Garden Tips for Fall

• Periodically deadhead faded blooms from pansies and other winter annuals. This will keep your plant’s valuable energy focused on producing more flowers and not producing unwanted seeds.
• Remove large leaves and other dead plant material from your water garden to keep your water clear and to prevent large algae blooms and plant debris buildup.
• Save the fallen leaves from trees to help make wonderful compost. This compost can be added as a soil amendment in the spring to flower gardens and planting beds.
• Need variety in your winter flower bed? Try planting some cool season vegetables. There are many to choose from such as cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce. Not only do they provide different colors and textures; but they are edible!
• Pre-emergent is also available to use in the fall before the germination of cool season weeds such as henbit and poa anna. For some cool season weeds this is the only reliable control other than hand weeding.
• Don’t limit yourself to just spring for adding new plants to your landscape. Fall is a wonderful time for planting. The warmer days and above freezing temperatures at night allow plants to establish and develop roots into the native soil. This will ensure a better display next spring and summer because the plant will be able to provide more energy to the leaves and flowers instead of providing its energy toward a large root system.
• Continue watering through the fall to encourage more brilliant fall color.
• Water your lawn early in the morning to prevent water loss through evaporation. Early morning watering will not encourage turf disease.
• Avoid watering the lawn too frequently because this encourages shallow rooting of plants and turf causing them to be less resistant to drought. Longer watering intervals that are less frequent are more desirable.
• Consider aerating your turf. Core aerification is the most effective type because it removes cores of soil. Removing small cores of soil loosens compacted soil increasing water and oxygen flow into the soil and improving the overall health of the soil.
• Do not allow fallen leaves to remain on your turf for too long, because this prevents adequate sunlight and oxygen to reach the turf.