GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — There are some crucial autumn chores that will really benefit your yard and garden next spring if you get them done this fall.
Bobby and Belinda came up with some of the most important things that you can try to tackle this weekend and into early October.
Perennials
- Photograph your gardens and containers for a record of the year's triumphs and frustrations.
- Dispose of any diseased or infested plant debris, to avoid overwintering the problem.
- Leave Echinacea, Sedum, Grasses, and Clematis alone to provide habitat and food for birds over the winter months. Many native bees and other beneficial insects will live in the stalks of cut back perennials, so leave them up at least 6-10 inches.
Lawn
- Aerate, dethatch and adding some seasonal fertilizer.
- Instead of bagging, mulch your leaves into your lawn with your lawn mower.
- Over-seed now to establish before ground is frozen.
Veggie garden
- Pot up some mint and parsley and any herbs that you love for the kitchen windowsill, for fresh herbs throughout the winter.
- Spread cover crop seeds over your garden, for some great green manure that you can turn in next spring.
- Improve your soil. Add compost, it will allow your garden to dry out quicker.
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