Fall Is the Secret to a Better Spring
Fall in Alberta comes fast. One day you are harvesting, the next you are brushing off frost. While it’s tempting to call it quits for the season, these cooler days are your best opportunity to set up a strong, healthy garden for next year.
With a few simple steps now, you can improve your soil, reduce weeds, and make spring planting easier. Here’s how:
1. Feed the Soil Naturally
Think of fall as your garden’s reset button. Instead of raking leaves into bags, use them as a natural mulch. Shred or chop them and spread a 2–3 inch layer over your beds. Over winter, they will break down into organic matter that enriches your soil and helps it retain moisture.
If you have access to compost or aged manure, spread a thin layer before adding leaves. It’s like tucking your garden in with a cozy, nutrient-rich blanket.
Tip: Place mulch around root zones and not against any stems.
2. Pull Weeds Before They Spread
Weeds don’t take the winter off, they are busy dropping seeds that will sprout in spring. Taking ten minutes to pull them now saves hours of weeding later.
Focus on areas where weeds tend to spread, and pull them before they drop seeds. Avoid deep digging, as it can bring dormant weed seeds to the surface. Once cleared, cover bare spots with shredded leaves or compost to block new growth.
Tip: Damp soil makes weed-pulling easier and helps remove the full root system.
3. Protect Perennials and Shrubs
Before the deep freeze hits, give your perennials one last good drink of water. When the ground starts to cool (but isn’t frozen yet), add 2–4 inches of mulch around the base of plants to protect their roots and stabilize soil temperatures.
If your garden is exposed to wind, loosely wrap delicate shrubs or young trees with burlap. This simple step can prevent winter burn and damage.
Tip: Prune dead/diseased plants and dispose of. Do not add this plant material to your compost pile.
4. Clean, Sharpen and Store Tools
Good tools last longer when cared for. Wash off soil, sharpen blades, and sanitize your tools with bleach or alcohol solution to prevent any disease carryover and rust. Drain hoses, empty pots and store them indoors before freezing weather hits.
5. Make Space for Wildlife
A tidy garden is not always a healthy one. Leave a few seed heads such as echinacea and sunflowers as well as a few dried stems for birds. A pile small branches in a quiet corner of the garden will also help to shelter overwintering pollinators. It is an easy way to support biodiversity right in your backyard.
Let Your Garden Rest and Reap the Rewards Next Year
A little extra effort this fall means less work and better soil next spring. By pulling weeds, protecting perennials, and feeding the soil now, you are giving your garden exactly what it needs to thrive when the snow melts.
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