Spring beauty starts in fall. See what you can do now to give your garden a jump-start for the season ahead.
Also be sure to get the free, printable Fall Gardening Checklist for more ways to get the autumn garden ready for winter and spring.
Start Spring in Fall
Fall is an odd time in the garden, providing both endings and new beginnings. The big show of summer is winding down, yet, as the darker, cooler weather sets in, there are many opportunities for new planting and sowing, veggie growing, and spring preparations.
The top item on the task list is to always protect anything that winter might destroy, including patio furniture, garden art and tender perennials. The free fall garden checklist helps prioritize these tasks.
Next, take advantage of the season and get those jobs done that will give your spring garden a jump-start. I’ve provided several ideas below.
But first, these are some tools that make the jobs easier.
Fall Gardening Tool Kit
The right tools make all the difference. Whether I’m doing woodworking, sewing, or gardening, once I find a good tool, I hang onto it, and keep it in good working order to ensure it lasts a long time.
The tools shown here are all by Fiskars but I always suggest shopping local and getting the best quality you can afford.
Here’s my essential tools for fall gardening
- Billhook | For hacking, digging, and chopping
- Garden knife | For dividing perennials
- Kangaroo garden bag | For transporting weeds and leaves
- Knee pads | Protects pants and knees
- Leaf rake | Best feature: leaves don’t get stuck in it!
- Pruners | The design makes it really easy to snip and clip without wrist or hand strain
- Shovel | A good, all-purpose shovel
- Transplanting spade | Excellent for digging up and dividing plants
The one item I use the most? The kangaroo bag. It’s so handy for collecting debris as I work and the smooth plastic base makes it easy to pull across the yard (no heavy lifting).
Now let’s dive into some tasks that you’ll be glad you did come spring.
1Divide and Transplant
Fall is the time to divide mature, early flowering perennials and transplant them to other parts of your garden. Move them now and you won’t miss out on spring blooms.
Use a shovel, or better still, a transplanting spade (pictured above). They are narrower and longer than shovels and do an excellent job digging up deep roots.
Timing Tips
There are always exceptions to rules, but, for most plants:
- If it blooms in spring or summer, divide and transplant in fall.
- If it blooms in fall, divide or transplant in spring or summer.
The idea is to leave the plant alone when it is budding or blooming so we can enjoy the flowers and fruit. But, the garden police will not come after you if you go off-schedule. It just means you may forgo blooms for one season.
Examples of plants to divide and transplant in fall include peonies and astilbe. Ideally, allow six weeks before first frost, so the roots can settle in before the ground freezes.
2Save Tender Perennials for Next Year
Many of our favorite plants are tender perennials that require extra care to survive the winter months. This list includes some bulbs, tubers, corms, zonal geraniums (Pelargoniums), begonias, and tender herbs including rosemary.
There is a complete guide to debugging and bringing tender plants indoors here.
Aim for a time when indoor and outdoor temperatures match as closely as possible.
a) Flower & Foliage Plants
Many of these plants can be transitioned to life indoors as houseplants (if you have adequate light and room), or overwintered in semi-dormancy until spring.
- Begonia
-Tuberous begonias need winter dormancy.
-Cane-type begonias and Rex begonias can be treated as houseplants. - Cherry pie plant Heliotrope
- Coleus Solenostemon (painted nettle) | Easy to root in water.
- Fuchsia | Keep semi-dormant indoors in a cool, dark location.
- Flowering maple Abutilon
- Hibiscus
- Impatiens
- Lantana Verbena family
- Zonal geraniums Pelargonium x hortorum | See various overwintering methods here.
b) Herbs
Tender herbs can be transitioned to life indoors under grow lights. Transition to indoors (as above) or keep semi-dormant at 45-55 degrees with artificial lights.
For more info, see How to Grow Herbs Indoors where I go into more detail about which herbs do best indoors and those that can be challenging to grow.
- Bay
- Chives
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Rosemary
c) Bulbs, Tubers, and Corms
If you live in a cold climate, with winter temperatures below freezing, tender bulbs, tubers, and corms should be removed from the ground and stored in a cool, dry, dark location until spring.
This includes dahlias, eucomis, cannas, gladioli, tigridia, galtonia, and others.
How To Overwinter Non-Hardy Bulbs
- Dig Up
After first frost, when foliage is dying back, dig up from ground careful not to damage bulb or roots. - Clean Up
Remove any signs of distress or disease or rotting – cut out bad parts of bulbs and tubers. - Discard
Safely dispose of any bulbs with mildew, rot, or disease. - Dry / Cure
Takes days or weeks, depending on bulb type. - Store
Store in cool, dark place above zero. Can be in a box of sand or tray of peat. Add wire mesh to keep mice out.
Preferred storage temperatures vary with each bulb type.
3Sow Seeds and Plant Bulbs
Fall is the time to sow and grow! There are several opportunities in the cooler weather.
a) Quick-growing veggies are ideal for fall growing.
You can harvest fast growing vegetable crops after just 4-6 weeks or keep them growing through the winter with adequate weather protection. Options include leafy greens, beets, kale, spinach, and more. Because these plants don’t produce fruit, they can be harvested at any time.
b) Sow flower seeds that benefit from a winter chill before germinating in spring.
- 25 Flower seeds to Sow in Fall
- How to Sow Native Seeds Outdoors (Easy Over-Winter Method)
- How to Winter Sow Seeds & Recommended Sowing Schedule
c) Plant garlic as well as bulbs for spring and summer flowers.
d) Sow cover crops.
4Garden Bed Cleanup & Spring Prep
When I go on a trip, I love to get the house clean and tidy so it’s lovely when we return home.
We tend to have the same impulse to “clean up” the garden in fall before winter sets in. But that’s not what’s best for nature.
Yes, protect furniture, tools, and décor but leave the garden “mess” alone.
All those old plants, seed heads, leaves, and stems aren’t just winter shelter for insects, birds, and other wildlife—they’re home to the pollinators and other creatures that keep nature running. As they use and break down the “mess,” they return valuable nutrients to your soil, fueling next year’s growth. And, it’s no exaggeration that nature as we know it cannot survive without them.
One good task to get done is to prepare any garden beds you will be using for early vegetable sowing. This way you can get those seeds in the ground the moment the timing is right in spring.
I like to buy any potting mix I’ll be needing in fall as it’s often hard to find here in late winter.
5Tool & Garden Container Cleanup
This is a good task for a rainy fall day. Get your tools and supplies in order.
For tools, if it has blades, nuts, bolts, screws, or chains, it will need maintenance to stay in top condition. There are more tips for tool care here.
- Wash, dry, repair, oil, and sharpen garden tools. Store in cool, dry place and you’re all set for spring.
- Clean garden pots and containers. Empty, wash, bleach (4 teaspoons bleach per quart or liter of water for at least one minute), rinse, dry, and store for winter.
- Order any seeds needed.
- Clean out the shed.
There! Now things are in good shape for spring.
Resources
Empress of Dirt
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Fall Garden Checklist
File provides a handy checklist sorted by priority and best timing.
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~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