Get Your Garden Ready for Winter

The Morton Arboretum promotes attention and care to your landscaping all months of the year—not just when plants are in bloom. Arboretum experts recommend the following practices to make the most of any "warm" October weather and to prepare for the coming colds months.

First, take a soil test. Fall is one of the best times to fertilize deciduous trees and shrubs because the roots will store the nutrients until next spring.

If you have potted plants: Now is the time to take plants inside. Not only can freezing kill plants as night temperatures fall well under 50 degrees, but repeated thawing during warmer days will cause fracturing.

If you own evergreens on your property: Like potted plants, evergreens aren't completely protected from winter lows. They will not take in moisture once the ground freezes. The drier the weather prior to winter, the more their root systems should be watered.

If you have too much landscaping debris: Now is the time to remove dying flower heads, annuals, dead and diseased branches, and fallen foliage. These materials can help future planting seasons—just start a compost pile.

• Gather old grass clippings, organic food waste and debris into a pile, or store them in a bin. There is some debate as to whether diseased plants should be added to compost piles. Public Works employee Jason Elias said material from trees infected by the Emerald Ash Borer can be added to compost piles once infected branches have been chipped down to less than one-inch long. However, Arboretum experts said other diseases can survive as long as two years.
• The debris should be a mix of still-green materials and dead leaves to make the pile break down faster.  Too much green material won't break down on its own and will start to smell. Topping the pile off with some compost or soil will also accelerate the process.
• Keep the pile moist—just enough to promote decomposition. Turn the pile every few days. By November, the pile should be completely composted.

Compost will condition and fertilize the soil, feeding tiny microorganisms that keep your plants healthy.