Fall is my favorite season. I love the colors, textures and variety of late-season gardens. But don’t let the beauty and nice weather fool you: there are still lots of garden chores to do.
What to Plant
With the soil still warm but the night temperatures declining, now is a great time to plant! Container grown and balled and burlapped nursery stock can be planted through October. The sooner things are planted in early fall will allow more time for strong root and healthy root development.
Trees and Shrubs: Trees, shrubs and perennials settle in well and get their roots firmly anchored.
Perennials: If you’re making new beds or borders this fall or renovating existing ones, perennials can be divided or moved. Use a digging fork or shovel to lift a clump. If you’re dividing the plant, cut it in half or thirds with a quick thrust of a sharp blade.
Spring flowering bulbs: Spring flowering bulbs need to get their roots established before subfreezing weather sets in for good. Water all bulbs in well as you plant to stimulate root growth.
Grass Seed: Now is a good time to sow grass seed to renovate your lawn damaged from insects, drought stress, dog damage, or disease. The seed must stay moist for germination about 21-28 days.
What to Leave Alone
Pruning: keep your fingers off the pruners and loppers. Perennials should be cut back or trimmed in late winter. Flowering shrubs should be pruned right after they bloom. Pruning now not only would cut off new buds that have formed but stimulate new growth, which is vulnerable to cold.
Tree limbs: An exception to the pruning rule: If you notice any limbs that vulnerable to snow damage, pedestrians or cars, deal with them now.
Roses: Roses are susceptible to late pruning and can often be killed by such treatment. Hybrid tea roses, however, will benefit from a mound of soil around the base of the plant. You can use potting soil from your patio containers.
Leaves: Although fallen leaves should be removed from walks, drives and gutters, there’s no need to rake them out of perennial gardens. Shade plants and soil beneath trees are enriched by fallen leaves. Come spring, you might want to do a bit of additional removal.
What to Clean Up
After frost, most annuals and vegetables look pretty sad. Pull them up and compost them, unless they have pretty seed heads you want to enjoy in winter.
Tools: Give tools a thorough cleaning before you store them in a dry place for the winter. Rusty blades will benefit from steel wool, light oil and elbow grease. Fall is a good time to replace those beyond repair, as many stores will have tools on sale.
Sprinklers and hoses: Sprinkling systems need to be shut down and cleared. Hoses should be coiled and stored to prevent winter cracking. Keep one handy, however, for winter watering.
Pots: Empty soil out of pots. Store them upside down, under a tarp is preferable, or in a shed or garage. This helps prevent damage from alternate winter freezing and thawing.
Mulch: Mulching mowers are ideal for disposing of fallen leaves on your lawn. In addition, apply a ‘winterizer’ fertilizer to your lawn to ensure a quick green-up in spring.
Faucet Fixes Conserve water:
Did you know that one drip per second of water equates to 220 gallons a month? So it makes sense to stop the drops wherever we can. Take time to inspect all your outdoor faucets and connections now as we face the freezing temperatures of winter. I feel better knowing I’m averting potential problems early and doing my part to save water!