Wow! - it’s already the end of September and we’ve still got a lot to do out in the garden. I am as busy as you are so this article is going to be in bullet points: I have links to more information if you need it in certain areas. The big message is to clean up your garden and haul out the debris. This will go a long way to setting you up for a good growing season next year.
● Asparagus: Weed the area and cover with straw. Do not cut down the ferns - as long as they are green they are photosynthesizing.
● Carrots and beets: You can harvest now or leave them in the ground for a late fall harvest. Just be sure to cover them with a good bit of straw. You want at least 6 inches of straw to keep the ground from freezing.
● Potatoes: You can harvest now. Once you;ve harvested them, be sure to store them in a dark, cool area,
● Sweet potatoes: You can dig them anytime now. If we have a frost that kills the vines, dig them as soon as possible. They will begin to deteriorate without the greens.
● Tomatoes: pinch off any new flowers now so the plants don’t spend energy trying to develop new tomatoes. Harvest the fruit before a frost - even the ones that are still green. Dig the plants and put them in the city compost. Do not compost them at home as many of the diseases that afflict them need higher heat to kill the pathogens.
● Winter squash and pumpkins: cut them from the vine when the vines have hardened. If the stem breaks off - eat these first as they won’t store as long.
https://extension.umn.edu/agriculture/specialty-crops/commercial-fruit-production/harvesting-and-storing-melons-squash-and-pumpkins
https://sustainable.umn.edu/vegetables
Johnny's Seeds always has good growing guides:
https://www.johnnyseeds.com/growers-library/methods-tools-supplies/harvesting-handling-storage/storage-crops.html
● Flowers: Dahlia tubers continue to develop and ripen throughout the season. You can leave them in-ground until a hard frost. Then dig them and bring them inside to store for next year. https://www.dahlia.org/docsinfo/articles/digging-dividing-and-storing-tubers/
● Peonies: cut them back to the ground and clean up all around them. This will help minimize the likelihood of powdery mildew next year.
Soil: winter prep and amendments
● Manure: Fall is a good time to add composted manure because there are no plants that it can burn if it hasn't yet fully composted.
● Straw: Use it to cover any root veggies still in your garden and any new tubers or bulbs that you have planted. It will also decrease the growth of early weeds next spring.
● Plant your garlic in October or early November (depending on the temperature). Cover it with a bed of straw about 6” deep to keep it from sprouting this year. https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/gardening-in-minnesota/growing-garlic
● Neaten up those rows in your strawberry patch. You probably have a lot of runners so now is the time to make them orderly so that next year you can harvest without stepping on any of them.
● Prune your summer bearing raspberries: remove all canes that fruited this year.
https://extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/gardening-in-minnesota/growing-
raspberries-in-the-home-garden
● Save some of your seeds: Some seeds are easy to save. Think beans, peas, peppers, squash, flowers, dill, fennel, etc. Be aware of whether you have planted open pollinated seeds or hybrids.
○ Plants like beans and tomatoes are self-pollinating so you are pretty safe to save these seeds and expect the same plant next year.
○ Your squash and corn have probably crosspollinated with others in the garden so if you save the seed, you will likely get a surprise next year. Maybe a good surprise or maybe not.
○ Tomato seeds need to be fermented.
● https://seedsavers.org/learn/seed-saving/
● Note what you planted where and how well it did.
● Plan for crop rotation
● Start now with a garden layout drawing that you can work on this winter
● If you haven’t started a garden journal yet this may be a good time to do so.
● Keep a note on what you want to plant next year
● https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/maintaining-lawn-and-garden-tools/
● Rubbing alcohol is probably the best way to clean and disinfect your tools. After cleaning, give them a little oil or WD40 to prevent rusting. Bleach is corrosive so we don’t recommend it for use on metal.
● You may have both annual and perennial herbs in your garden.
● Annuals like basil and dill will die very quickly with cold temperatures. Harvest them
early.
● Perennial herbs should be harvested sparingly. You want to leave enough of the plant to feed the roots and regenerate for next year. Also be gentle next spring. Don’t cut back dead foliage until you see substantial new green growth.
https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/growing-harvesting-and-drying-herbs