Fall is for…
Fall is nearly upon us and the hot summer days are nearly over! Most homeowners don’t give much thought to landscape maintenance this time of year. But with its cooler temperatures and more frequent rainfall, fall is the ideal time to to prepare your lawn to weather the winter months and be extra vibrant when spring comes around. Give your landscape some much needed attention and don’t be afraid to start fresh with some new perennials, trees, or shrubs!
Fall is the best time of year for planting! If your looking to add trees, shrubs, fall vegetables, seasonal color, or perennials to your landscape now is the time to do it. With the milder climate and more frequent rainfall weeds once again become an issue for most landscapes so don’t forget your pre-emergent weed control and also a fall feeding for your lawn!
Fall is for… Feeding & Weeding Your Lawn!
Pre-Emergent Weed Control
The war against weeds is a pre-pmergent weed controls are used to prevent weed seeds from germinating, or to kill young emerging weeds before they become established full-grown weeds. We recommend Hi-Yield Turf and Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper with Dimension to prevent grassy weeds and broad-leaf weeds in established lawns. Apply in September for excellent control of broad-leaf and grassy weeds. One 12 lb. Bag treats up to 5,000 square feet. For an organic alternative to pre-emergent weed control we recommend Nature’s Guide corn gluten meal. This will give the turf a quick nitrogen feeding and also help prevent most weed seeds from germinating. It’s the protein content in the corn gluten that kills the germinating weed seeds. One 40 lb. Bag will treat 2,000 square feet.
Lawn Fertilization
Fall is one of the best times to fertilize the lawn! After the long summer months with it excessive heat and
humidity the turf grass begins to regain its strength. A good fall feeding helps the lawn reestablish a healthy and deep root system. This will help it better survive next summer’s heat and look even better next spring. Two fall fertilizer applications can help prepare your yard for winter. Apply the fist application in late August or early September. Apply the second application in late October to mid-November. The Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K) content of the fertilizer will feed the roots keeping the grass healthy and strong during the winter months. These nutrients will be stored in the root system of the plant ensuring a quick green-up in the spring. We recommend our Plant Shed Lawn Fertilizer with a 21-7-14 ratio. One 20lb. Covers 5,000 square feet.
Fall is for…Planting!
Trees, Shrubs, & Perennials
Fall is a good time to plant larger container grown plants because the cooler weather reduces stress on the top part of the plant. The soil stays warm and allows the roots to develop, helping the plants to become established. In the spring when the plants come out of dormancy, they will perform better than if they were planted in the spring. Smaller-sized plants from small pots may not root quickly enough to avoid damage during a hard freeze. Planting larger plants in the fall works well. Fall is also the best time to divide any overgrown perennials, dividing them will help to restore new life to them. You can also use these new plants in other parts of the garden or share with friends. If you are looking for a new addition Garden mums pictured below are a very popular fall perennial that produce a bouquet of blooms in bright colors such as yellow, white, red, orange as well as several other colors.
Fall and Winter color
Fall is a great time for seasonal annual color such as Petunias, Dianthus, Snapdragons, ornamental cabbage/kale and Pansies. Annual color helps to brighten and renew the landscape especially after the long hot summer months. Pansies are locally the most popular fall and winter seasonal color selection. Planting Pansies early in the fall will give these plants plenty of time to establish before the cooler winter months arrive, giving you time to enjoy them into mid spring. Fall pansies are typically first available mid to late September so get ready!
Fall Tomatoes and Vegetables
Planting tomatoes and other vegetables in the fall gives us one more opportunity to enjoy fresh vegetables from the home garden. When Choosing varieties pick vegetables that mature quickly before our daylight hours begin to shorten, shortened daylight can interfere with maturity and growth. Planting tomatoes that will mature within 70-100 days, and vegetables that will mature within 30 -80 days will yield the best results. Tomatoes that mature quickly are Celebrity-70 days, Better Boy-72 days, Roma-75 days, Beefsteak-78 days, Better Bush-68 days, and Patio-55 days.
