Many people tend to think that once the first frost arrives, gardening tasks are over until spring. No more pulling weeds, hoeing, digging, pruning or watering. The truth is, fall is the best time to prepare your yard for bountiful blooms next season. Although you may have to bundle up while outside in the cooler months of October and November, a little ground work – including cleaning, maintenance and planning – will save you a great deal of time and effort when gardening season rolls around next spring.
Here’s an end of year gardening “To Do” list that will prepare your garden for its winter snooze and allow you to enjoy a little more time outdoors.
– In early autumn, it is time to rake up debris in your yard. This year in particular, be sure to remove fallen leaves from around the base of trees, shrubs and plants. The heavy rains we experienced this summer have brought about a lot of fungus and diseases that are harmful to plants. It’s best not to use fallen leaves as mulch this year. We recommend bark mulch instead so that you can avoid the spread of disease and plant pests in your garden. Apply two to three inches of bark mulch to all of your flowerbeds and around trees, shrubs and perennials, especially those newly planted. Mulch insulates the soil and your plants’ root systems. As it breaks down throughout the winter, it provides extra nutrients for your plants.
– As summer flowers fade, you can still enjoy colorful blooms from hardy plants such as mums, flowering cabbage and asters. Make sure to add bulbs to your planting “To Do” list, along with your mums and asters so that you can enjoy the first signs of spring as crocus creep up from under the snow.
– Cool season veggies can also be added to your fall gardening list. These are plants with shorter growth cycles such as peas, cabbage, kale, lettuce and artichokes. Cooler nights might require the use of frost cloth but you still have ample time to grow and enjoy a bountiful harvest of fall vegetables.
– The end of October typically brings much cooler temperatures so be sure to have your irrigation system winterized by professionals. Drain water features such as birdbaths and fountains, and if they’re vulnerable to winter weather, bring indoors. Remove pumps and filters from your pond and drain any excess water out of waterlines.
– It’s also time to bring in pots that are susceptible to weather and insulate pots that remain outside. Make sure that pots brought indoors are accessible for watering and water as needed.
– Last on your “To Do” checklist is fertilizing. Use ferti-lome Winterizer to fertilize your lawn, trees, shrubs and flowerbeds. By boosting your plants’ root systems, Winterizer builds hardiness and you’ll see more growth next spring.
Traditional fall celebrations also provide the opportunity to add some extra color in the form of pumpkins, gourds or dried corn. At Warner’s Nursery we celebrate the change of season by hosting a Harvest Festival including an Art’s and Crafts Fair and fall gardening seminars. This year it takes place Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
If you’ve got little ones, make sure to bring them to our Annual Family Fall Festival on Oct. 19, where it’s all about the kids! A hay maze, petting zoo, bouncy house, kiddie caboose and other games and arts and crafts make this one of our most popular events of the year!
Take advantage of these cool gardening months ahead and you’ll be sure to enjoy a more effortless and abundant spring garden. It will be here before you know it!
Happy Gardening! FBN
Written by Misti Warner of Flagstaff’s Warner’s Nursery on Butler Avenue.
Leave a Reply