As the mild weather drags deep into the fall, the warm sun cuts through the crisp air of the morning in the garden. The warmth of the sunlight on my shoulders is enough to keep the jacket in the closet; however, the ever-prominent balding area on top of my head reminds me to grab a ball cap before going outside.
Our autumn in 2025 has been characterized by dry, warm weather. Trees have held onto their leaves and fall colors longer than I can remember. Without cold winds and rain to dislodge the fading leaves, you might say we’ve been spoiled with fall color this year, at least with certain tree species.
The fact remains that we have been in a drought in western Illinois. A drought that has stretched for years. Drought can be a sneaky natural disaster, but we can see it in our trees, lawns, and other plants.
Despite the dry weather, I have soaked in the outdoors these last weeks, knowing it will soon be time to retreat into the home. It’s that time of year to complete garden tasks one last time. We say goodbye to the garden, at least for a few months.
For those with a compost pile, you will turn it one last time. The cold weather will bring the microbial breakdown process to a standstill. There is little reason to scratch at a frozen compost pile in the middle of winter.
If you spend your summer days pulling a garden hose around the yard, it is time to wind up the hose one last time. Disconnect the hose from the spigot and stretch out the hose to drain the water, and then coil the hose up. I prefer to connect the two ends of the hose and hang it up on a hook in the garage.
For the lawn warriors, you will be firing up that mower one last time. Some homeowners will drain or run out the fuel from their gas-powered lawn equipment. I’ve learned the hard way, fuel sitting all winter in small engines can damage equipment. Another option is to add a fuel stabilizer to prevent deposits from forming in fuel lines.
November may signify the last harvest from the vegetable garden. While the frost has closed the door on our warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers, some gardeners will push the season through fall with cool-season crops like leafy greens, turnips, radish, beets, and others. A hard frost often seals the fate of these cool-season crops; however, spinach, carrots, and certain kale types will tolerate even a hard freeze.
I enjoyed the last of my potted plants that adorned my front and backyard. Mums, petunias, calibrachoa, and others all found the compost pile. Others, potted plants like elephant ear, canna, and ginger, were cut back, dug up, and stored in the basement.
I am thankful for a good season, an ample harvest, and not having to dodge the weather this fall to clean up the garden. But now that the equipment is put away and the yard is buttoned up for the winter, I am ready for some precipitation to help ensure the trees, lawn, and garden get off to a good start next spring.
Good Growing Tip of the Week: When stacking up pots, it helps to place a slip of folded newspaper or cardboard between two pots to make it easier to pull them apart.
***Courtesy of Chris Enroth, University of Illinois Extension, Horticulture Educator***
