We’re only days away from the first day of fall. And the leaves on the trees outside my window are already turning their autumn hues. Which means it’s time to give the garden some fall lovin’ too.
Here’s a checklist to get you started.
• Take special care of roses. Begin by clearing debris from the base of the bushes—fallen leaves may hold diseases. Once the foliage falls, spray each bush with fungicide and cover with at least 8 inches of loose mulch, soil, or compost.
• Water your plants well. All of your plants—especially your trees—will need moisture to survive the winter months, so make sure to thoroughly soak the soil.
• Prepare your soil for next year’s planting (and what’s left to plant this year) by tilling and adding fertilizer.
• Plant shrubs and evergreens. Stay tuned: During the first week in October, I’ll give you info on how to do this.
• Plant fall flowers for an autumnal dose of color.
• Buy spring-flowering bulbs. Visit again next Thursday for the scoop on planting them.
• Avoid pruning spring flowering shrubs, as they may have already set their buds for next year.
• Transplant and divide perennials. This is a good move, particularly if your plant has been in the same location for several years. Water plants before dividing and mulch after replanting.
• Dig up herbs and put them in pots so you can grow them indoors during the winter.
• Prune dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs.
• Aerate your lawn.
It may be too late to plant these beautiful long-stemmed fall flowers now, but this article is worth checking out, if for no other reason than to inspire you for next year’s fall garden. And when it comes to fall vegetable gardening, this info from NC State is great.
In October, I’ll bring you a few more pointers on mid-fall garden care. And, for those of you lucky enough to stave off snow until later, I’ll bring you pointers on winter garden prep in the beginning of November.
Until tomorrow,
The Home Know-It-All
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