MONTHLY TASKS
Months of September & October Gardening Tasks
As fall deepens through September and October, garden work shifts fully toward cleanup and preparation — protecting perennials, clearing debris, and getting ready for winter dormancy.
Clear fallen leaves and debris from garden beds to reduce overwintering pests and disease.
Cut back perennials that have finished blooming, but leave seed heads that provide winter food for birds.
Finish planting spring bulbs before the ground freezes.
Bring tender container plants indoors before the first hard frost.
Clean, sharpen, and store garden tools properly for the winter months ahead.
QUICK TIP
A layer of mulch applied after the ground first freezes — not before — protects perennial roots from the freeze-thaw cycles that can heave them out of the soil over winter.
