Clean your garden tools at the end of the season. Make note of anything you may need to replace: string, labels, stakes, Sharpie pens, zip ties. Store in a labeled container.
Stop deadheading plants you want to develop seed pods for winter interest, such as redbeckias, coneflowers, astilbies, Siberian iris, and sedums. The birds also enjoy these seeds.
Keep watering container gardens. Check daily and water whenever the top 2 or 3 inches of soil is dry. Water so that the excess water will run out the drainage hole.
Mature apples will pull off the tree easily. Hold the fruit in the palm of your hand, twist, lift, and pull. Do not pull down on the tree, as this can damage the fruiting spurs and branches.
Information provided by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
