Putting the Garden to Bed for the Winter

Putting The Garden To Bed Kristin G. Hildabrand Horticulture Extension Agent For Barren County

Main Points  

Soil Testing Vegetable Garden 

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Record keeping

Home Fruit Plantings Flowers Houseplants Other overwintering tips Garden Tool Care

Soil Testing- Every 3-4 Years 

Fall is the best time 

Labs aren’t busy  Good time to raise or lower pH for spring You’ll be ready to garden come spring Soil testing is FREE! Make sure to take a soil testing kit before you leave 

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Soil is dry

Vegetable Garden 

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Remove all dead and diseased plants and fruits from the garden Cultivate the soil with a rototiller or plow Add compost/manure and incorporate into the soil

Vegetable Garden 

Sow a cover crop such as winter wheat or rye 

Small Grains 

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Sow wheat from mid September-mid November at 3 pounds per 1000 square feet Sow rye from mid August-mid November at 3-4 pounds per 1000 square feet

A four inch layer of compost or leaves applied to the soil surface will also be beneficial if no cover crop is sown Late planted spinach should be left undisturbed Asparagus tops should be cut to the ground, apply a 3 inch layer of mulch after the ground is frozen

Record Keeping 

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Make notes of what particular crops and varieties did well and what didn’t perform well Map how crops were laid out in the garden bed for crop rotation Do I need to space out my plants more?

Record Keeping 

When? 

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Environmental data (such as temperatures, rainfall, and when they occur) Noting dates of routine garden tasks such as pruning, fertilizing, pest prevention, and planting Learn something new from a fellow gardener and want to try it yourself next season?

Record Keeping 

Where? 

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Locating and documenting the wet and dry areas in the garden as well as sun and shady conditions Record the location of plants, especially the ones that go seasonally dormant Recording locations in a garden allows you to analyze the present and project into the future

Record Keeping 

What? 

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Capture images of the garden either as drawings or photographs to help observe their changes Record pests, pathogens, and their effects to better identify and manage them in the future Log the materials and supplies used in your garden to evaluate the successes and failures. A simple list of products used or photographing labels is very helpful.

Fruit 

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Trim out canes that fruited this year from blackberries, don’t trim anything else Trim out canes that fruited this past spring/summer from raspberries Cut fall fruiting raspberries to the ground after Thanksgiving

Fruit 

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Apply a thin layer of straw over strawberries after Thanksgiving Apply fresh mulch around fruit crops such as brambles, blueberries and fruiting trees etc. after the ground has frozen Fruit trees can be fertilized in the late fall similarly to woody plants, we will discuss this later

Fruit 

Clean all leaves, debris, and “mummies” from fruit crops, discard in the compost pile or burn, don’t use this compost on fruit crops!

Putting The Garden To Bed- Flowers 

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Wait until top growth has completely died back before cutting anything back Cut perennials and biennials back to just above ground level Pull dead summer annuals out, pansy and other cold tolerant annuals should be left Compost cuttings that aren’t diseased or insect infested

Putting The Garden To Bed Flowers 

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Remove diseased plant debris and leaves Apply a new layer of mulch after the ground has gotten frozen a few times (reasons?)

Additional mulch will insulate the bed and limit heaving

Putting The Garden To Bed Hardy Bulbs 

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Hardy bulbs are perennials that over winter each year Planted in the fall and require cold chilling to set flower Examples: tulip, daffodil, crocus, hyacinth, etc.

Putting The Garden To Bed Hardy Bulbs 

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Plant Hardy Bulbs in the fall through Thanksgiving Plant 6 inches deep, mix a teaspoon of bone meal into each hole Apply a 3 inch layer of mulch after the soil has frozen Do not fertilize in the fall or at planting Fertilize in the spring when foliage emerges, late Feb. with 10-10-10, 1-2 lbs per 100 sq.ft.

Putting The Garden To Bed Tender Bulbs ď Ž

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Tender bulbs are classified as bulbs that cannot (in most cases) over winter in Kentucky Examples- Dahlia, Cannas, Calla Lily, Elephants Ear, Tuberous Begonia, Caladium

Putting The Garden To Bed Tender Bulbs 

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Dig (bulbs) before frost or immediately after Cut tops back to just a few inches Allow bulbs to air dry indoors in a dry frost free area, garage, basements , attics, etc.

Putting The Garden To Bed Tender Bulbs ď Ž

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Place bulbs in containers without tops especially if storing in plastic, newspaper can be placed on top to keep light out Store bulbs in a cool frost free dry area such as heated garages, basements, and closets until spring

Ornamental Trees And Shrubs 

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Fall is the best time to plant most woody ornamentals Water, water, water….

