Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Inspiration

What to do in the garden over the long Labor Day weekend

Rebecca Wolken
By

As a long weekend approaches, we gardeners start to feel the itch for the opportunity. Usually, we have to sit at a desk and wait for the short weekends to dive into our gardens, but with a long weekend like Labor Day weekend, we can spend a whole extra day tending to our lovely gardens. With the laundry list of to-do’s that you no doubt have for your garden, you might be wondering how to best spend your time this Labor Day weekend. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most productive ways to spend your time in the garden during this “transition” period.

Transitioning into Fall

Towards the end of August, the temperatures start to cool down and it’s time to start thinking about fall gardens. Labor Day weekend is an excellent opportunity to take the time to ease your garden into fall. This means you can dust off cooler weather tools like leave blowers. You might also remove hoses from spigots to avoid freezing, clean out the gutters, change air filters, and give your lawnmower a good check-up before it goes into hibernation.

harvesting

Harvest, harvest, harvest

This is the time of year your hard work pays off. Veggies are ripening left and right, and you might feel overwhelmed with the amount of produce you’ve been able to grow. So a long weekend might be just the extra time you need to start harvesting and preserving. Take one day to harvest and prune your plants, then spend the next two days in the kitchen (it’s too hot outside, anyway!) canning, baking, and freezing items you can’t eat right away.

Related

Show your compost some love

All summer long, you’ve been throwing kitchen scraps and plant cuttings into the compost pile, and you’ve likely not shown it too much affection since you’ve been too busy in the garden. Now’s the time to turn your compost pile and maybe add some much-needed brown items into the mix. This will ensure you have healthy compost for next season’s garden.

Recommended Videos

Start your fall garden

Speaking of next season, the summer growing season being over doesn’t mean the end of growing altogether. Many of us take advantage of cooler weather to grow plants such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard, cabbage, beets, carrots, spinach, or lettuce. Labor Day weekend is an ideal time to pull out spent summer veggies and transplant or plant some of your fall crops.

Divide perennials

Perennials are amazing plants that keep coming back year after year, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need a little TLC every now and then. Maybe spend your long weekend tending to those perennial flowers that you love so much. This is an excellent time to divide plants that have gotten too big for space and maybe transplant those divisions into other areas of the garden. It’s like free plants!

two women gardening

Fertilize the lawn

Your garden might not be the only thing begging for attention. After a year of growing and being cut over and over, your lawn might need a bit of food. Fertilizing this time of year helps the grass over winter and will give it the boost it needs to come back better than ever next season. You might find that you have to do your “last cut” later in the season when you fertilize your lawn during your long Labor Day weekend.

Add new plants to the yard

If you’ve wanted to add some new trees, shrubs, or perennials to your landscape all season, now is the time to do it. Early fall is the best time to plant these types of plants, and there’s no better time than a long weekend to spend digging, planting, and watering new plants. Maybe find some fruit trees, beautiful flowers, or those shrubs that will be an excellent backdrop for your annuals next season. Planting these now will give them plenty of time to become established before winter hits but still allows them to take off when the weather begins to warm again.

Plant cover crops

If you aren’t planting a fall garden and find that your garden is becoming less and less full, you might want to consider planting a cover crop. Cover crops are a great way to protect your garden from weeds while also providing the soil with extra nutrients for your veggies next season.

There’s bound to be one or more on this list that has your garden fingers itching to dig in. Remember that anything you do to help your plants transition between seasons will help you and your garden in the long run.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Rebecca Wolken
Rebecca Wolken
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Rebecca's has written for Bob Villa and a Cincinnati based remodeling company. When she's not writing about home remodeling…
When do pears come in season? What you need to know
Here's the perfect time to pick your pear harvest
Pears on cutting board

Sweet, juicy, and crispy pears are not only versatile in recipes, but they’re also some of the easiest fruits to grow in a home garden. They resemble apples in look and taste (well, slightly), but pears tend to be much more resistant to pests and diseases. Plus, pears are full of fiber, vitamin C, and potassium for added benefits to your health.

