Fall Gardening: Must-Do Tasks for a Healthy Garden

Southwest Winter Yard Checklist Cool, bone-dry days + surprise hard-freeze nights 1. Water before the cold, not during it Give everything a deep soak the day before a forecast freeze—well-hydrated roots resist cold desiccation. After that, water only if soil is dry 2 inches down ; winter rainfall is scarce and roots can still bake under clear skies. 2. Mulch like the desert depends on it (because it does) Spread 2–3 inches of shredded cedar, pecan hulls, or pine needles to trap moisture and buffer 40°F days followed by 18°F nights . Keep mulch 3 inches back from cactus pads and agave crowns to prevent rot. 3. Build a “frost teepee” in 60 seconds Three tomato stakes + an old bedsheet = instant tent. Drape the sheet so it hangs to the ground by sunset; remove it at sunrise so plants don’t bake. For cactus, wrap burlap around the stakes— never let fabric touch spines (they hold moisture and freeze). 4. Stop pruning and fertilizing on Labor Day New growth triggered by nitrogen or fresh cuts is frost-tender. Clean up only fully dormant wood; save major pruning for late February , once 20°F nights are past. 5. Store the succulents that can’t take 25°F Aloes, kalanchoes, and small agaves belong in an unheated garage or covered patio . No light? No problem—they’re asleep. Water once a month , a sip—not a soak. 6. Protect drip lines and valves Insulate above-ground emitters with foam pipe wrap. Leave the timer on “manual” and run irrigation only when temps rise above 35°F . A cracked valve costs more than any plant you’ll lose. 7. Wildlife buffet control — desert edition Javelina love tender yucca spears; rabbits nibble desert willow twigs. Surround young plants with 3-ft-tall chicken-wire cages sunk 4 inches into rocky soil so animals can’t root underneath. 8. Rock-dust mineral boost Scatter ½ cup of gypsum or decomposed granite around native shrubs after the last irrigation of the year . Winter freezes break minerals down, giving caliche soils the calcium they crave—no extra water needed. 9. Tool and battery care Bring cordless pruners and lithium batteries indoors—desert cold kills charge capacity. Rub wooden handles with linseed oil to prevent cracking when humidity drops to single digits. 10. Scout for surprise volunteers A single December rain can sprout London-rocket and filaree. Pull weeds while they’re thumb-size —desert weeds set seed fast and steal spring moisture. Knock out this list over Thanksgiving weekend and your cactus, palo verde, and desert perennials will cruise through January’s 18°F mornings—ready to bloom when the first 80°F day hits in March. Pacific Northwest Winter Yard Checklist Cool temperatures + endless rain 1. Blanket the soil now, thank yourself later Rake back old mulch and add 2–3 inches of arborist chips or leaf mold around perennials, shrubs, and newly planted trees. Keep mulch a fist-width away from trunks to prevent rot. 2. Give frost-tender plants a rain-proof jacket Use an old cotton sheet or floating row cover, propped on bamboo stakes so leaves don’t touch fabric. Secure with clothespins and remove when the sun appears. Avoid plastic—it traps heat and cooks plants during the day. 3. Create a “no-buffet” zone for deer, voles, and mountain beavers Install ½-inch hardware-cloth cylinders , 18 inches tall, around new tree trunks Spray evergreens with a bittering agent (putrescent egg solids) every 30 days ; reapply after heavy rain Mow tall grass near trunks—rodents hate crossing open ground 4. Leaves: mulch them, don’t bag them Mow the lawn one last time with the bag off. Shredded leaves feed soil microbes all winter. Leaves on patios or driveways? Rake them directly onto garden beds for extra insulation. 5. Drainage triage (because PNW “cold” usually means mud) Add a narrow trench or 4-inch perforated drain where puddles last longer than 24 hours Knock heavy snow off shrubs with a broom to prevent branches from bending, rooting, or rotting 6. Last-call lawn haircut Lower the mower one notch (never below 2 inches ) so grass doesn’t mat and develop pink snow mold. Skip fertilizer—nitrogen pushes tender growth that frost destroys. 7. Tool TLC (while you’re stuck inside anyway) Rinse shovels, scrub with crumpled foil, then store metal ends in a bucket of coarse sand mixed with inexpensive cooking oil. Rust-free and ready for February pruning.  Complete these steps once fall rains settle in, and your yard will wake up green, upright, and mostly pest-free when crocuses finally push through the moss.