Fall Garden Clean-up

Retired UT Extension Agent Mike Dennison says that the first thing that you need to do when the gardening season is over is get rid of any diseased plants. They should be thrown in the trash, not composted. You can and should compost the healthy plants. If the plants are small enough in your garden, you can run over them with a mulching lawnmower and leave them to get tilled in next spring. Composting or leaving the plants in the garden helps reduce the need for fertilizer next year. Remove all the stakes, plastic mulch and other items that will not break down over the winter. You can plant a cover crop for your garden to help improve the soil over the winter.

Fall is a good time to get a soil test. Lime takes several months to change the pH of the soil, so fall is a great time to put it out.

In the spring you may want to plant but the soil is still too wet to work. Horticulture expert Dr. Lelia Kelly suggests making your garden rows in the fall so they are ready to plant in the spring. UT Extension Agent Chris Cooper suggests raking your leaves into the garden and then running over them with a mulching lawnmower.

Related Videos:
Disinfecting and Cleaning Garden Tools
Getting Fruit Trees Ready for Winter
Soil Testing

Related Resources:
Fall cleanup: Key to reducing risk for next year's plant diseases
Fall cleanup in vegetable gardens
Cover Crops for Home Gardens