Quit Playing In The Leaves And Clean Up Your Garden!

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December 14th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed

November in Michigan is the time to put your flower garden to bed for the coming winter. Autumn clean-up can be managed with one out of three possible strategies,each one is good or bad in some way.

The “tidy clean-up” removes essentially all dead plant matter from the garden-with the exception of woody perrenials and flowering shrubs. This is the most tidy and neat looking strategy. Not so different from how a clean carpet appears after you vacuum it. To make sure that next years plants are disease free this technique is the best choice because there is no debris left behind.This is going to help with your pest control. The cons of this technique outweigh the pros, because by removing all plant matter you have also removed all the vital nutrients the decomposing plant matter provides. The winter protection that plant debris provides has been removed and can no longer protect the roots below. You will now have to amend your flower beds in the spring with costly compost and fertilizer to make up for what you have taken away. Not the optimal maintenance style for a flourishing garden because it does not provide vital nutrients.

The next approach to fall clean up is perhaps a balance between vacuuming your beds and the doing nothing approach-this is what I call the “High/low maintenance” approach. High/low maintenance technique is by no means a no maintenance approach. This approach may involve a lot of work in the garden now, but will save you tons of work in the garden in the spring. In this approach one would remove dead annual plants,sprinkling the seeds as you go and putting away your garden decor if need be. These seeds will germinate if you don’t use a weed inhibitor in your beds. Proceed to cut down your perennial plants to two thirds with the exception of woody herbs and shrubs. Do not prune your flowering shrubs and herbs until warm weather returns in the spring. The birds in your garden will appreciate it if you leave some seed heads behind. If you cut down your grass leave about one foot to provide winter protection. Remove all the debris and leaves and rake out the beds. Use a blower and blow leaves onto your lawn and mulch those with a mower. Mulching the last of the autumn leaves into your lawn keeps things looking tidy and is like free fertilizer for your grass. Supposedly oak leaves mulched into the lawn are a weed inhibitor. Ask your lawn guys to mulch leaves before the blow them away. You may need to bury some of your tree roses. protect rhododenrons from die back, spray them with wilt spray and wrap them with burlap. Do not allow burlap to touch the shrubs. If you want better results from your rhododendrons, hydrangeas and roses next year then this is the time to make an effort to protect them.

Terrific Landscaping Ideas For Your Garden

the “no maintenance” technique to fall clean-up is the final and perhaps least labor intensive approach. The pro of this technique is you can just be lazy and nature will pretty much tuck all of your garden in naturally for the winter. The con’s of doing nothing now are that your neighbors will hate you for your messy yard and you will have a lot to do in the spring at a time when lots of plants are starting to peek through the debris. These plants and bulbs are very tender in the spring and will get mangled as you tear through the beds with your rake and pruning shears. Not only that, but the soil in the spring is at it’s most vulnerable time and stepping in the beds now will compress it terribly and prevent the tender roots of plants from growing at their best. Also remember that many weeds will continue to grow through the winter so if you did not pull them out they will have grown stronger.

What ever your clean-up approach be sure to put away your garden decor for the winter as you don’t want it to get ruined. Also remember to clean out your cool bird feeders and stock up on bird seed before the snow falls so you can sit back and watch the animals in your garden while it sleeps.

Each individual gardener has their own preferences of how to tackle their garden before winter comes. This article is intended to be a guide to help you decide which approach is best for you. Most importantly have fun in your garden!

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