11 Fall Gardening Tasks You Shouldn’t Ignore

Gardening enthusiast and biologist Lindsay Miller shares 11 essential tasks to tackle in the garden before the snow flies. Grab your gloves and get started - your garden, and your future self, will appreciate it!

Written by Lindsay Miller Horticulture review by Sarah Jay Last updated: October 30, 2024 | 8 min read

A person wearing green boots uses a rake to gather a pile of brown, dry leaves scattered on a patch of grass; a woven basket nearby is half-filled with leaves, surrounded by patches of green grass.

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As the vibrant colors of summer give way to the crisp chill of autumn, it can be easy to overlook your garden beds. The tomatoes are done, the last of the leafy herbs have bolted, the mums are out on display—what else could there possibly be? There are actually many fall garden tasks you don’t want to ignore or push off.

If you’re lucky enough to have several leisurely weeks of nice fall weather before a deep freeze hits, you could squeeze in another batch of veggies. Carrots, turnips, radishes, and greens make great cool-weather crops.

However, if getting more seeds started doesn’t sound feasible, there are a few gardening tasks that should take top priority. Fall is a great time in the garden: the weather is cooler, rain may be falling more frequently, and most plants are naturally slowing down and going dormant.

Now that you don’t need to worry about harvesting or watering, you can step back and take on some of those occasionally forgotten tasks. This is the perfect opportunity to assess your soil, finally eradicate those diseased plants that popped up this summer, and complete some basic garden tool maintenance.

Here are 11 must-do garden tasks to dig into this fall—don’t ignore them! We’re rooting for you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJc5s5dsw3I&t=9s

Feed Your Soil

A raised rectangular soil bed covered with a thick layer of dark mulch, freshly spread and tilled, sits near a wheelbarrow on a bare dirt ground with patches of green foliage nearby. — Spending energy on building resilient, nutrient-rich soil will go a long way.

After a full season of supporting lush vegetation, fruits, and gorgeous flowers, your garden soil needs a little pampering. Spending energy on building resilient, nutrient-rich soil will go a long way. There are loads of different ways to feed and maintain healthy soil, but do what feels approachable and accessible in your garden!

Add Compost

Hands in gloves guide a large pile of damp mulch from a wheelbarrow onto the soil, with rich brown mulch spilling onto the earth beneath, surrounded by dry and scattered leaves. — Add a 1-2 inch thick layer of finished compost to your garden bed.

Whether you make your own compost or purchase a bag of it, this is the number one thing you can do for your soil in the fall. A healthy dose of compost improves drainage, lightens heavy soil, supports beneficial microorganisms, and helps maintain soil moisture. Add a 1-2 inch thick layer of finished compost to your garden bed.

Plant a Cover Crop

A thick expanse of tall, dense green plants with thin, blade-like leaves swaying slightly, covering the ground completely, with no bare soil visible, creating a rich, verdant scene. — This practice is traditionally used on larger farms, but can absolutely be used in a home garden too.

Consider planting a cover crop to protect soil from compaction and help maintain soil fertility. Cover cropping is the practice of planting and growing secondary plants in a bed or field when the space is not being used to grow the primary crop (usually a vegetable or fruit).

This practice is traditionally used on larger farms, but can absolutely be used in a home garden too. Fall cover crops include oats, annual ryegrass, winter wheat, hairy vetch, clover, and Austrian winter peas.

Mulch

A set of garden tools, including a shovel and gloves, resting by a metal watering can and wooden border, surrounded by patches of brown dirt and lush green bushes with thick, glossy leaves. — At the very least, cover the surface of your bed with chopped leaves, straw, or bark mulch.

No cover crop? At the very least, cover the surface of your bed with chopped leaves, straw, or bark mulch. Mulch will protect the nutrient-dense topsoil from eroding away, maintain soil moisture, and keep sneaky weed seeds from taking root.

Deal With Diseases

A plant with large, wide green leaves showing signs of aging, as the edges begin to yellow, surrounded by other leafy plants in the background and brown soil beneath. — Toss any infected plant material in the trash, and don’t risk another outbreak next spring.

Before you get carried away composting, you’ll want to make a note of any diseases that plagued your garden this season. Home compost setups rarely get hot enough to kill pathogens. As a result, many viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases can overwinter on soil and plant debris thrown in the compost bin. Toss any infected plant material in the trash, and don’t risk another outbreak next spring.

Haul In Your Houseplants

A vibrant indoor plant with large, smooth, and shiny green leaves sits in a light green pot on a wooden table, with more leafy plants visible in the soft-focus background. — To avoid inviting aphids and other insects into your house, give your houseplants a good once-over before relocating them indoors.

