Great Tips for Fall Gardening - Zabitatz: Inspiration for YOUR home

Fall is just around the corner but you don’t give up on your garden just yet. Believe it or not, it’s actually a great time to do some work on your gardens. Fall yard work can go way beyond raking leaves. There are many jobs you can do to help your yard look great and lighten the workload next spring. Here are some ways to keep your yard looking great this fall and come back strong next spring.

Don’t forget to water. Just because the flowers are fading and the leaves are changing, it doesn’t mean your plants don’t need water. Your plants, especially evergreens, trees, and shrubs still need water. Going into the winter well hydrated will help your plants come back strong next spring. Most winter damage to evergreens isn’t caused by cold, but from the drying effects of late winter sun and wind. Water all woody plants and evergreens well until the ground freezes, and especially diligent if you are having a dry fall. Your plants will need the equivalent of one inch of rain per week so if you’re not getting that through rain, be sure to water.

Do some prep work. Now is the perfect time to create new flower bed so that they are ready for your spring planting. When it comes to flower gardening and growing vegetables too, good bed preparation is the key to success so get out on those cool fall days and do the heavy lifting, digging, and building necessary to have a great bed ready for planting in the spring.

Build it. This is a good time to plan or work on structural landscaping projects, such as walls, walkways, patios, and decks. Enjoy doing the hard work in the cool fall weather and you’ll emerge from spring with a fresh canvas to plant in.

The annuals are done. Put them out of their misery. Pull or dig out those annuals that are withering away. If you’re not ready for empty beds yet, try planting mums and colorful kale for some fall color and interest.

Think about the future. Take a look at your gardens and think about what you might want to change next spring. If there is something you want to change you have plenty of time to research new plants you may want to add. If you like the way things are looking, make note of any annuals that will need to be replaced for an easy shopping list in the spring. It’s a lot easier to visualize changes while your gardens are still alive and in good shape as opposed to what you might see after winter has taken its toll.

Plant or transplant perennials: Now is the time to divide and move certain perennials that have thrived this summer. Peonies and irises take especially well to fall division. Make sure that any plants you divide in the fall will have six to eight weeks of root growth before a hard frost. Before digging plants up, cut their foliage back to within two to three inches of the ground. Use mulch to insulate the plants before frost and reduce the risk of frost heaving (when the frost pushes the newly planted roots out of the ground).

Think spring bulbs. Now is the time to buy your spring-flowering bulbs. You’ll want to buy early while the selection is still good, but be certain not to plant them too early. Spring-flower bulbs should be planted about six weeks before the soil freezes hard. To store your bulbs before planting, put them in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.

Click for more info...