Fall clean-up will Benefit spring planting
Brian Jervis: Master Gardener
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Q: Should I cut the tops off of my lilies
in fall or wait until spring? T.C., Owasso
A:
Both times are
acceptable, and what you do depends basically on the appearance you are
striving for in your landscape. This brings up the topic of fall activities in
the garden that may help increase the performance of ornamentals and vegetables
the following spring.
The option of removing leaves and stems of
perennials applies to many plants other than lilies. Generally, it is best to
leave perennial leaves attached to the plant as long as any parts are green.
When green is present, the plant is still making energy and storing it in roots
or bulbs.
One of the exceptions to removal of all plant
parts from perennial ornamentals is when one wishes to save seeds for birds.
Plants like purple coneflower have heads loaded with seeds that the birds can
eat over the winter.
Lilies have long leaves that if left in place
after browning and falling over, serve as a type of mulch to conserve water and
moderate ground temperature. Also, if left in place, they may be pulled by hand
or raked, as they are easily detached in spring. If for appearance sake you wish
to remove the leaves in fall, it is best to mulch the lilies for the winter
after the first frost.
Recommendations for fall cleanup in the
vegetable garden is the same for ornamentals.
The tops of perennials such as asparagus should
be handled like lilies. Annuals such as tomatoes and members of the squash
family will develop disease and insect problems in the course of the growing
season.
Many of these plants will harbor disease-causing
microbes and also various overwintering insects and eggs in the material left
behind after harvest. If left in place, the disease and insect numbers will
build up and increase in severity from year to year.
So for vegetable gardens, it is best to remove
all of the debris from last summer’s crop. After removing the debris, it helps
to till the garden to expose any undesirable microbes or insects to the effects
of winter.
Also, the fall is a good time to till organic
material into your garden. Any composted organic supplements will benefit the
soil when added in spring or fall. Even though some of the organics, such as
leaves, might not be fully composted when added in fall, they should decompose
over winter and be good to go in the spring. Some gardeners also will plant
winter-hardy cover crops such as Austrian winter peas and winter rye. These
cover crops protect the garden soil, and when tilled into the spring garden,
they add desirable nutrients and organics to the garden.
Other suggestions for your garden beds is to
obtain a soil test. This will give you sound advice about what fertilizers and
amendments to add to the garden in fall and in springtime.
Garden tips
§ Leftover garden seeds can be stored in an
airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until next planting season.
Discard seeds more than 3 years old.
§ The garden centers still have large selections
of spring-blooming bulbs for sale. If you intend to plant bulbs, buy them and
plant soon. Tulips can still be successfully planted through November.
§ Be sure to keep leaves off newly seeded fescue.
The sprouts will die without sun and air exposure.
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