Fall chores in the garden

The cycle of the seasons continues and autumn is upon us. Some plants are starting to die back and the leaves are starting to fall off the trees. It’s time to start tackling the fall garden chore list.

Here are some things to work on this fall to keep your garden healthy and ready for spring planting.

• Fall lawn care: I water my lawn and give thanks that it’s green and holds the dirt in place but I am not certain it’s a ‘grass’ lawn anymore. Sure there are some grasses but there’s also a lot of clover and other green things that I can’t identify. But it’s green and I’m content with it but it’s not all it could be.. So I went to the experts for help on how to care for the lawn in fall. Like all fall garden chores tending to the lawn in the fall can give it a healthy boost for the spring. Sean Harlowe at Talmage Agway told me that now is the time to add root strengthening winter fertilizer and we can still overseed our lawns.

Be advised that the time to fertilize lawns will end on Oct. 31. Lawns go dormant and cannot utilize any added nutrients during the winter months. Rains cause excess fertilizer to wash into the aquifer. In an effort to protect our local waterways and our drinking water, which suffer due to excess nitrogen, Suffolk County passed a law that prohibits the application of fertilizers from Nov. 1 until April 1. There is a fine of up to $1,000 for violating this law.

• Build better soil with compost. Rake up leaves to add to the compost pile. You can run over the leaves with a lawn mower first to speed up the decomposition process. Add grass clippings at the same time and the pile should heat up quickly. Clean up vegetable beds and add the remains to the compost bin.

• Plant some winter rye in the vegetable beds. Turn it under in the spring to add a boost of nitrogen to the soil.

• Throw into a black garbage bag all diseased cuttings, especially roses. Most of us cannot get our compost piles hot enough to thoroughly kill the diseases that affect roses so it is best to dispose of rose cuttings in a black plastic bag and send it to the dump. Also, in a an effort to minimize tomato diseases throw tomato plants in the garbage even if they look healthy. Remove all tomato plants avoids giving tomato pathogens a place to overwinter in the garden.

• Deadhead and prune back perennials. Of course, you can leave some seedheads for the birds to enjoy over the winter. I always leave the coneflower and brown eyed Susan flower heads through the winter; the little birds seem to favor them.

• Deadhead butterfly bushes and other flowering bushes. Leave the flowers from hydrangea for winter interest.

• Prune raspberries by removing every third cane by cutting the cane at the base of the plant. This will keep the brambles at a reasonable size. Tie up the remaining canes as needed.

• Expanding the garden in the spring? Start now and use the layering method for Lasagne Gardening created by Patricia Lanza. Lasagna gardening involves layering organic materials in the spot you want your garden and letting them break down to garden soil ready for planting in the spring.Fall is a great time of year to do this because of the bounty of leaves and other organic material available. If you want the garden in a place that has sod there’s no need to dig it up; just put down a thick layer of newspaper or cardboard first and the sod will die back adding nutrients to the soil.

• Bring in any tender perennials you would like to save. Dig up canna and dahlia bulbs, place them in a paper bag and store them in a cool, but not freezing, location such as the basement.

• Don’t cut down ornamental grasses now. Enjoy hearing them rustle in the wind all winter long. Prune them in late winter or early spring before new growth.

• Plant Montauk daisies for perennial fall bloom! Actually, with sufficient watering now is a good time to plant perennials because the cool weather encourages root growth.

• Plant Bulbs! Last month I discussed they whys and hows of planting bulbs. Well I’m thrilled to report that our local Talmage Farm Agway is carrying a nice selection of deer-resistant, species tulips that will return year after year! I bought a variety that is labeled “fragrant” and I can’t wait to experience that scent in the spring. Go soon before they sell out.

Agway also has row covers that you can use like a blanket to throw over your cool weather vegetables to help them last through the winter. You can also start some spinach now and once it germinates throw a row cover over it to protect the seedlings all winter. In the spring the spinach will have a head start and you can get a very early crop.

Amy Davidson is a resident of downtown Riverhead and co-founder of River and Roots Community Garden. She has been a backyard gardener for 16 years. When she is not in the garden she is herding seven chickens, two dogs, two cats, two kids and one very patient husband.  amy@riverheadlocal.com