Fall may be considered nature’s last Hurrah! A spectacular show of color prior to a period of hibernation during the winter. Fall is a superb time to work in your yard. The days are a bit cooler, the sun isn’t as bright, and the mosquitoes and beetles are gone. What better way to spend the day than in your yard? Whether you have a small area that is in need of a little attention or a whole lawn that needs renovating, here are some ideas of what can be done.
1. Repair summer’s damage. Now is a great time to repair a damaged lawn and re-seed. If it has been a few years, it might be time to de-thatch or core-aerate. You may also want to apply a winterizer lawn fertilizer in October.
2. Plant away! Trees and shrubs planted in the fall do incredibly well in successive years. Personally, fall is when I do my own planting.
3. Don’t put away the hose. Plants, especially evergreens, need water throughout winter. Your shrubs and trees need about 1” of water per week.
4. Pruning simplified. This is a great time to prune summer blooming shrubs. Try to avoid pruning spring blooming shrubs this time of year; you will cut off the flower buds.
5. Transplant away. Autumn is a great time to move perennial flowers and shrubs.
6. Making the (flower) beds. Evaluate and cut back your perennial flowers where necessary.
7. Plant now for color this spring. Consider planting spring blooming bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, crocus, and hyacinth for gorgeous color next spring.
8. Protect the trunk of young trees. The bark of your trees may benefit by being wrapped with tree wrap. This will help prevent cracks from developing along the trunk.
9. Protect the needles of evergreen trees and shrubs. Consider spraying them with an anti-desiccant spray such as Wilt-Stop. Winter winds and winter sun pulls moisture from the needles, therefore drying out evergreen trees and shrubs throughout winter. Wilt-stop will help prevent them from drying out.
10. Kill those grubs. Consider applying Milky Spore to kill the grubs that develop into Japanese Beetles.
11. Protect your investment. Our trees and shrubs went through a difficult summer and may be under stress. This makes them more susceptible to damage from insects. Consider applying an Annual Systemic Insecticide to help prevent insect damage over the next 12 months.
12. If you have less than 2” of mulch around your trees or shrubs or less than 1” of mulch around your perennial flowers, then consider putting down more mulch. Mulch acts as a layer of insulation around your plants throughout the winter.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or tgsinc12@msn.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She will address it in an upcoming column.
