Fall Garden Checklist & Helpful Reminders (Printable) | Empress of Dirt

This fall garden checklist covers sowing and planting for spring, cleanup and organizing, and what to leave to sustain wildlife over the winter in a cold climate. Tasks are listed by priority to ensure the important items are taken care of.

If you want to continue gardening, also consider growing vegetables indoors. There are lots of easy options.

Fall Garden Tasks & Preparing For Spring

Contents

How to Set Priorities

If your area is like ours, you never know what fall will bring. We could have a heat wave or early frosts and snow or some combination all within days of each other. And this makes it tricky to get the essential fall garden chores done before winter settles in.

To keep it simple, I divide my tasks into three basic groups.

1 Must Get Done

These tasks go to the top of the list because, if overlooked, may be expensive or disappointing.

Simply put, it’s all about protecting stuff. This includes protecting tender plants, garden tools, furniture, and décor—all the things that cold, wet weather can destroy.

2 Nice to Get Done

The world will not end if you don’t find time for these ones but they sure make the spring garden a lot nicer.

This group includes planting spring flowering bulbs, sowing spring flowering seeds, planting garlic, and preparing vegetable beds for early spring planting.

3 Leave Until Spring

The end of summer brings a strong urge to “tidy up” the garden but, if you’re wanting an eco-beneficial garden that supports all the living things that bring life to our gardens, fall is not the time.

We know now that the “mess” is vital food and habitat for all sorts of creatures great and small and without it they may have few options, especially in the colder months. And decay brings renewal, restoring nutrients to the soil.

As the saying goes, clean is for homes, not for gardens, and the best thing we can do is let natural cycles play out. Give up the temptation to send away fallen leaves or cut back the perennials and let nature do what it does best.

Free Checklist

You can save a copy of the list. Keep reading for more tips and ideas.

You may want to print out a copy of the checklist and make notes for your garden as you read this.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been thankful I have my own list—otherwise there is always something urgent I would have forgotten.

Empress of Dirt

Fall Gardening Checklist

Save to your device and/or print it.

1The Most Important Tasks

Protect Stuff Winter Can Break or Destroy

Give priority to protecting the plants, water features, tools, outdoor furniture, and garden art, that winter can harm or destroy.

To me, older, established plants are the most valuable asset in my garden, not just monetarily but aesthetically.

And who wants the cost and waste of damaged patio furniture or flower pots?

These are the things to put at the top of your list to be sure they get done, even if it seems early, because you never know when the weather will turn.

Winter Storage

Winter Protection

Tools / Mower

• Clean, sharpen, and store tools.

Shed / Storage

• Organize shed for easy access to any supplies needed during the winter (shovels, backup pump for pond, outdoor lights…).

Water Features & Sources

• Empty and store garden hoses, fountains, rain barrels.
• Winterize pond. Clean out debris. Remove tropical plants. Clean and lower pump. Have backup pump and floating water heater ready.
• Clean out eaves troughs, gutters, and downspouts. Ensure good water flow.
• Blow out, insulate, and shut off outdoor faucets.

Tender Roots, Bulbs, and Plants

Mulch, Leaves, Compost, and Cover Crops 

These are the things that feed and protect our soil. Fall leaves gradually decompose and enrich the soil. Don’t get rid of them!

Prune

Fall is the time to prune any dead, damaged, or diseased branches you may have missed in the summer. Others (like apple trees) need late-winter care, and the rest can wait until you’re tidying up in the spring.

Seed Saving

While there are seed saving opportunities throughout the growing season, it’s prime time in fall. Use these tips to get started saving seeds from flowers, fruit, and vegetables.

Let Nature Be

Avoid the temptation to ‘clean up’ dead or decaying perennial growth and seed pods.

These provide essential food and habitat for all of the living things in our gardens including bees, butterflies, birds, other insects, and microbes.

Unless dangerous, diseased, pest-infested, or invasive, leave everything until late spring, and then make room for new growth.

Related: Create seed pod bouquets for wild birds

2Grow Fall and Winter Veggies

Growing vegetables in the fall and winter is not critical, but it’s sure nice.

One of the keys to successful winter food growing is to start the crops late summer or early fall so the roots are well-established before the cool weather sets in.

Plus, many cool-tolerant crops taste sweeter after a frost.

Also consider growing cover crops to protect and enrich bare soil during the winter months.

Want More Flowers Before Winter? You may have time to sow these 17 quick-growing flower seeds.

Related: How to Winter Sow Seeds in Milk Jugs Outdoors

3Give Your Spring Garden a Jump Start

There are many flower seeds and, of course, spring bulbs that require fall planting.

6+ Weeks Before Frost

Month Before Frost

Planting Ideas

Phew! That’s lots to do but again, protect your wares and best plants and leave the rest if you run out of time.

Resources

Free Checklist

Empress of Dirt

Fall Gardening Checklist

Save to your device and/or print it.

Shop for Seeds: Botanical Interests Flower Seeds to Sow in Fall (US)

Shop for Bulbs: Eden Brothers (US) | Look for pollinator-friendly options to plant in fall.

If you are in Canada, I have seed company listings here.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