If you moved some houseplants out to a porch or deck for “summer vacation”, time to bring them back indoors! Many of our beloved houseplants have tropical origins, and temperatures below 45-50°F (7-10°C) can cause them major damage or death.

To avoid inviting aphids and other insects into your house, give your houseplants a good once-over before relocating them indoors. Spray leaves down with a hose to knock dust and pests loose. Apply neem oil or insecticidal soap to any plants that show signs of infestation.

Make a Plan For Leaves

A person in jeans uses their foot to pile dry, brown leaves next to a large plastic basket, with trees and patches of bare grass visible in the background. — We now know that leaves are solid gold when it comes to healthy gardens and resilient ecosystems.

The old school of gardening thought was to scoop every last fallen leaf and get rid of it. We now know that leaves are solid gold when it comes to healthy gardens and resilient ecosystems. Continue to rake up dense mats of leaves off of walkways, patios, and grass lawns. However, don’t throw leaves away. Instead:

Add Them to Your Compost

Close-up of hands wearing white gloves, grasping a pile of light brown mulch with small, uneven wood chips, surrounded by more mulch spread on the ground. — Chop or shred leaves to speed up the decomposition process.

Dried leaves are carbon-rich “brown” ingredients. Add leaves to your compost bin immediately, or save them in a watertight container to use throughout the winter. I’m not fussy about throwing the leaves in whole, but just know that they’ll take longer to break down. Chop or shred leaves to speed up the decomposition process.

Mulch Garden Beds With Them

Tall, slender green stalks rise from a ground blanketed in brown, dry leaves, creating a contrasting mix of fresh greenery and decaying foliage. — Tuck an insulating layer of leaves around tender perennials that could use some additional winter protection.

Chopped leaves are a fantastic organic mulch, and this fall garden task is definitely one you will regret to ignore. Tuck an insulating layer of leaves around tender perennials that could use some additional winter protection. Use chopped leaves to cover bare soil and empty garden beds. They’ll suppress weeds and keep your precious topsoil intact.

Are there any trees that shouldn’t be used for leaf mulch? A few. Black walnut produces a chemical called juglone, which prevents many plants, including most of our common garden veggies, from growing. While the leaves don’t contain quite as much juglone as the roots and nut hulls, they should nevertheless be composted for a couple of months before using in the garden. You’ll also probably want to skip using poison ivy or poison oak leaves as mulch, which will definitely come back to haunt you later.

Stash Some for Wildlife

A person in motion uses a rake to gather brown and golden dry leaves scattered on the earth, with trees in the background and patches of green and brown leaves. — If you cannot stand the sight of scattered leaves around your yard, rake them into a loose pile in a discreet corner.

Leaves and brush serve as valuable habitat for insects and other overwintering wildlife. If you cannot stand the sight of scattered leaves around your yard, rake them into a loose pile in a discreet corner. Bees, moths, and other pollinators will nest, feed, and take shelter among the leaves.

Take Tender Tubers Out of the Ground

Several green-stemmed plants with thick roots sit in black plastic crates on a dry patch of dirt, surrounded by tools and other small plants prepared for planting. — Most of these plants are native to tropical or semi-tropical environments, and their tubers cannot survive a hard freeze.

If you ignore your tubers and bulbs on your fall garden task list, you may not have flowers next spring. Tender tubers (bulbs) include summer- and early fall- flowering plants such as dahlias, canna lilies, caladiums, calla lilies, tuberous begonias, and freesia. Most of these plants are native to tropical or semi-tropical environments, and their tubers cannot survive a hard freeze.

Gardeners in the warmest climates—usually USDA zone 9 and warmer—can leave these plants in the ground all year. But, gardeners in cooler zones will need to dig these tender tubers up and store them indoors during the winter months. Wait until the first light frost of the fall; this will give the plant ample time to mature and store up nutrients for the following year prior to going dormant.

Get Hardy Bulbs in the Ground

Close-up of small, round bulbs being placed into dark, moist soil, ready to be covered, with other scattered bulbs resting on the ground nearby. — Plant these bulbs in the fall to provide them with the cold temperatures needed to keep them dormant.

If you just dug up some dahlias, keep the shovel handy – it’s probably time to plant spring-flowering bulbs. Tons of our favorite spring plants (tulips! daffodils! crocuses!) are bulbs that require a chilling period in order to bloom properly.

