October Garden Pro-Tip

Pro-Tip: Preparing Your PNW Garden for Winter

As the crisp fall air settles into Washington, it’s time to shift focus toward winter preparations for your garden. While the days grow shorter, now is the perfect time to focus on protecting and nourishing your garden for the winter ahead. From protecting overwintering greens to planting cover crops and shrubs, each step you take now will pay off in healthy plants and soil next year. Eco-Restore can help with personalized guidance, installation, and long-term garden management. Let’s dig into the strategies and tasks for a productive fall, aligned with our October Gardening Guide.

Overwintering Greens with Plastic-Covered Hoop House Cloches

For successful overwintering in the maritime Northwest, plastic-covered hoop house cloches are an ideal solution. Unlike cold frames with solid sides, cloches allow diffused light to reach all sides of the plants, which is critical during our cloudy winters. However, don't keep them sealed up all winter long! On days when temperatures rise above 40°F, open the ends to encourage airflow. This helps prevent fungal diseases by reducing excess humidity trapped under the plastic.

Pro Tip: Keep an eye on moisture levels, as soil beneath cloches can dry out despite winter rains. On milder rainy days, or more often as spring approaches, pull back the plastic to allow natural rainfall to soak in, or water manually when needed—twice a month should suffice. Eco-Restore can design and install custom cloches to suit your garden’s layout, ensuring your overwintering greens stay healthy and well-hydrated through the cold season.

Planting Winter Cover Crops

As you clear out spent summer plants, take advantage of the season by planting winter cover crops. This is an essential step in protecting your soil during the rainy season. Austrian field peas, fava beans, and cold-hardy grains like rye, wheat, or oats are ideal for October plantings. These crops germinate in colder soils and act as a living mulch to prevent erosion, compaction, and nutrient loss. 

These cover crops protect your soil from heavy rains, which can compact the ground and leach valuable nutrients. As their roots continue to grow through winter, they also provide habitat for beneficial microbes and worms. When you chop them down in the spring, they add nutrients and organic matter back into the soil, setting up your next season’s veggies and flowers for success.

Pro Tip: As you sow these crops, secure floating row covers to protect them from birds and squirrels. After the seeds sprout, remove the cover to let the plants grow freely. Eco-Restore can help with crop selection, planting, and row cover installation to ensure your garden is ready for a fruitful spring.

Check out our guide for more information on sowing fava beans and the best cover crops for your fall garden.

Putting Your Garden to Bed

Even though the active growing season may be winding down, there’s still plenty to do. By taking the right steps now, you’ll build healthier soil, support local wildlife, and minimize pest and disease pressure next year.

Mulch garden beds: Mulching adds a protective layer that suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and gradually breaks down, adding nutrients to the soil.

Harvest winter squash and pumpkins: Before the first frost, harvest and store these crops to enjoy through the winter. Cure them in a dry, warm spot for a week or two before storing.

Save seeds: Collect seeds from your healthiest plants. Ensure they’re dried properly and stored in a cool, dry place for next year’s planting.

Take down trellises and teepees: Once your vining crops are finished, dismantle any trellises or teepees. This prevents them from becoming damaged during winter storms and makes space for cover crops or mulching.

Eco-Restore offers a Seasonal Garden Coaching visit (or quarterly) that covers everything from mulching to seed-saving tips, ensuring your garden is tucked in and ready for winter. Additionally, we can install one of our many Specialty Gardens (with or without a raised bed) that will offer a rewarding return on your fall planting efforts.

Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs

One of the best times to plant trees, vines, and shrubs is right now, between late September and mid-November. Fall planting minimizes transplant shock because the cooler, wetter weather helps reduce stress on the plants. Roots will quietly establish themselves throughout the winter, allowing for robust growth above ground come spring.

Pro Tip: Give your new trees and shrubs extra attention through their first year—regular watering and mulching will help them get established. Eco-Restore provides planting services, helping you select the best species for your space and ensuring they’re planted correctly for long-term success.

Tasks for October

Divide perennials: Now is the perfect time to divide and replant any overgrown perennials. Dividing helps rejuvenate tired plants and provides you with new plants to fill gaps in your garden.

Mulch garden beds: Spread a layer of organic mulch over bare soil to protect against winter erosion, suppress weeds, and improve soil health.

Plant garlic: October is prime time to plant garlic in the PNW. Plant cloves with the pointed end up, spacing them 4-6 inches apart in well-draining soil.

Plant berries and bare-root plants: Fall is ideal for planting berries and bare-root perennials. The cooler weather helps reduce transplant shock, giving them time to establish strong root systems.

Rake and store leaves: Gather fallen leaves to use as mulch or add to your compost pile for rich, organic matter.

Sow cover crop seeds and fava beans: As beds open up, sow cover crops to protect the soil and provide valuable nutrients come spring.

Take down trellises and teepees: Clear out any structures used to support your summer crops to keep your garden tidy through winter.

Eco-Restore Can Support You

Eco-Restore can help with all these tasks, offering seasonal planting, design, and garden care services to ensure your garden is in its best shape heading into winter. Check out our October Gardening Guide, it’s filled with practical tips, plant recommendations, and how-tos tailored for Washington’s unique climate.

Let us know how Eco-Restore can support you in getting your garden ready for the colder months!