Let nature tell you when it’s time

By Paul Zimmerman It’s early November, and I’m waiting for our first freeze. And after that, I’ll wait for our second one. Those two events in fall are my signal that the garden is beginning to shut down for winter, and that it’s time to do a few things to help our plants prepare for the months ahead. Google tells me our first frost or freeze date is generally around early November. I suspect we may be a little late this year. I’ve seen a few nights with temperatures dipping into the low 30s in the forecast, but nothing that looks like a good, solid freeze just yet. Why am I waiting? Because I want the plants to begin going dormant naturally before I start doing anything that might encourage new growth or interfere with that process. As I’ve said before, I’m not much of a fan of gardening by the calendar. Nature has its own timetable, and it’s usually best to pay attention to what it’s telling us.

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