Caring for Fall Crops
The air and ground temperature is already warm (unlike spring plantings). It will be important to keep your seeds consistently watered. Adding mulch also helps water conservation. If the heat and Sun in your area is too intense, consider a lightweight row cover.
Some perennials, like hostas, peonies and daylilies, need to be pruned in fall to avoid winter damage. Plants like these should be pruned after the first few frosts in late fall or early winter. Other perennials like mums and coneflowers are better off being pruned in spring just before new growth comes in.
It's important to cut back foliage in the fall to protect flowering plants from disease and give them a clean start for regrowth as winter starts to turn into spring. However, there are some plants you can keep around through the winter since they benefit wildlife and still offer visual interest for your home.
Deep water plants before ground freeze, and continue to water during winter months when temperatures remain above freezing but without precipitation, Erect physical windbreaks. Wrap problem plants with burlap or other material to protect from wind and subsequent moisture loss to evergreen shrubs and small trees.
Fall Perennial Plantings:
Week 1: Every day to every other day. Weeks 2-4: Water 1-3 times a week, depending on environmental conditions. Weeks 4+: Water less as winter approaches. Water evergreens until ground freezes.
But fertilizing in winter (or late fall depending on your climate) can actually offer nutrients to strengthen roots (that do often continue to grow in winter despite dormancy.) Fertilizing helps it to prepare for winter dormancy and gives it nutrients to store for better growth in spring.
Contrary to traditional wisdom, many experts now consider late fall, or about a month after the first killing frost, to be the ideal time for applying fertilizers. We now know plants utilize nutrients throughout the year in different ways.
Ornamental cabbage and kale
Both can be used in many decorative ways. Each of these plants can really take the cold temperatures which makes them perfect for adding color in fall.
First, as the days shorten and the cold sets in, many plants become “hardened”. Water is pumped out of plant cells into the roots and any remaining sap, which is a sugary solution, often acts as antifreeze. Broadleaf trees, like maples and oaks, shed their thin, flat leaves each fall to reduce water loss.
In either fall or spring or in both seasons, put a 2 to 3 inch layer of compost on the bed and then turn the compost into the soil. The single best thing you can do for your soil is to consistently add organic material. This will enrich the soil and help you grow better plants.
Whenever you see summer plants dying or diseased, remove them to avoid disease. But generally, fall cleanup begins after the first killing frost. Even then, we only remove dead crops or debris as it invites disease and pests.
Creating Watering Schedules for Winter Gardening
Try watering at mid-day — when temperatures are higher—so it can soak in before it freezes at night. Water your landscape once or twice per month from November to April. New roots form in the months of March and April. It is most critical to water during these months.
The best time to water plants is in the morning or evening.
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
Browning leaves are typically caused by under watering, sunburn, or overwatering. If the leaf tips are turning brown and crunchy, the soil likely became too dry for too long in between waterings. This can also cause the plant to drop leaves.
Winter is usually the best time.
If you live in an area with distinct winters, the time when shrubs have lost their leaves and become dormant is an excellent time to prune them. Without the leaves, you can easily see the branching structure of the shrub and decide what to cut.
Once the first hard freeze has occurred, apply 2 to 4 inches of straw, pine needles, hay, compost, leaves, bark chips or other organic mulch evenly around the plants.
When should I wrap my plants for winter? This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook suggests to start wrapping your plants in November. If your plants are new, be sure to cover them for the first two years. The older your plants get, the sturdier they become in surviving winters.
Don't shear the branches of spring flowering shrubs (Forsythia, Lilac, New Mexico Privet, Spirea, Flowering Quince, and others). These shrubs produce flowers on last year's wood, so removing old growth will reduce or prevent flowering. These plants should be pruned immediately after they are done blooming.