Fall Garden Prep: 9 Jobs That Pay Off Next Spring

There is a moment every fall when the garden tips from abundant to tired.

1. Clear spent crops, but not everything

Start by pulling annual vegetables that have finished: the tomato plants, the bean vines, the cucumber and squash plants.

2. Remove diseased plants carefully

Plants that suffered from disease this year need different treatment.

3. Test your soil now, not in spring

Fall is the best time of year for a soil test.

4. Feed the soil with compost and leaves

An inch or so over established beds is plenty, and it can sit on the surface over winter.

5. Cover bare soil for winter

Rain compacts the surface and washes away fine particles, and in many areas weeds move in during mild spells.

6. Plant garlic and spring bulbs

Fall is planting season for a handful of crops that need winter cold to perform.