We’re closing in on cooler temperatures, and for most Minnesotans, the gardening season is coming to a close. There are a few things the experts say you should do as you put that garden to bed for the winter.
University of Minnesota horticulture extension professor Julie Weisenhorn says it's best to leave things alone for the most part, so leaves can protect the plants and provide shelter for important insects.
She also says it's important to keep watering plants and trees in this particularly dry year.
“We want them to go into dormancy as stress-free and healthy as possible,” Weisenhorn says. “So that means providing water for the plants to take up in their roots and hold for the remainder of the winter, and have that available in the spring as they emerge from dormancy.”
Weisenhorn says she does not recommend pruning plants in the fall either.
“We do not want people pruning plants, because pruning prompts growth, and that growth will not harden off before our winter weather happens,” Weisenhorn explains.
Weisenhorn says it's also a good idea to leave your garden messy with leaves as they start to fall in October and November.
“Because it is an over-wintering site for insects like bumblebees, for example,” Weisenhorn tells WCCO’s Laura Oakes. “It also adds carbon to our soil in the spring as those leaves break down.”
The garden pros also say to harvest any fruits and vegetables that are still above ground, otherwise they'll rot over the winter and attract unwanted pests.
Julie Weisenhorn is the co-host of WCCO’s Smart Gardens, Saturday mornings at 8:00 A.M. or anytime on the Audacy App.