Mid-September garden chores

Right now, you should dig an air trench – a V-shaped cut that most gardeners use to keep grasses (or groundcovers, or near-the-surface roots of trees and shrubs) out of garden soil. Briefly, with a sharp, square-ended spade, slice into your lawn about two centimetres back from the edge of the garden, shoving the blade in deep, then leaning back on the handle to free a thin slice of grassy soil. Leave the slice in place, but reinsert the spade next to it to extend the cut. When you've gone a few metres, or the whole way along the edge of the bed, return to where you started and gently lift the soil slice away -- or as much of it as contains roots -- taking out any stolons or rhizomes reaching into the bed, too, as you go.

That's the first and most important weeding task, but clean out as many other invaders as you can, too. Beyond that, I'd take it easy. I'm not one for cutting back all perennials after they fade, even in November, when other chores are done. I do rake up fallen rose leaves – and don't compost them – because of the risk of infection. And I cut hostas back as they wither rather than provide shelter for slugs. But a lot of finished perennials look handsome in the snow -- ornamental grasses, especially, but also taller sedums, such as 'Autumn Joy,' and some asters. Except for weeds, the cleaning up I do between my plants now is mainly to make room for bulbs.

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