{"id":213,"date":"2013-10-29T16:35:00","date_gmt":"2013-10-29T16:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2013\/10\/the-importance-of-cleaning-up-garden-plants-in-the-fall.html"},"modified":"2025-12-12T15:35:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T20:35:46","slug":"the-importance-of-cleaning-up-garden-plants-in-the-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2013\/10\/the-importance-of-cleaning-up-garden-plants-in-the-fall.html","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Cleaning Up Garden Plants in the Fall"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cleaning up the garden in the fall is a necessary, if sad, task. \u00a0I know I always feel sad as I rake up the dead leaves, pull frost-blighted annuals, and toss brown flowers on the compost pile. \u00a0Fall cleanup is, however, a very necessary task for several important reasons.<\/p>\n

Prevents Insects from Wintering Over in Debris<\/b><\/h3>\n
Lurking underneath those innocent-looking fallen leaves are eggs, larvae, and sheltering insects who are ready, willing and able to breed minion armies for next year. Some of them are the “good guys” of the garden, the predatory insects who eat bad bugs and basically keep the things that hurt your plants in check. Others, however, are the bad guys, the ones you want to kill. Doesn’t it make sense to get them now, while they’re vulnerable, by raking or removing spent plants, than to douse your garden with pesticides later on?<\/div>\n
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To prevent insects from wintering over:<\/div>\n
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