After-Summer Care for a Fabulous Fall Garden: Assessment, Planning & Prep

September bridges summer and fall. Warm days may linger, but it’s time to clean up summer gardens for autumn’s bounty. Cooler days and crisp evenings approach — in some areas, cool-weather planting begins now; others wait weeks. Everywhere, it’s time to bid summer farewell and prepare.

Assess Your Garden

Use this seasonal pause to evaluate: What worked/didn’t? Is the perennial bed too shady? Do trees need limbing up for light? How did the lawn fare? Is irrigation functioning? Does soil need amendment? Staying on top of changes keeps your outdoor space healthy and thriving.

Plan Your Fall Garden

Before planting, list desired plants (perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, vegetables) and confirm proper planting times for your area. Use graph paper to plot new beds — ensures accurate quantities and spacing. Determine if organic matter (peat, compost, manure, sand) is needed to amend soil for plant health.

Cut Back Struggling Perennials

Not all perennials need cutting back now, but prune those that struggled through summer heat. Use bypass pruners to remove dead, diseased, or dying growth. This neatens the garden for fall and helps prevent disease.

Start a Compost Pile

Choose a sunny site with dappled shade (full sun dries piles; deep shade keeps them too wet). Mix materials: leaves, plant clippings, old potting soil, grass clippings, kitchen scraps (eggshells, coffee grounds, fruit/veg peelings). Aim for 1 part green (grass, scraps) to 1–2 parts brown (dead leaves/plants). Layer, moisten, turn to mix. Add weekly, moisten and turn to accelerate decomposition.

Clean Up the Vegetable Garden

Clear old, languishing warm-season vegetables (summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons). Left too long, they develop powdery mildew that spreads. Be proactive — remove them to prepare for cool-season greens, squashes, and herbs.