It’s officially fall now, and gardeners around the country are cleaning up summer gardens, and protecting fall crops against frost. Check out these 9 helpful fall gardening tips to take care of this month.

Whether you’re a fall and winter gardener planting cold-weather crops, are looking to extend your garden season just a bit longer with the right kind of protection, or are simply a summer gardener cleaning up and preparing your garden for next season, there are lots of garden tasks to get done this month!

Here are 9 handy tips for getting your garden prepped for the fall and winter months:

#1. Pick

Obviously, your garden will need to be “picked clean” so you can prepare it for next year. This means pulling all plants that are no longer productive and removing any fruits and vegetables that may have been left behind.

#2. Clean

Thoroughly cleaning the beds of debris and leftovers has several advantages. First, it clears them for easy cover crop planting (see below). Next, it removes any vegetable matter that could be potentially carrying disease….

#3. Compost

Obviously, everything organic you pull from your soil and garden beds should be composted. (The only exception is diseased plants or weeds with seeds that could survive and come back to haunt you in the spring.)…

#4. Leave Seeds for Birds

Any seeds you’re not going to use should be thrown to the birds. If you aren’t planting cover crops, seeds on the bare soil or mulch can encourage birds to spend time there. Their leavings will enhance your garden….

#5. Garden Notes

Be sure to complete your gardener’s notes for the season and to fill in what you did during the fall. Your notebook is your record of what was planted where, how it did, and what you did or didn’t do that might improve it next time….

#6. Minimize Pests

Crop rotation, cover crops (see below), and amendments (see below) can all help treat current and future pest infestations….

#7. Fall Cover Crops

Likely the most overlooked option for fall gardening, cover crops (or cool weather crops) can greatly enhance your garden’s health and vitality….

#8. Soil Amendments

As mentioned above in composting, soil amendments in the fall are a great way to enhance your soil’s health before spring planting comes around….

#9. Fall Planter Maintenance

If you have window or porch planters, now is the time to clean them out and prepare them for storage….

Read the full article at The Gardening Channel…