The process of tucking our children into bed has come full circle in our home. The nightly ritual used to be a very hands-on event for my husband and I. There were baths to be given, pajamas to be put on, sippy cups to be filled, and of course, books to be read. Hundreds of books to be read. The one (and maybe only) benefit of three teenagers in our home is that the process now consists of just me announcing to them âI am going to bedâ as I give them a kiss and a hug. Since, inevitably I go to bed before them, sometimes, they will actually come and tuck me in.
Fall it seems is the process of tucking our yards into bed for the winter. There are some things that really do need to be complete before the snow flies, the temperatures dip and the cold winds blow. Here are a few items that you may want to consider doing in your yard.
Plant Spring Bulbs: Bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, crocus and hyacinth can be planted now for a beautiful display of flowers in the spring. You can safely plant bulbs until the ground freezes.
Leaves: Rake up the leaves. You can use them as mulch around roses or perennial flowers. Be sure to remove from your garden any leaves from diseased plants. â¨
Prevent Weeds: Applying herbicides will help to control perennial weeds such as dandelions. Pre-emergent herbicides will minimize fall germinating weeds such as chickweed.
Planting: It’s safe to plant trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. Roots will continue to grow as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
Pruning: Fall is a good time to prune summer blooming shrubs such as potentilla or spirea. Certain shrubs, such as dogwood, are easier to prune when they donât have leaves.
Watering: Continue to water your plants until the ground freezes. You may want to apply an anti-desiccant spray to evergreen shrubs and trees. This minimizes the water loss through their needles over the water.
Lawn Care: You may want to seed any bare spots. Core-aeration may also improve the health of your lawn. Fertilizing your lawn now will also help it to be healthier next year.
Fertilize: By spreading a layer of mushroom compost in your landscape beds now, you will not only add nutrients to the soil but you will also help to insulate the plants throughout the winter.
Cut back: Many perennial flowers can be cutback this time of year. My general rule of thumb is if the foliage doesnât look good, then cut the plant back. If the foliage still looks good in late October or early November, then I would leave the plant alone and evaluate it in the spring.
âFall is not the end of the gardening year; it is the start of next yearâs growing season.â (ThalassCruso)
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.