Plant these bulbs in the fall to provide them with the cold temperatures needed to keep them dormant:

Daffodil
Crocus
Glory-of-the-snow
Muscari
Snowdrops
Tulips

Missed the window to get those spring beauties in the ground? Don’t fret. You can attempt to “force” your bulbs into bloom by chilling them artificially in a refrigerator for several weeks. This is called cold stratification. The plants may not be as robust as those planted in the fall, so make sure you select the healthiest bulbs for the best potential bloom.

Divide Perennials

A pile of freshly dug-up plant bulbs with roots exposed rests on a wooden surface, next to a small metal trowel and a pair of bright green gardening gloves. — Fall is a great time to divide up many spring and early summer flowering perennials.

Some plants really respond nicely to being divided every few years. Dividing can help rejuvenate older plants that have stopped blooming or died out at the central crown, and alleviate overcrowding in the garden bed. Most perennials should be divided every 1-5 years, depending on the species.

Fall is a great time to divide up many spring and early summer flowering perennials, like irises, daylilies, phlox, coreopsis, and peonies. Pick a cool day at least 4 weeks prior to a hard freeze – this will give your newly divided plant plenty of time to get established.

Tackle Invasive Plants

A bush with bright red leaves stands out against the green foliage around it, with a gray stone wall in the background and the ground covered in dark mulch and fallen leaves. — While the rest of your garden may be bare, you’ll be able to easily identify and isolate the invasive plants.

Fall is a great time to wrestle invasive plants. Many common woody invasive shrubs, including buckthorn, barberry, and burning bush, retain leaves and berries well into the start of winter. While the rest of your garden may be bare, you’ll be able to easily identify and isolate the invasive plants.

Shop Shrubs, Perennials, and Trees

Neatly arranged rows of shrubs and small plants, each in its own pot, cover the ground in a plant nursery, creating a vibrant, structured landscape with a variety of greens and browns. — In an effort to move some green goods inventory, some may put their plants at a hefty discount.

Many garden centers and nurseries are seasonal and close up shop before the fall ends. In an effort to move some green goods inventory, some may put their plants at a hefty discount. Their profit margin loss is a gardener’s gain! I’ve scooped up plenty of perfectly healthy plants in the fall that continue to grace my garden to this day (to this day, my favorite end-of-season steal is a $40 clematis that I purchased for EIGHT DOLLARS).

Not to mention the fact that fall is an excellent time to get young trees, shrubs, and perennials in the ground. The cool weather means you won’t need to stress about watering as much. Most plants are heading into dormancy, meaning they’ll be sending energy towards root development. Without buds and leaves to worry about, they’ll get established faster.

Drain Hoses and Irrigation

A soaker hose releasing water on top of a garden bed, aligned with some seedlings. — Cold climate gardeners know that a hose full of water will eventually freeze, expand, and burst.

I know, I know. Emptying out and wrangling garden hose is not exactly a glamorous task. But cold climate gardeners know that a hose full of water will eventually freeze, expand, and burst. Best case scenario, you have a cracked, leaky hose. Worst case scenario, you have water everywhere. Remove the hose from the spigot, then stretch it flat across the ground to drain. Alternatively, you can hang the hose by its middle over a fence or other high location so the water will drain out at either end.

Similarly, if you use a terracotta olla to irrigate your garden, and live in an area that experiences regular freezes or long winters, you’ll want to dig up, empty, and store the olla indoors. This will prevent the terracotta from cracking.

Clean Your Containers

A collection of stacked empty pots in various colors, from terracotta to plastic, rests against a wall, with a layer of dirt and small green tools nearby, suggesting recent use. — Blast containers with a hose, then take a few minutes with each container to scrub loose any caked on mud or soil.

I’m 100% guilty of not doing this one. Once a hard frost nukes the tender annuals in my pots, planters, and hanging baskets, I usually dump the soil and then just stack the containers in my shed. Rarely do I get the urge to break out a hose and scrub brush.

But I should. Insect pests can easily overwinter in the bottom of a planter and reappear in the spring. Bacteria from infected nursery plants will linger in the dirty, soil-encrusted planters and make their way into next season’s plants.

Blast containers with a hose, then take a few minutes with each container to scrub loose any caked on mud or soil with mild dish soap. Follow up with a 10% bleach solution or 70% rubbing alcohol to thoroughly disinfect the container. Dry containers in the sun, then store them and immediately start dreaming of next season’s planting ideas.

Key Takeaways

Wrapping up a few gardening tasks now ensures a healthy, vibrant garden next season. When spring finally does arrive, we’ll be able to focus fully on seeds and planting. Now, roll up your sleeves and get out in the garden!

11 Fall Gardening Tasks You Shouldn’t Ignore