You thought gardening was over for the year? Think again! Be sure to take care of your outdoor living space this fall with the following items:
Lawns
- Continue mowing your lawn as needed, keeping the height to 2.5-3 inches. Mid-October you will be able to gradually start decreasing your mowing height until you reach 2 inches for your final mow of the season.
- Continue watering your lawn to retain moisture through the entire root zone. Do not shut off your sprinklers until late in the season to ensure the root zone does not dry out.
- Fall is a great time to kill broadleaf weeds. Spray Fertilome Weed Free Zone to kill them off. This chemical can be applied with temps ranging from 45-80.
- Wait to apply Fertilome Winterizer fertilizer until October when temps are decreasing.
Gardens
- Continue to harvest vegetables until completed.
- As plants finish, pull out annual plants and dispose. This will help reduce diseases reoccurring next spring.
Perennials, Trees and Shrubs
- Some perennials such as Peonies, Iris and Lilies may be able to be cut back if their foliage has turned yellow/brown.
- Any shrubs that have stopped blooming can be trimmed (keep in mind that spring bloomers will have their buds set and will be trimmed off.)
- Remember to plant fall bulbs (bulbs that flower in the spring) this fall when temperature highs are in the sixties.
- After we receive a killing frost you can transplant and divide perennials. When dividing make sure each piece has an adequate root zone. Peonies and Iris can be done before a killing frost if foliage is beginning to dry down.
