Clean Your Garden with Insects in Mind | Gardening in Orange County New York

by Mary Carol Presutti, New Windsor Master Gardener Volunteer

Between now and mum season there are a few things you can do to get a head start for spring cleanup with minimum fuss.

Weed

A pair of gloved hands holding some freshly picked weeds This is a perfect time to get a start on weed management for the spring. Shorter days and colder weather in the months ahead will reduce the activity of plant growth. You want to keep the process as natural as possible. Pull weeds to your hearts content without overly disturbing the soil. Don’t use hoes or rakes, and don’t turn the soil over unless you must. When you disturb the soil too much seeds resting on top of soil get planted in the loose soil, and seeds deep in the soil are brought closer to the surface where they will be able to sprout. Every time you move soil around without a purpose, the roots and seeds of unwanted plants are given the go ahead to sprout away.

Organic Weed Management – Cornell University

Mulch

Freshly mulched garden bed in front of a house Bare soil is an invitation for weeds to… well, put down roots! Cover weeds that you want gone by the spring with a layer of weighted cardboard. Sometimes I think I shop online more for the cardboard shipping boxes then for what’s inside. I also love using sheets of bark from my fireplace wood in and around my garden plants. Tree bark adds nutrients, cuts down on weed growth, and is a good insulator for tender plants. Grass clippings or shredded leaves make a nice winter mulch, but cut up leaves soon after they fall to the ground before insects and small animals take shelter. Rake only the leaves you need to, leaving a goodly amount for insects to find winter cover.

Organic Garden Mulches to Conserve Moisture and Prevent Weeds – South Dakota State University Extension

Leave the Leaves – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Seed

A group of blazing star blooms - cyclindrical spikes covered with tiny purple flowers — Blazing star

There are so many plants that seed themselves if you leave them be, although you must be patient as they will need a year or two to establish themselves from seed. Here are a few of my favorites

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
Blazing star (Liatris spicata)
Catmint (Nepeta spp.)
Eastern purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
Milkweed (Asclepias spp.)
Verbena (Verbena spp.)

Self-Seeding Perennials – University of Minnesota Extension

Which flowers are self-sowing? – University of New Hampshire Extension

Collect Seeds

Three milkweed seed pods that have been spilt open. One is empty and the other two contain lots of small, brown, oval-shaped seed attached to a silky strands that will help disperse the wind disperse them. — Milkweed seed pods

I love collecting seeds and seed heads as they mature throughout the year. I either give them to friends or propagate them in other areas of my own garden. Make sure you collect seeds from plants that produce viable seeds. Some cultivars are bred to be sterile, and hybrids may produce seed, but the offspring will not necessarily resemble the parent plant. It is best to stick with uncultivated species and their varieties. Seeds and seed pods vary greatly. Milkweed produces seed pods which open to disperse seeds, while catmint, verbena, and blazing star produce seed heads after the plants flower. Research gathering techniques, proper storage, and how to plant different kinds of seeds in your garden.

Saving Seeds from Annuals and Perennials – The National Gardening Association

How to Collect and Store Seeds – Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Disease Management

Black, yellow, and white stripped monarch caterpillar feeding on milkweed. — Monarch caterpillar

If you grow native milkweeds, consider cutting back the plants this month to discourage next year’s growth from harboring any diseases that may have been left by this year’s monarchs. The most prevalent is Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, a parasitic protozoan that affects caterpillars. An infected monarch butterfly can host thousands of these parasites on their wings. Dispose of the cuttings with your regular trash instead of composting.

A wild begamont plant with leaves covered witha white substance. — Powdery mildew on wild bergamont

The stems and leaves of diseased plants should also be cut and disposed of in the trash as well. A good example is wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), which is very susceptible to powdery mildew. If left alone the mildew will overwinter on the old stems and may transfer to new growth in springtime.

Powdery Mildew of Ornamentals – Cornell Cooperative Extension Nassau County

Create Habitat for Pollinators

Milweed stems that have been cut back so the hollow stem can be used for by cavity nesting bees — Cut back milkweed stems

One way to help local native bee populations is to encourage nesting in your garden. Cut back some of the hollow-stemmed plants like Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium spp.) and milkweed leaving them about a foot tall as to create a space for cavity nesting bees to nest. For the ground nesting bees, avoid heavy wood mulches which are impossible for these small insects to burrow into.

Pollinator Nesting Resources – Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

Wild Bees of New York – Cornell University