By October, it is tempting to look at a fading garden and declare weed season officially over. Unfortunately, chickweed, henbit, dandelions, bindweed, and other winter annual or perennial weeds may have very different plans, and ignoring them now can mean considerably more work next spring. The University of Illinois notes that fall is an especially useful time to manage weeds because perennial species are moving sugars and nutrients into their roots and underground storage structures as they prepare for winter. That makes fall garden weed control less about creating a perfectly spotless bed and more about preventing today’s small problems from becoming next year’s established ones. A few strategic jobs now—pulling mature weeds, protecting bare soil, and dealing with aggressive perennials—can dramatically reduce the amount of spring cleanup waiting for you.
