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Grow with KARE: Fall clean up tasks

There are plenty of gardening tasks to keep you busy in the fall, and still plenty of time to get them done!

There are plenty of gardening tasks to keep you busy in the fall, and still plenty of time to get them done!

1. Protect your trees from rabbits, mice and voles. Fruit trees and those with smooth bark are especially vulnerable. Use a plastic tree protector or tree wrap. Make sure whatever you use reaches high enough off the ground to account for snow depth plus the height of the critters. Remove it in the spring.

2. To keep those same critter away from shrubs, wrap with twine and burlap. Just be sure to remove it early enough in the season so the shrub can start growing again.

3. Trim only those perennials that are diseased or are prone to mold, like peony, bee balm, phlox and hosta. Other can remain standing. Birds, bees and bugs rely on them for food and protection through the winter season. For the ones you do cut, leave at least 6" to 8" of stem so snow gathers at the base of the plant as insulation from the extreme cold.

4. Water your evergreens up until the ground freezes to prevent them from drying out. Then warp them with burlap as high as you can to keep the deer from nibbling them.

5. Mulch, don't rake! Run the leaves over with the lawn mower several times to create a fine mulch. It's free fertilizer for your lawn!

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