09/29/2026
🍂 IT’S FALL!! And there’s still plenty of work to be done in the garden! 🍂
A little work now can make a BIG difference when spring rolls around. 🌷🌱 Here are a few fall reminders from Heartland!
🌳 MULCH THOSE SHRUBS!
If you planted any deciduous shrubs, trees, or evergreens this season, now is the time to give them some extra winter protection. A layer of mulch about 3 inches deep is preferred. Just remember to keep it from piling directly against the trunk or stems!
🌸 Dig & store your non-hardy bulbs
Dahlias, gladiolus, and other tender bulbs need to be dug and stored somewhere protected from freezing for the winter.
🌿 Divide those perennials!
If some of your established perennials have gotten a little too crowded, fall is a great time to divide and replant many varieties. Do not fear a frost! The ground will be plenty warm to ensure proper root establishment!
🌹 Get your roses ready for winter
Clean up dead or diseased material and give your roses the fall care they need before cold weather settles in.
🌷 Plant your spring-flowering bulbs!
Tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs go in the ground NOW for that beautiful burst of color next spring!
🥕 Clean up the vegetable garden
Once you’re finished harvesting, healthy vegetable plants can go into the compost pile. Turn this year’s garden into food for next year’s garden beds! ♻️
🪴 BRINGING YOUR HOUSEPLANTS BACK INSIDE?
Don’t bring the bugs in with them! Before bringing tropicals, succulents and cacti indoors for winter, give every plant a GOOD inspection—especially underneath the leaves, along stems and down around the soil line.
Check for aphids, spider mites, mealybugs, scale and other little hitchhikers. If needed, treat with an insecticidal soap labeled for your particular plant and pest, following the label directions. Keep treated plants separated from your other houseplants for a bit so you can catch any pests you may have missed.
🛠️ DON’T FORGET YOUR TOOLS & CONTAINERS!
Before you put everything away for winter:
• Dip the blades of shovels, trowels and other garden tools into a bucket of oily sand to help clean and protect them. Give those wooden handles a little oil, too!
• Drain your drip irrigation systems and soaker hoses before freezing temperatures arrive.
• Empty pottery and plant containers—turn upside down so water can’t collect inside, freeze and crack them.
🌱 And here’s a Heartland tip for our Pro-Mix users!
When you empty your containers for winter, dump that Pro-Mix into a clean plastic barrel or other covered container. It keeps the soil protected AND saves your pots.
And YES—you can use that Pro-Mix again next year! 🙌🌱
A little fall cleanup now = a much happier gardener come spring! 🍂❤️
Rooted in Quality — Grown to Thrive.
🌱 Heartland Horticulture
