Fall is synonymous – for gardeners, at least – with pruners, rakes, and trash bags. The aim is to “tidy up” before winter rolls around, of course, but sometimes our urge for neatness can cause problems aplenty. In fact, there are a number of garden cleanup mistakes that can actually harm our gardens, not to mention local wildlife.
Now, we suspect plenty of you will be working from a list of tried-and-tested autumn cleanup tips that have been shared by countless gardeners over the years. Just as advice around, say, smoking has changed over the years (once upon a time, doctors thought it was good for us; now, we know it’s incredibly harmful), so, too, have gardening guidelines.
The easiest solution? The no fall cleanup approach, obviously; it demands that we keep our mitts off fallen leaves, seedheads, and even old stems to provide vital food and shelter for local critters. But there’s a bit more to it than just that…
5 Garden Cleanup Mistakes to Avoid
Every good fall garden guide worth its salt will include at least a few tips for cleaning your yard. A truly great one, though, will help you avoid making any unnecessary garden cleanup mistakes as you do so.
With that in mind, then, here’s how to tidy your garden like an absolute pro – without causing harm to your own little slice of paradise (or any of the wildlife that visits it, either).
1. Clearing the Leaves
Fun fact: all of those fallen leaves? The biodegradable ones that fell from a tree onto your garden? You can just… leave them there. In fact, you absolutely should leave them there, as they provide vital shelter for overwintering butterflies, moths, frogs, pollinators, and other beneficial insects.
If you need another reason to step away from your leafblower, it's worth remembering that fallen leaves break down into leaf mulch, which serves as a brilliant soil conditioner. Or, of course, you can try your hand at a dab of cold composting and transform them into leaf mold compost.
Be sure, then, to only rake leaves away from lawns and paths if you want to avoid making any harmful garden cleanup mistakes. Once this is done, you can gather them up and pile them up under shrubs or in corners to give local wildlife somewhere to forage and hide when temperatures dip, or use them to mulch your borders. The choice is yours!
2. Cutting Back Perennials
It’s all too tempting to cut back your perennial plants and tidy away all of those leftover seedheads, leaves, and grasses – but it’s best to leave them, for a number of reasons. Firstly, they add a layer of protection to those underlying plants that are trying to get through the colder months, not to mention act as a lovely winter blanket for pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Secondly, those seedheads? Not only do they look stunning with a touch of frost (a dash of winter interest never goes amiss!), but they’ll act as a valuable food source for birds. And, as our feathered friends need all the help they can get at this time of year, cutting back seedheads is a garden cleanup mistake best avoided at all costs.
Bonus tip: if you've already cut down all of your seedheads, don't despair! Instead, take care to set up a food and water station for birds to visit throughout the winter. This Peckish Extra Goodness Crumble Mix Feeder should do the trick.
3. Removing Dead Wood and Hollow Stems
Next on our list of garden cleanup mistakes is tossing out dead wood and hollow stems. Beetles, solitary bees, and fungi use them for habitats, which should be reason enough to keep them in situ, but it’s also worth noting that decaying wood also enriches soil.
Instead, try stacking logs in a quiet corner, and keep hollow stems upright wherever possible. Or, if you prefer, you could set up something like the Gardena ClickUp! Insect Hotel from Amazon.
4. Pruning Old Wood Bloomers
Pruning doesn’t feel like a garden cleanup mistake on paper, but there are certain plants that you should never prune in fall, especially those that bloom on old wood. This includes azaleas, rhododendrons, lilacs, forsythias, and mock oranges, as well as oakleaf, bigleaf, mountain, and climbing hydrangeas.
Take a look at the specific pruning requirements of your garden plants before you set to work with your pruning shears, essentially. And be sure to use something clean and sharp and fit for purpose, too (we rate Amazon's Loppers Hedge Shears & Pruners Combo Set 3-Piece, if you're wondering).
5. Using Chemicals
It’s tempting, we know, to reach for herbicides and pesticides when you’re tidying your outdoor space, but this is by far one of the most harmful garden cleanup mistakes on our list. Not only does it kill pollinators and beneficial soil life, but the runoff can contaminate habitats, too.
Instead, pull weeds by hand (treat it as a workout!) or use mulch to suppress them. Above all else, make an effort to accept some imperfections; nature was around a long time before human management came into play, and it has a knack for overcoming problems by itself.
And just like that, you know exactly which garden cleanup mistakes to avoid this fall, especially if you want to look after local wildlife. Good luck…
