I have a big to do list and then a daily one. My big one has an indoor section and an outdoor section. I order them by priorities and then forget that part upon execution.
I'm zone 5/6
This fall I'm...
Planting my winter crops. That's right: there's about 1 month of above frost left, 2 months of above freeze, and 3 months of not yet frozen solid, which
should be
enough time for:
Radishes, arugula, maybe turnips or baby carrots, spinach, chard, kale, mesclun, maybe beets. I'll be using low tunnels to hedge my bets and out wit some rodents.
There's also the onions, garlic, corn salad, winter wheat, and other things that make it through the frozen solid months alright. We have such pest influence I will be sprouting (ever so slightly) the wheat before I plant it. In fact, since much of my ground is already planted and the critters are stuffing themselves for winter, I am starting most of this inside. That will give me 2-3 weeks to clear out the stuff that's not gonna produce anymore.
Mowing/trimming/pulling. Yes, the
lawn, but also:
perennial plants that go dormant pull their nutrients out of the leaves, into the
roots. You weaken weeds a lot if you chop off all their top growth before they can suck out it's nutrition. I let squash wander in my lawn, but it's pretty much done now, so I want to get my lawn back for kid and dog use, and to impress the neighbors (haha). The dandelion
root is probably biggest now.
Processing: much of what I started drying mid summer is dry now and just needs to be put into the proper storage.
Wood gathering: I'd chop it too, if I had more of me.
Rooting cuttings: these are ones I will have to baby over winter...oh well. The wood is available now.
Picking up acorns: I'd say processing, but due to lack of time, I'm fridging them for now
House cleaning: after 5 months of ignoring the indoors, I have to move back in and evict the spiders and dust that took my place.
Prepping for cold:
wood stove in good working shape? Check! Humidifiers working? Check! Enough covers for the beds? Check! New air leeks around the doors and windows fixed? ....almost check....
Buying the last of the fresh,
local stuff: I wish I could grow a beautiful large cabbage, but so far I just get piddly looking things, thus I go to the farmer's market and buy from them. What I can't grow yet and can be stored for months, I do.
Starting cooking as heating: during summer it's hot. I avoid cooking as much as possible. Instead I do a lot of cold foods. In fall though, the weather is cool enough to even be a little cold, which is fixed just right with a pot of stew and fresh, home made bread.
Clean the windows:
solar heat gain can be quite substantial. Cleaning them windows helps.
Reprocessing kids clothes: weather change means everyone with kids in the community cycles their clothes to the next in line.
Vehicle/equipment service: I'm not sure how soon I'll get to it this year, but I like getting the vehicle derusted and coated with paints or wax to avoid further rust damage. The same goes for shovels, wheel barrows, etc.
Move dirt: during summer it's so dry and hard. During winter it's so frozen, but spring and fall it cuts like butter and you can therefore do more in less time.
Leaf shifting: such great dirt next year and a great mulch cover for perennial plants, but bad for lawn and driveway, so I shift it around.
Hose wrap-up: no longer needed this year, so they need to be unplugged and the line drained.
Surveying and mapping out niche holes: so you know how many plants to buy/start mid winter and plant in spring.
Update the planting journal: of what worked/didn't before you forget.
Make a prize for yourself to get after fall is over and it's the middle of winter so you don't suffer from exhaustion because it's a busy time of year with a drop in sunshine and you may have already been going full throttle since April.