Fall is my favorite time in the garden. Not only is it much easier to be outside than it was in summer, but I get to work with plants that are bouncing back from the inferno. During autumn, there’s plenty of propagation and seeding to do. It’s also a perfect time for fall integrated pest management. 

While it might make sense to some to take a scorched earth policy and remove all the plants that pests and diseases nestle in through the winter, this isn’t the best approach. Maintaining your garden’s ecosystem is an important part of keeping pests at bay. It’s a delicate balance, and there’s a fine line between too much action and not enough.

But once you get into the swing of fall integrated pest management, your garden will practically do the work of managing problems for you. The overall goal is to promote beneficial wildlife and lessen the areas where pests and diseases proliferate. 

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower Echinacea Seeds

King Henry Viola

Lambada Bee Balm

Step 1: Clean Up Debris

Toss infected leaves to protect next year’s garden.

This is an important part of your fall integrated pest management strategy. Where plants are prone to diseases that thrive in garden debris, remove those and either compost or dispose of them. 

Rake up and throw away leaves of any fruit trees that have taken on powdery mildew or fungal infections. Fallen leaves of diseased or pest-ridden summer annuals should be tossed in the garbage as well. Keep these out of the compost pile to prevent spreading them back into the garden. The same goes for fallen fruit. Remove them to prevent harboring pests.

Don’t clean up the garden completely just yet. This is the time to simply consider which plants are most likely to contract pests or diseases, and remove the litter that allows pests and diseases to overwinter.  

Step 2: Toss Spent and Pest-Ridden Plants

Clearing spent crops helps new growth thrive easily.

If you’re like me, you might want to hang on to that tomato plant longer than it should be in the garden. As fall moves in, you need room for your fall veggies. So, an important part of fall integrated pest management is taking out the old ones. The old adage about what no longer serves you is pertinent here. 

Those plants that never gave you a good harvest, or just took on a ton of insect pests and diseases, should go too. As with the debris you just bagged up and tossed, do the same with this stuff. No need to compost and spread it around. Anything that doesn’t have diseases or pests is good for compost. 

Leave your browned perennials that renew in spring for now, unless they tend to attract pests. If they do, give them a cut down at the soil level. 

Step 3: Leave the Leaves 

Piles of leaves make warm winter homes naturally.

Not only does leaving the leaves support helpful invertebrates, but it also gives you a good source of organic mulch that regulates soil temperature and provides nutrients as it breaks down. When we say “leave the leaves,” we mean those that aren’t pestilent. The leaves of most deciduous trees are good for use, though. 

There are other things you can do with these leaves if your HOA requires that you rake them up. You can gently rake them into your garden beds to cover the bare soil through fall and winter, or shred them before you do this to ensure they break down easily. 

Another really awesome soil amendment that comes from downed leaves is leaf mold. Gather all your leaves together and pile them into empty garden beds, contractor bags, or even just in piles. Over winter, they’ll break down and become crumbly. Then, in spring, incorporate a bit of these into your seed starting mix. 

Doing this gives many creatures a warm place to stay when it’s cold outside. It’s not just insects, but amphibians and reptiles that control pests for you in the warmer seasons. So if you haven’t included this in your fall integrated pest management routine before, do it this year. 

Step 4: Divide and Prune Plants

Prune branches now to prevent disease from spreading later.

If you want to ensure your plants are healthy and happy next spring, take time to divide overcrowded stands. Pot up divisions and give them to friends, or plant them in another area of the garden. Give overgrown plants, and those susceptible to fungal diseases, a good prune. 

Rust, mildew, and mold are all common diseases that take hold when plants are too close together. Pests also proliferate in dense foliage. By giving your plants a little room now, you’ll ensure these problems are less likely when it warms up. 

Another important task for fall integrated pest management is light pruning of fruit trees. The way you prune depends on the type of tree you’re growing and the way you want it to grow. 

Plants in the Rosaceae family (apples, peaches, pears, apricots, etc) love a light reshaping at this time. Focus now on diseased, dead, and damaged branches, leaving the heavier prune for late winter or early spring. 

Step 5: Harvest Seeds

Leaving some pods feeds birds through the cold winter.

Remove seedheads from plants that tend to self-sow at a condensed rate. This prevents overcrowding, which promotes higher rates of pests in the garden. If annual veggies become overgrown in the summer, take those pods and clean them to sow next year. 

As you’re harvesting seeds, leave the heads on those that are less vigorous, and allow some to remain on the plants that feed wildlife. Many native seeds provide food for songbirds in winter. Some seed pods give helping insects shelter after they’ve shed their seeds. Seed pods with substantial cavities are perfect (like Illinois bundleflower). 

Step 6: Manage Fall Pests

Beneficial insects help reduce plant-damaging insects.

If you’re in a mild region, it’s likely there are still some pests about. In that case, an important part of fall integrated pest management is staying on top of pest control while they’re still around. Here in north Texas, aphids, spider mites, leaf hoppers, and more are hanging out until around Thanksgiving. 

Resort to non-chemical means of control first, ensuring you’ve planted an array of flowers that attract beneficial insects who do the work for you. This is a great time to sow winter bloomers that can mature before your first frost. Then use mechanical means, removing heavily infested areas of plants and blasting some with a strong stream of water from a hose.

If all of this fails, do some research on how to control the pest in question on the plants you’re growing. This gives you insight into the most effective strategies for keeping pests down. Always use organic (or OMRI-certified) sprays if you must, and use them in the early morning before pollinators are out to avoid harming them. 

Step 7: Protect Sensitive Plants

Row covers protect tender plants during chilly nights.

If you’re growing on the edge of the season, and you have plants that are frost-tolerant but not freeze-hardy, give them a layer of protection. A row cover, cold frame, or cloche will keep more supple plants safe in a freeze. Remove covers when temperatures reach 50°F (10°C). Your plants’ ability to weather the elements makes them stronger in the face of pests long term. 

Ensure all your plants are in the right place. Shade lovers should be in shade beds, and sun lovers need plenty of access to sunlight. Proper soil is important for resilience, too. If you notice a plant has had a hard time this summer, relocate it to an area with the right conditions. Then mulch to keep its roots warm in winter. 

Step 8: Support Helpful Invertebrates

Host plants offer homes for butterflies to reproduce.

We’ve mentioned leaving the leaves. This is one great way to protect butterflies, moths, and other insects that improve your garden with their presence. Reducing pesticide use, leaving stems and seed heads, and pruning minimally (only as needed) are supportive as well. 

Plant fall bloomers to feed migrating populations of butterflies, and include host plants in your fall garden to give them a place to reproduce and live. If possible, leave areas of the yard somewhat wild to give insects undisturbed areas to overwinter. 

These wild areas add habitat for beneficial insects that control pests, too.