Keep soil moist until the soil freezes Never prune in the fall!!!

Ornamental Trees and Shrubs 

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Late fall is the best time to fertilize most woody ornamentals Apply Actual Nitrogen Fertilizer 2-3 lbs per 1000 square feet after plants are dormant 2-3 lbs actual nitrogen equals 69 lbs ammonium nitrate or 4-6 lbs urea Soil test before applying other fertilizers etc.

Bringing Plants Indoors For Winter 

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Tropical's such as bougainvillea, angel’s trumpet, tropical hibiscus, flowering maple, etc. must be brought indoors Hibiscus and flowering maple should be kept actively growing in a sunny window, spray with insecticidal soap and acclimate plants

Bringing Plants Indoors For Winter ď Ž

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Bougainvillea should be cut back to 6 inches, watered sparingly, and stored in a cool dark frost free area Angels Trumpet should be trimmed by 1/3, watered sparingly and stored in a cool dark frost free area as well

Weeds 

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Weeds compete with plants for available light, nutrients and water, so it’s a good time to get rid of them!

Consider this: Weeds that are spread by seed produce thousands of seed!    

Lambsquarter- 72,500 seeds/plant Curly dock- 30,000 seeds/plant Purslane- 52,000 seeds/plant Redroot Pigweed- 117,000 seeds/plant

Houseplants 

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Bring any house plants spending the summer out doors inside before temperatures go below 50 degrees Fahrenheit Spray with insecticidal soap to kill any insect pests 

Make sure to spray undersides of leaves too!

Houseplants ď Ž

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Acclimate plants to lower light by gradually bringing them indoors, a few hours at a time, why?

Make sure to wash the pots and rid them of any insect eggs etc.

Water Garden  

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Empty and cover fountains Place water plants on the bottom of the pond Don’t turn off pond filters, the fish and good bacteria need oxygen If pond is shallow, invest in a pond warmer, this way fish can stay outside all winter Cover pond with a net such as bird netting, it will keep debris out of the pond

Garden Containers 

Protect clay and ceramic pots from freezing 

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They can and many times will crack.

Bring freeze-susceptible garden art indoors Place a bird bath de-icer in bird baths to keep them from freezing

Other Overwintering Tips 

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Disconnect the watering hose from the spigot and drain out any residual water Take down or turnover your rain gauge, they crack in the slightest freeze!

Drain oil and gas from all lawn equipment, it tends to go bad over winter Sharpen and rub oil on metal surfaces of hoes and shovels etc.

“Caring for your Tools” 

Quote: 

The most important tool in the garden is you.

When you’re feeling rusty and dull and not too sharp, you should take care of yourself. The same is true of your garden tools. They’ll be more productive if they’re well cared for [Jim Child (1999) Garden Gate, Issue 30.]

Garden Tool Care 

Important reasons to make garden tool maintenance a routine chore:  

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Tools last longer when well cared for Sharp tools make better cuts on foliage, allowing the plant tissue to heal properly Clean tools help prevent the spread of plant diseases Tools are safer to use when they operate properly (You make sure that handles are splinter-free!)

Garden Tool Care 

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Spray or wipe with Lysol® disinfectant. The active ingredients in Lysol® are less corrosive to metal than a bleach solution To protect metal tools from rust, clean, dry and give a light oil coating.

Wipe off excess oil or dirt during the gardening season

Garden Tool Care 

Make an “oil sock” to rub metal parts and keep them clean. 

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Stuff a sock with sand or wadded rags. Tie a knot and apply vegetable oil. Store the sock in a ziplock plastic bag. Vegetable oils work and are less toxic than the engine oil that's often recommended

A “dip bucket” of sand can clean shovels and trowels of clinging dirt.

Garden Tool Care 

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Murphy's Oil Soap or a multi-purpose hand cleaner removes plant sap from tools and is less toxic to use than turpentine.

Use a wire brush, putty knife and /or steel wool to clean large amounts of dirt or rust from tools.

Always wear safety goggles when cleaning and sharpening tools.

Garden Tool Care 

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A tool storage rack will keep tools organized, and may keep you safer from accidents.

Use saw guards to keep saws sharp and yourself safe from accidental cuts.

A bucket caddy corrals small hand tools.

Any Questions?

Kristin G. Hildabrand Horticulture Extension Agent For Barren County 1463 West Main Street, Glasgow, KY 42141 P: (270) 651-3818, kristin.goodin@uky.edu