Plants can become overgrown and compacted in a single area. Help your plants out and expand your flowerbeds by dividing well-established plants in the fall. Plants such as daylilies and hostas have clusters of underground roots. To divide them, simply drive a sharp-edged spade into the grouping and work a clump away. Alternatively, dig out the entire group and cut away sections, making sure to leave a good root system for each division. Then replant, feed, and water each grouping. As with deadheading, if temperatures are quickly dropping, you can divide plants once things warm up in the spring. However, if you get to it during the mild part of fall, your plants will be established and ready to thrive when spring rolls around. STEP 2: DIVIDE PLANTS
Fall may feel like the end of the gardening season, but it’s actually the perfect time to plan for spring success. While you preserve the final harvest and clean up flowerbeds for winter, consider adding a few additional chores to your list. Tasks like soil enrichment and plantings pair nicely with mild autumn weather and will lighten your workload in the spring. By doing them now, you can give your plants a head start and reward yourself with a vibrant display of early blooms.
STEPS TO TAKE NOW FOR SPRING BLOOMS
Before the first freeze sets in, enjoy the pleasant autumn conditions. With increasing rainfall and cooler temperatures, it’s the perfect time of year to haul landscaping materials like dirt and bark. Additionally, the ground is still workable enough to amend and plant.
STEP 1: DEADHEAD
Start by removing any spent plants from the garden and flowerbeds. While single-season plants can be pulled and added to the compost pile, perennials and even hardy annuals should be deadheaded a final time. Cut away dead or diseased branches and trim away faded buds. Try to deadhead several weeks before the first frost, but if the season gets away from you before you get around to deadheading, hold off until spring. Plants, like humans, are sensitive to the cold, so if you make major cuts during the cold or just before it hits, plants have a difficult time protecting themselves. In this case, leaving them intact over winter will make the plants stronger and, as a bonus, provide food for foraging animals.
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October 2025
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