My Fall To Do List

Now that we’re solidly into the crisp but sunny days of fall, I’m spending some time mapping out my to-do list for the coming months.

I consider anything after September 30 “bonus season” for the flower field. Every day that we have flowers blooming past this point  is a gift, not a given. Our average first frost is October 15 but I’ve had years of September killing frosts so I never count on these first few weeks of October. Many of the flowers have already finished up, but this year the dahlias, celosia, lisianthus and marigolds are still hanging on.

This month I’m focusing less on harvest and bouquets, and more on field prep and planning for the off-season. Technically, my business doesn’t have an ‘off-season’; I made the decision long ago to generate income year round and so while the flowers in the field might be taking a break, I certainly am not!

Here’s what I’m working on this month:

Fall field prep. Ripping out spent flower beds, storing landscape fabric (I use this and reuse it year after year), hoses and drip tape. Once the field is cleared I like to sow a cover crop if there’s time. Clover and winter wheat have worked well for me in zone 6b. During the summer months I like buckwheat for a fast-growing cover.

Inventory supplies. I quickly forget from one season to the next what I have on hand and what I need to order more of. Before the freezing temps arrive, I make sure to have on hand adequate frost cloth (I use ag-30 on all of the hardy annuals), metal hoops and sand bags to hold down the low tunnels.

Erect caterpillar tunnels. The corms that we plant require a little extra TLC, so they’re planted under more substantial caterpillar tunnels we make using greenhouse grade plastic. Before the tunnels go up, we’ll use the walk-behind tiller or tractor to prep the beds for planting. We made a video guide demonstrating how we make our DIY tunnels plus a supply list that can largely be sourced from your local hardware store!

Pre-sprout and plant anemone and ranunculus corms. Our corms are a little late this year, but with the caterpillar tunnels I’m confident that they’ll do just fine a few weeks later than planned! After a 2-week pre-sprout period, we’ll plant them out in those freshly tilled beds and get the tunnels up for added protection once it really turns cold. Here's a post I wrote recently all about corms!

Dig & store dahlia tubers. The task I dread the most! This is usually done in early November once the killing frost has taken out plants and I’ve finished planting corms. I’ll largely be sidelined this year; at 7 months pregnant, digging and lifting heavy clumps of tubers is not ideal. So once Jim digs the clumps for me, I’ll get them about 80% washed and packed into bins. Dahlia storage methods vary from grower to grower. I store them in bins in our unfinished farmhouse cellar and that’s always worked well for me. If they seem dry I keep the tops mostly closed; if they appear moist or I spot any sign of mold, I vent the lids.

Plant perennials. Peonies are the only plant on my list this year. We’re adding a few new varieties along with my staples (Coral Charm, Sarah Bernhardt and Duchesse de Nemours). Each year I invest in the peony field and it’s grown substantially in the past 6 years! We use landscape fabric to help with weeds and a post hole digger to make holes. Before I plant our peonies, I’ll first ship out orders to everyone who’s ordered roots from us. There are still a few varieties available as of this post publishing… check availability here!

Prepare for holiday sales. There’s never really an ‘off season’ in my world. When I decided to pursue the flower business full time I knew I needed full time revenue, so I don’t sleep on the holiday sales season! The real work won’t start until November, but in the meantime I’m ordering supplies, preparing marketing materials and making sure that everything is in place when the holiday season is in full swing. Join me for a Virtual Workshop all about Holiday Sales Strategies! I’ll share EVERYTHING I do to maximize sales during the season including product ideas, marketing templates and more.

Looking for more? Check out these posts for more fall field and flower inspiration...

• Fall Planting Supplies
• Dig in to Fall Planting
• Fall Field Favs

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