Autumn in the Garden
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Wendy Irving
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Milkweed, which attracts monarch butterflies, should die completely back by late fall. If it doesn’t, prune it back to a few inches. Colin Mackenzie
If you must plant a new tree or shrub, do it now. You may not see much new growth, but the point is to establish a strong root system. With the soil still warm, the temperatures generally cooler, the days shorter, and rainfall imminent (we hope!), new trees and shrubs planted in fall have the best chance of adapting to their new space and having a healthy future. And as leaves start to fall from established deciduous trees and shrubs, keep things clean, avoiding any buildup of debris around the crowns.
Autumn brings a few pruning chores but not many. As a general rule, late winter is the best time to prune non-native summer/fall flowering trees and shrubs, including deciduous and fruit trees and roses. Not necessarily true for natives. Go to Marin Master Gardeners or the California Native Plant Society Websites for more details on pruning native plants. And with all the interest in bringing back monarch butterflies to Marin, it has been determined that pruning native milkweed down in the fall (November) is essential to maintaining the monarch's natural migration pattern. Don't plant non-native milkweed in your garden at all or any milkweed within five miles of the coast (coastal areas are overwintering sites for the butterfly).
But autumn is an excellent time to think about the 4 D's – dead, diseased, damaged, or dysfunctional parts of plants and trees. Upcoming rains and windstorms make affected trees and plants more vulnerable and potentially dangerous, so prune them if necessary.
Many citrus trees are ready for harvesting in the fall and winter months, when fruit is ripe. Photo: LocalaccentSpeaking of vegetables, fall is the time to prepare your garden for cool season veggies such as broccoli, kale, beets, spinach, chard, lettuce, and salad greens. If you haven't already started some of your cool season vegetables from seed, you might be a little late, but you should be able to find small plants in your local nursery. Suppose you've been tending your vegetable garden well all summer, weeding and removing old or diseased plants. In that case, you generally won't need to do much to prepare your fall/winter beds ? a little cleanup and adding some rich organic soil or compost, and you are ready to go.