Each season brings its own garden tasks and autumn is no exception. Some are fun — like planting bulbs — while others are simply measures we take to help our trees and plants make it through an unpredictable winter. Generally, there is a schedule to follow, which is determined by weather.

Start in September by trapping mice, as they are running around collecting food and building nests. We have one cat and hundreds of mice — many more than one guy can eat! So we devised a clever system that keeps the cat safe, while depleting the mouse population. Take a gallon size black plastic perennial pot. Place duct tape over the drainage holes, and cut a perfect mouse door out of the top edge. Bait a mouse trap with peanut butter. Place the pot in your garden (upside-down to cover the mouse trap) and weight it down with a rock. Check it daily. Re-bait as needed.

Several years ago, the nursery sustained unbelievable mouse damage. Rather than heading to the fields with spades, our crews were armed with chainsaws. Never again! We now put a tree wrap on every tree on the nursery grounds and we recommend that homeowners do the same — especially on their newly planted trees and established fruit trees. For a few dollars, you can buy white plastic wrapping tubes called ‘tree guards.’ For bigger trees, you’ll need a roll of wrap. When you put them on, be sure to tuck them into the ground a few inches so the animals cannot burrow under them. Remove all tree wraps in the spring.

If deer are a problem, spray your plants with ‘Deer Off.’ This foul tasting substance discourages nibblers. Long, terrible winters require multiple applications as late in the season as March.

Evergreens, such as yews and rhododendrons, often suffer from winter dehydration. Help prevent this by spraying an application of ‘Wilt Pruf ’ on the needles or leaves. ‘Wilt Pruf ’ is a waxy coating that allows plants to continue to take in water all winter, but prevents the sun and wind from drying them out. Read the label before using. It is not safe for all evergreens. Note: ‘Wilt Pruf ’ has been used in test trials attempting to prevent mildew on phlox. Spray a coating on newly emerged leaves in the spring.

Winter mulching is not a favorite task, but it is one that can make a huge difference come spring. The important thing is to wait until the ground has begun to freeze. Not a deep frost, but at least an inch. By this time, the mice have already made their homes and won’t try to burrow into the warm, loose mulch. The goal of mulching is to help prevent the freezing and thawing of soil around plant roots. You want the earth to freeze and stay frozen. You don’t want it to thaw in January — and for tender perennials and roses, you don’t want the temperature on the roots and crowns to drop lower than they can tolerate. Therefore, mound the mulch up the crown at least 6 to 8 inches. In March, when you are eager to start poking around the garden, check the mulched plants. As the mulch thaws, pull it away, until you are down to the normal level. This prevents mulch from heating up, causing the plant underneath to sprout. Spring snows will not be detrimental to a plant that hasn’t budded or sprouted.

Caring for acid-loving plants is a simple fall task. Many plants that we like to grow in this area, such as azaleas, rhododendrons, winterberries, dogwoods and blueberries, require acidic soil. Many of the towns surrounding Horsford’s have alkaline soils — just the opposite of the acidic conditions these plants like.

We must lower the pH of these soils in order to get the proper range. The plants listed above prefer a soil pH of 5.5 - 6.0, except for blueberries, which need a pH of 4.5 - 5.0. A reliable soil test is the best way to determine the pH of your soil. If your soil already has the proper pH, a fertilizer for acid-loving plants such as ‘Holly Tone’ is great for supplying plant nutrients and maintaining that acidity.

If your soil pH is too high and needs to be lowered, we offer ‘Garden Sulfur’ to be used as a natural soil acidifier. Fall is a great time to apply such a soil amendment so that it can work during the winter and your landscape plants will see the benefit as soon as they start to grow in the spring.

Soil pH should not be changed more than 1.0 in a year, so follow the guidelines on the bag carefully and you will be pleased with improved flower displays each spring and larger berry crops each summer.