flower buds that have…
The Best Garlic Planting Window Before Winter Sets In
Garlic is one of those crops that asks you to think about next summer while you’re still cleaning up this year’s garden. Plant too early, and warm fall weather can encourage more top growth than you want before winter; wait until the soil is frozen solid, and you’ve missed the easiest opportunity for the cloves…