Garden Clean Up Debbie D. Dillion Extension Agent Horticulture North Carolina Cooperative Extension Union County

Discussion  Why clean up?  Fall versus Spring  Tools  Techniques

Why Clean Up???  Sanitation (& possibly protection)  Remove spent plant material from herbaceous annuals & perennials  Reduce insect & disease organisms  Reduce weed seed bank  Use spent plant material for plant protection  Manage excess fallen leaves  Personal preference  Neat & tidy garden versus ”not so”  Jump start on spring

Fall versus Spring Clean Up Fall  Neater/more formal winter appearance  Reduce weed seed bank  Reduce overwintering insect & disease  Organic matter may be used as mulch to protect plants from winter cold/frost heaving or composted  Plants easy to cut back/down  Firm  Can take steps to protect marginally hardy plants Spring  More natural/less formal winter appearance  Remove winter annual weeds  Allows for overwintering insect & disease  Organic matter may be used as mulch or composted  Plants harder to cut back/down  Mushy  May have winter damage to deal with

Tools  Hand pruners, Shears, Loppers, Pole pruner, Chainsaw  Weeding fork  Scythe, Weed eater  Edger  Rakes, Blowers, Shredder, Composter  Lawnmower  Wheelbarrow, Tarp, Trug, Bags

Techniques – Vegetable Garden  Diagram garden for use in crop rotation next year  Harvest warm season veggies before frost  Plant cool season vegetables/garlic  Remove weeds  Remove all spent plant material & debris from garden  if healthy, compost; if diseased, burn or bag for trash pick up

Techniques – Vegetable Garden  Remove stakes, cages, row markers, plastic mulch  Carrots or other root crops can be left in the ground - mulch with straw layer to prevent soil freezing; mark so can find  Prepare soil for spring planting  soil test every 2-3 years - add lime & fertilizer as recommended  incorporate organic mulches  topdress with rotted manure and/or shredded leaves  plant cover crop to mine soil nutrients & prevent soil erosion

Techniques - Fruits  Remove dropped fruit & mummies from planting  Remove litter/plant debris  Remove weeds  Prune dead, diseased, damaged plant parts  Blackberries – prune this year’s floricanes to ground  Raspberries – prune according to type or desired cropping

Techniques - Fruits  Blueberries, Grapes, Fruit Trees – prune late winter  Strawberries – cover with straw  Figs – build a cage around & fill with leaves/straw to prevent winter damage  Soil test if needed – add amendments as recommended  Mulch

Techniques - Lawns  Rake heavy leaf accumulations & compost or use mulching lawnmower to shred leaves so pieces can decompose into soil  Manage weeds  Hand removal  Organic or chemical control  In warm season grasses – after completely dormant can use glyphosate product to control actively growing weeds

Techniques - Lawns  Cool season lawns in fall  overseed or renovate if needed  keep mowing at 2.5 – 3.5” as long as growth continues  core-aerate  topdress with compost  fertilize & lime based on soil test  Warm season lawns in late spring  overseed or renovate if needed  core aerate  topdress with compost  fertilize & lime based on soil test

Techniques – Herbaceous Plants  Collect seeds of desirable annuals & store for spring planting  Remove weeds  Remove diseased plant debris  Fall - plant spring flowering bulbs before ground freezes  Spring - plant summer flowering bulbs after danger of frost or start indoors in pots 4 weeks before last frost date, then transplant into garden after frost  Cut perennials back to 3” above ground

Techniques – Herbaceous Plants  Leave some plants with seedheads that will attract birds in winter  Leave some plants as cover for birds & for winter interest (grasses, sedums)  Divide established perennials as needed, replant, share, compost  Dig tender bulbs & dry for storage in cool, dark spot until spring  Plant bulbs & new perennials  Add fresh mulch if needed

Techniques – Trees & Shrubs  Prune any dead, damaged, disease parts  Prune deciduous trees &summer flowering shrubs after they are dormant  Light pruning can be done on evergreens after they are dormant to provide greenery for holiday decorations  DO NOT prune spring flowering shrubs  Based on soil test - fertilize trees & shrubs after they are dormant – soil will still be warm enough for root uptake & growth  Fall – transplant deciduous shrubs & small trees before the ground freezes  Early spring – transplant evergreen shrubs, hybrid tea roses, & small trees

Techniques – Trees & Shrubs  Water trees & shrubs as necessary – especially evergreens  Mulch  Rake leaves & compost or shred & used as mulch  Stake newly planted trees to prevent wind damage  Consider screens or barriers for highly valued cold sensitive plants (or not)  If voles have been a problem in the past install guards around trunks of susceptible trees  If you plan to have a live Christmas tree, dig the planting hole now, place a board over the hole, & store soil where it will not freeze

Techniques - Miscellaneous  Store seeds, fertilizers, pesticides properly  Moving house plants indoors  Examine closely for insects, disease  Rinse them well with mild detergent/water solution  Treat several weeks ahead of time with systemic insecticide  Empty clay, terra cotta, ceramic pots, bird baths, other garden ornaments, clean, & store  Disconnect garden hoses, drain, store  Drain & shut off irrigation system  Take down stakes & trellisses, clean & store

Techniques - Miscellaneous  Shut down water garden, move aquatic plants indoors to ensure survival; remove pumps  Clean hand tools, oil  Sand rough spots on wooden handles, oil  Equipment maintenance  Drain gas from power equipment or use up by running equipment  add fuel stabilizer to stored fuel  Change oil, filter, replace spark plug, clean foam filters, replace paper filters  Make sure battery is charged  Relax, reflect, plan

Questions ??? Discussion...