Autumn colors, long, dark and cold nights, rain, fog and storms: are you getting ready to retreat indoors, with a cup of tea, and a slow cooking dish on the stove or in the oven?
I am, but not so fast. If you live in a climate that experiences cold winters, and have been spared by the destruction of hurricane Sandy, you have until Thanksgiving to get many important gardening chores done, which upon completion will reward you with a head start for a glorious spring. Come December the soil will most likely be to cold or to wet to be worked for a long time.
Fall is the best time of the year to plant or transplant trees, shrubs, perennials and spring bulbs.
Plants dug into the ground in autumn will establish a much needed new root system over the coming winter months. Next spring these roots will draw nutrients from the soil, which will be necessary for new plant growth .
These planting techniques are rewarding:
tease roots apart if you are planting plants that were grown in nursery pots- dig holes larger than root ball size
- thoroughly mix in compost with the tilled or manually worked planting soil
- place the plant evenly at soil level and in straight position
- water plant after planting to help cope with transplant stress and settle the soil
- provide a mulch cover to protect root base from weeds and other environmental attacks.
Useful fall gardening tasks:
- dig up established weeds with a perennial fork, and remove emerging seedlings with a U shaped hoe. If left in the ground over winter, they will push out new growth rapidly when the days are growing longer again in the new year
- cut down spend flower stalks with sharp pruners
- many shrubs and trees can be pruned now. Investigate the best season for your specific plant first, before making those irreversible cuts.
- top dress existing plantings with compost . This will aid in establishing a healthy root system, and will facilitate healthy growth in spring.
- a cover of mulch is the perfect plant winter blanket which keeps weeds down, cold out, and moisture in.
- remove dead leaves which cover up perennials
- mow untidy lawns or pastures for even fresh growth next season
- dig up Dahlia tubers
Pale, translucent spider in an Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ seed head.
A lady bug on mossy Saxifraga foliage forebodes lucky autumn gardening!
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