Here in Florida, it’s not difficult to let a garden become overgrown. A month or two of hot, summer weather, paired with the regular afternoon deluge of hurricane season, is the perfect recipe. Plants simply take off with the sun, heat, and consistently moist soil.

It’s also terrible gardening weather. My father would say that it’s like gardening on the surface of Venus. Hot and sticky, it’s tough to walk from the house to the car without sweating, much less pull weeds. And oh my, do the weeds ever grow in these conditions. 

If you’ve recently returned to the garden after a summer or any hiatus, it can be overwhelming. There are seemingly endless tasks to take care of, and each one depends on another. Let me help get you on the path to fix an overgrown garden, one step at a time. 

Weeder & Cultivator

CobraHead Original Weeder & Cultivator

Garden Kneeler

Epic Organic Straw

Epic Organic Garden Straw

Assess the Situation

Walk the garden and notice what needs care.

The first step to fix an overgrown garden and bring it back to a state of order is to survey the situation. You can make a physical list if you’d like, or simply take a walk around and decide which things you need to address. 

Take note, or mental notes, of what looks good and what needs work. What areas are overrun by weeds? Check on shrubs, trees, and other perennials to determine what needs pruning. How do your hardscapes look? Notice whether your paths and patios are clear or need some cleaning up.

Take a look at the perennials that sometimes need dividing. Determine whether this is a year that you’ll want to handle that task. Decide if there are plants you want to remove altogether. Perhaps they have lost their vigor, or they simply outgrew their space. 

Something else to check on is whether all of your plants are thriving, and what may be preventing those that aren’t. If some plants are heavily overgrown, they could be crowding out others and reducing sun exposure. 

Get Out of the Weeds

A damp ground makes weeds easier to pull.

The next step to fix your overgrown garden is usually the most labor-intensive. It’s certainly not anyone’s favorite task, but it does make a significant difference in the condition of your garden. Weeding is hard work, but it truly is the most important factor in a well-maintained garden. 

The reason weeding is important isn’t simply because weeds themselves are unsightly. They also deprive nearby plants of resources like water, nutrients, and sunlight. These plants tend to grow faster than the intentional ones. They can quickly overtake smaller plants when the weather is right. 

Start with the larger tasks. Clear out debris like branches and fallen leaves. Leaves you can relocate to a compost pile to utilize them in the coming months. Cut back any vines that are overgrown and obstructing the growth of other plants. 

Finally, get down to the business of pulling those weeds. There are a few handy items that take this task from awful to tolerable. A kneeling pad is one of them, and gloves are a must. I like to use a hand fork to tear up larger areas. 

Make sure to pull weeds up from the root. If the ground is dry, moisten it a few hours ahead of time; this will make weeds come out easier.

Pull Spent Annuals

Deadheading annuals often sparks one last colorful flush.

If you have annuals that are coming to the end of their life, or have already begun to fade, let’s get rid of those as well. The next step to fix your overgrown garden is another that makes a significant visible improvement.

If your annuals still have some life in them, you can deadhead to try for another bloom. If they’re past their prime, and you’re ready for something new, yank them.

There is some debate on whether it’s best to pull your spent annuals out by the roots or cut them off at the soil level. If you’re not sure why one would do this, it’s simple. The roots of annuals are unlikely to grow back any green growth if you cut them to the ground. 

What does happen when you leave those roots is that they initially improve the soil structure. They can help prevent erosion during the winter months when the soil isn’t covered. They also break down over time, adding organic material to the soil, so they can feed the new plants you replace them with. 

Prune the Rest

Hard pruning leggy shrubs often brings fresh new growth.

Pruning the larger plants in your garden is another step that makes an overgrown garden look neat and tidy again. Start with larger shrubs, as these often make it harder to get to everything else. Make sure to find out whether this is a good time of year to prune your specific plants. Some may need to wait for spring. 

Move on to any small trees that need shaping. Remove any dead or diseased limbs, but avoid cutting anything back by more than one-third. The exceptions are plants that tolerate hard pruning. If one of these has become leggy and sparse, hard pruning can give them a new lease on life. 

Finally, give your perennials some love. Many of these don’t like late summer pruning, but a little shaping won’t hurt. At the very least, deadhead all of the spent flowers. You may encourage a final flush of blooms before winter. 

Thin Things Out

Dividing plants every few years renews their strength.

While you’re tending to your perennials, you can do a lot to fix your overgrown garden by dividing and replanting. Many of our favorite perennials are clump-forming and need dividing every few years. You may notice center dieback, crowding, and general lack of vigor when they need it. 

Dig up your overcrowded perennials and replant the divisions in the garden. You can also share your divisions if you’re running out of room for them. I never turn down a free plant! 

Thinning out is useful in places where your perennials are becoming crowded. Crowding reduces airflow, which is a fast route to fungal disease. Fall’s cool, moist air can truly wreak havoc. 

Make Any Additions

Planting now encourages strong roots for winter survival.

If you have spaces left from pulling up spent annuals, this is the time to plant some fresh, new, fall bloomers. There are still plenty of beautiful annuals that you can plant in late summer and early fall, depending on your climate. 

This is also a fine time to plant many perennials. With the air cooling, warm soil, and typically, plenty of rain, it’s perfect conditions for establishing roots. If you can get them in the ground six to eight weeks ahead of your first frost, you can plant many shrubs, trees, and other perennials. 

Mulch and Feed

Mulch gradually enriches soil while feeding helpful organisms.

The final step to fix your overgrown garden is to tuck everything into a solid layer of mulch and feed them. If you live in a cooler climate, skip the fertilizer. Fertilizing late in the season can encourage new growth. This growth will be more vulnerable to cold damage, so it’s best to hold off if winter is near for you. 

In warm climates, a light application of fertilizer, especially for fall bloomers, is appropriate during your late summer clean-up. You can encourage many of your perennials to produce a final flush of blooms by giving them an application of a low-nitrogen formula.