One important thing to know about pears: You shouldn't always let them ripen on the tree. So when are pears in season, and when can you pick them for cooking and eating? We’ve rounded up everything you need to know about growing, harvesting, and preparing pears for delicious homegrown snacks!

Read more
Have an abundant fall apple harvest? Here’s what to do with a bunch of apples
From baking to canning, here are ideas for using your apple harvest
Apple harvest

Apples are some of the tastiest, most abundant fall harvests. If you're overwhelmed with how many bushels of apples your trees have yielded and are trying to use them up in more than just pies, look no further. Below, we've gathered several ideas to help you figure out what to do with a bunch of apples to make sure none of your fruit goes to waste.

Cook and bake your apples
So, what can you do with a bunch of apples? As your fall harvest of apples begins to pile up, you might get overwhelmed with what to do with them. Here are some new and unique ways you can prepare apples to enjoy them all through the season.
Crisps and pies
Of course, there is the classic apple pie or apple crisp. These are great ways to use up apples because they often call for six or more apples. You can bake a few pies or crisps for friends, family, or neighbors and share your harvest with those around you.
Cake and muffins
Less famous than pies but still a favorite among apple lovers, apple cakes and muffins are delicious and can also serve as a breakfast snack with your morning coffee. You can always make a big batch of apple muffins and freeze them for later.
Butter and sauce
You probably reach for a jar of apple butter at the fall hayrides every year, but you can also make this yummy topping at home. Making apple butter uses up a bunch of apples, so you can reduce your huge pile at home. In addition, you can make some homemade applesauce as well. Here is a recipe from MidwestLiving for awesome apple butter.
Fried
While the above ways to eat apples might be our favorites, they can get boring. So here we have a recipe from Tikkido.com for fried apple rings. These rings are thin slices of apples fried in a pancake-like batter and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. They're easy and will become an instant favorite. They go great with ice cream after a holiday meal or with a cup of tea or coffee before breakfast with your family.
Salads
You can toss a handful of thinly sliced apples into almost any salad, but a unique way to eat apples is in this yummy cabbage salad with apples and walnuts by Mom's Kitchen Handbook. It's colorful and offers a different way to enjoy your favorite fruit on a healthy salad.
Roasted
Roasted apples are a sweet treat without all the sugar of a pie or crisp. These roasted apples by Martha Stewart only call for a small amount of sugar and cinnamon. You can add them to a bowl of vanilla ice cream or eat them on their own as a sweet and delicious snack.
Slow cooker
Similar to roasted apples, you can use a slow cooker to soften apple slices. Add some butter, cinnamon, and sugar to a bowl of sliced apples, then put them in the slow cooker for an hour or two. What you'll have is a soft, saucy, and spice-filled treat that's great on its own or on top of ice cream.
Cheese board
Charcuterie boards are a trendy way to serve guests before a big meal, and we love to add fresh fruits to ours. Apples are an excellent choice. Their crisp juices cut through the creamy cheeses and cleanse your palate. Thinly slice a mix of red and green apples for a range of sweet and sour, then add all your favorite cheeses, crackers, jams, olives, and nuts. Have some fun setting it up and watch as friends and family enjoy. Or maybe make one just for yourself!

Read more
What is coconut soil, and how can it make your garden better?
Learn about coconut soil, a sustainable must for your hydroponic system
Person with small plant in hands

Coconut soil, or coco soil, as it's often called, hasn't been around for very long, but its history goes back only a few decades. In a relatively short amount of time, it's gone from a niche product to a popular trend among gardeners who need a highly efficient growing medium.

There are myriad benefits waiting for the gardener who chooses to use coconut soil. One of the most attractive benefits is that coco soil and coco coir are considered to be entirely renewable and sustainable.

Read more