Don’t let shorter days and crisp fall weather deter you from getting out in the garden! There’s almost as much to be done in the garden in fall as there is in spring. While gardening in the fall might not have the ‘new and shiny’ feeling that gardening in spring does, every garden chore you manage to get done in the fall will help make your garden even more successful next year!

Clear out spent plants

It’s tempting to leave dead plants in the ground to be dealt with next spring. After all, isn’t it good to provide shelter for all those overwintering critters? When it comes to the veggie garden, it’s best to clear away all the dead and dying plant debris before winter as leaving it laying in the garden bed can harbor diseases and unwanted insects. Spent plants can be added to the compost pile, although you might want to exercise caution with diseased plants. If your compost pile doesn’t ‘heat up’ properly, the diseases won’t be killed off in the composting process and could spread to next year’s plants.