Although summer is ending and growth is slowing down, it’s not time to put away your gardening supplies yet. Your garden still needs some work and TLC to remain robust through the fall and thrive when spring rolls back around. Here are a few specific tasks that should be on your to-do list.

How to Get Your Garden Ready for Fall

1. Strengthen the Soil

Use a fork, rake, or other gardening supplies to loosen the soil. Apply slow-release fertilizer or six-month-old manure—especially on the bald patches—so that the soil has plenty of nutrients to keep it healthy through the colder weather. Add fresh mulch for good measure but remove any that’s old since it can cause mildew or mold.

2. Kill the Weeds

To save yourself from the trouble of dealing with more weeds than necessary in the spring, destroy their seeds now by spraying weed killer in your garden. Give the poison a couple of hours to be absorbed by the weeds before you do anything else or allow your pets to walk through the area.

3. Protect the Remaining Plants

If you have pruners or saws among your gardening supplies, remove dead or dying branches from decorative or fruit trees so they don’t spread their diseases to the rest of the tree or other plants. This also ensures your yard and everyone who uses it will be safe from any branches that might fall off during a winter storm. Prune or treat any damaged or diseased perennials. Don’t forget to move potted herbs into the house, where the warmer air will help them last longer.

4. Get the Seeds Ready

As your flowers and fruits become overripe or dry, gather their seeds for later use. This is also the perfect time to plant other seeds for flowers and vegetables that grow well in the fall, such as beans, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, radishes, broccoli, beets, peas, spinach, asters, chrysanthemums, and pansies. 

5. Clean Up

To avoid attracting pests that won’t be deterred by the colder weather, finish harvesting anything you want to keep, then throw away old, sick plants and vegetables and any damaged or fallen fruit. Pull out weeds that have already begun to sprout, too. 

If you’re missing any important tools or gardening supplies that will help you prepare your garden for fall, head to Racine's Feed Garden & Supply in Robertsdale, AL. For anyone looking ahead to deer season, they also have all the hunting accessories you need. Furthermore, they boast high-quality livestock feed and pet supplies for all your animals, indoors or out. To learn more about what they offer, call them today at (251) 947-3003 or visit them online.