New Rules for Fall Garden Cleanup: Program Recap

Traditional means of preparing our gardens for the fall and winter may not actually be the best for our plants and the wildlife that frequent them.

Thank you to Miranda Scher from the Rutgers Master Gardeners of Hunterdon County for showcasing new ways on how we may want to approach preparing our gardens for the fall, winter, and beyond! Nature has its own processes that we can take advantage of to encourage a healthy, diverse, and resilient garden that protects the plants, birds, animals, and insects that may depend on our gardens for food, shelter, and habitat. By practicing environmentally friendly techniques, we can even lighten the load on our backs and wallets. So let’s explore how we can transform our gardens with and innovative techniques.

A New Way of Thinking

Human intervention has transformed our landscape and nature tries to respond in various ways. Habitat loss has led to a decline in a variety of wildlife species (birds, insects, animals, etc.) which means that our yards and gardens play a more important role in our local ecosystems. Traditional methods of fall cleanup do not take into account the needs of kinds of plants and various forms of wildlife that depend on our gardens and yards. While fall and winter may seem desolate, they are actually very active ecologically. Some of the new “rules” discussed below serve as a flexible menu of options that will hopefully change our perceptions of “brown waste” materials as well as garden beauty standards.

The Dead Tree

When a tree dies or becomes severely damages, our first instinct is to call a tree removal company, grind that stump out, and replace it with grass. However, there are a variety of ways that we can utilize a dead tree to promote a healthier garden or yard. Dead trees, called snags, are important for the ecosystem because as they decompose, they provide food and homes for a variety of beneficial inspects, birds, and animals. Keeping dead trees (if they don’t pose a hazard to people or homes) can add height and drama to gardens or yards or provide a home a ornamental or edible vining plants. If you have to deal with a dead tree, there are a variety of options of how to utilize the many parts of the tree:

• Coronet cuts can help insects and other creatures gain access to the tree for food or shelter
• Cut logs or stumps can be used to create habitats inside a large garden or can be used to create part of the border for a bed
• Consolidate trimmings or logs with brush piles in out of the way places for composting
• Create a “hügelkultur” bed, where you use dead logs as a base for garden construction
• Chip branches and logs for mulch or to create a brush pile
• Use branches and twigs for decorative elements in more formal garden spaces (allows for growing vining plants)
• Create dead hedges

Leaf Litter

The most common issue we have when cleaning up our gardens and yards is leaf litter. For many of us, we either bag our leaves (for trash or township brush collection) or mow them, yet there are many other beneficial practices that we could engage in to promote healthier gardens. Life litter is actually very important for plants and soil because it provides vital minerals for healthy soil and actually enables the soil to hold up to 32% more carbon. Leaf litter also improves moisture retention, helps mitigate stormwater runoff, and prevents erosion. It can also provide an essential habitat for different creatures, including many useful insects, especially in “soft landings” where leaves are caught and held by underplants.

With all these benefits, we should consider a variety of ways to preserve and more effectively use leaf litter. You can mulch bare garden soil (leave as long as possible) or use on the borders of beds (3-5 inches deep). Leaf litter can be added to compost bins to create soil conditioners or mulch. You can shred the leaves rather than removing them and believe it or not, less than one 1inch of leaves is healthy for lawns; you can also mulch the leaves with a mower which will add nutrients and improve soil structure.

Stems

The stems of perennials may look ugly in the winter, but they have a variety of uses that may make you think twice before cutting them. Stems provide critical habitats for a variety of insects, including many species of bees. Most stem nesters need hollow stems to hibernate or lay their eggs; excavating insects prefer pithy stems. You can even cut part of the stem to increase accessibility for insects; leave them over the winter and then cut in the spring to a length of 8-24 inches. If you need or want to cut the stems, you can bundle any cut stems and prop or tie them in your garden to provide height, drama, or homes for different insects and plants. You can also chop up the stems and drop them around you garden or yard to encourage healthy soil growth. If you are feeling adventurous, you can use the cut stems to create a dead hedge, mixing with branches and twigs from trees.

Seedheads

Some plants have seedheads that drop seeds the fall, yet serve as important food sources for birds and other animals. If there are seedheads that you want removed, especially for invasive species, do so before seed maturation. You can pull the plants or mow the area before the seeds are ready; if you have empty seedheads, you can trash them or compost them. If you have seedheads from plants that you want, you can leave them up all fall and winter. If you want to improve the aesthetics of seedheads in your garden for the barren months, you can prune alternate stems to ensure those plants still can thrive in the spring and summer. You can collect the seeds from the seedheads and plant immediately or store for a later planting.

Covering Soil

Dealing with large areas of bare soil can present a variety of problems and are a recipe for weeds, erosion and nutrient loss. Mulching is a common practice, but should be done with caution. Using plant debris, leaf litter, or cover crops are a great natural way to provide cover for your soil and prevent weeds or invasive plants from taking hold. Overuse of woodchip mulch, however, can actually depress plant growth, invite disease and prevent rain penetration. Dyed mulches should be avoided at all costs as the materials used to create the much can contain plastics, metals, and other harmful materials for your gardens and plants. Also, don’t over mulch by using multiple elements, especially putting wood much over leaf mulch as this could kill overwintering insects.

More Information

If you want more information about preparing your garden for the fall or ways to practice ecologically responsible or sustainable gardening, please contact your county Rutgers Master Gardeners association; you can find a list of them at https://extension.rutgers.edu/county.

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