Fall Gardening Tips

For the Lawn

• Apply lime to lawns to raise pH. A 50# bag of lime will raise lawn pH about .5 point per 1000 sq ft.

• Apply fall lawn fertilizer at this time. This can be done around the same time as your lime application.

• Re-seed areas damaged by grubs with insect resistant seed varieties. Also, dormant seed your lawn in the areas where crabgrass has died out.

For the Flower Garden

• Mulch in rose beds.  Cover the bud union with at least 2″ of mulch.  If using leaf mulch, make sure it is composted.  Remove in early spring.

• Lift and store all tender bulbs such as dahlias, gladiolus, begonias.  This should be done after frost has killed the foliage, but before severe ground frosts.  Sever the spent foliage; wash off bulb or tuber and let air dry.  Store in a cool, dry place in peat moss or saw dust.

For the Trees & Shrubs

• Mulch in spring-planted trees and shrubs. Don’t permit them to get too dry; water them thoroughly and deeply.

• Apply an anti-dessicant, such as Wilt-Pruf, to spring or fall planted broadleaf evergreens and specimen conifers. Make sure temperatures are above 50 degrees. Newly planted Arborvitaes could be wrapped in burlap to protect from snow load.

For the Garden

• Start amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus for holiday blooms. (Allow 5-6 weeks for paperwhites and 12 weeks for amaryllis).

• Fall is a great time to start a compost pile. Start out with brown leaf and add the last few trimmings for nitrogen. Remember to alternate layers. Shred brown leaf to speed decomposition

• Shred and compost freshly collected leaves.  Alternate layers with the last of the grass clippings from your lawn.