Let's hear your ~Fall Garden Tips~

[Snowwark]

Have you got some timely Fall tips to share? Big or small, from you or the pros, let's post it here! :)

~Once they're past their prime, empty your containers of annuals and store frost- sensitive containers in the garage or basement.~

Next?

:)

[amid chaos]

Wait till ALL the leaves are down before raking.

[bobbiwoz]

Start a journal if you don't have one, and write down your story of the past growing season. If there's something you'd like to try next year, put it in, as well as your success stories and what didn't work.

I like to read my journal, it goes back 35 years, and 3 homes, but there are lots of gaps in the '80's and 90's when our children were growing up. I guess DH was doing the work in the fall then.:rolleyes:

[Mamu]

Make sure you plant some fall bulbs.

Even if its just a few daffodils there's nothing that brightens up a cold spring day then a few daffodils smiling back at you and letting you know the long winter is over.

[NHMickey]

I try and do as much clean up as I can so I don't have a lot in spring...

[Snowwark]

Mamu, how about bringing back some of your bulb posts? They were great, very informative, and now is the perfect time! :)

Your garden journal is a family treasure now, Bobbi. :) I just started one this year, and I've been somewhat remiss about writing in it. :blush:

Here's a l o n g post, about lawn care, from Fine Gardening. :)

Autumn Turf Tips

In fall, mow lower and less often
In summer, I raise the level of my mower blade because taller grass blades create a canopy that shades crowns from sun and encourages deep root growth. In fall, I lower the blade level and cut my grass shorter because shorter blades allow the grass to concentrate on root growth. I mow Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fine leaf fescue lawns at 3 inches during the summer and at 2 inches in fall, whereas I mow turf-type tall fescue at 3-1/2 to 4 inches in summer and 2-1/2 to 3 inches in fall. Also, as fall progresses and my lawn starts to go dormant, I mow less often.

Cutting your grass too short is one of the worst things you can do to your lawn. When mowing, I follow the "one-third rule," no matter what season it is. This rule states that only one-third of the vegetation (from the soil line to the leaf tips) should be removed at each mowing. For example, if a 2-inch height of cut is desired, I mow when the turf growth reaches 3 inches. I use my ruler to determine when to mow.

I don't bag my clippings. If they're not too long, mulched grass clippings filter back into the turf canopy without detracting from the beauty of the lawn or increasing the thatch layer. Even if you use a side-discharge mower instead of mulching mower, cuttings should not detract from a lawn's appearance as long you follow the one-third rule.

Reseed bare spots after aerating and thatching
Seed to soil contact is essential when sowing grass seed, so right after you've aerated and raked is a good time to seed any bare spots in your lawn. When seeding, I like to sow the same kind of seed as the grass that's already growing. If a lawn is predominantly Kentucky bluegrass, sowing the seed of improved cultivars of the same type of grass will add to the genetic diversity of the lawn while increasing its disease resistance. Introducing another species tends to produce a noticeably different texture. The exception is fine fescue, which is often added to lawns to increase its shade tolerance.

Fall is also the best time to reseed a sparsely growing lawn. The amount of seed I spread depends on the type of grass I'm dealing with. I sow Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet, fine fescue at 2 to 3 pounds per 1,000 square feet, and turf-type tall fescue at 4 to 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. I then water the lawn lightly and frequently.

Control diseases and weeds
The cool temperatures and moist conditions of fall can encourage the development of several fungal diseases, including leaf spot, stripe smut, rust, and powdery mildew. To defend against these problems, I prune my trees and shrubs to increase air circulation over my lawn, and water it only in the morning hours. The best defense against disease is to grow a thick healthy turf that naturally resists these fungal infections.

While broadleaf weeds such as dandelion, plantain, and white clover are gluttons for soil nutrients during the entire growing season, they are especially busy in fall, collecting them up for winter storage. The good thing is that any herbicide applied at this time will be as vigorously collected. For a lawn full of weeds, I recommend a "weed and feed" type of product like Scotts Turf Builder Plus 2. But for lawns that have only a few weeds here and there, I would recommend spot spraying them with a broad-spectrum herbicide such as Weed-B-Gon or Trimec. To do this, I use a 1-gallon, pressurized tank sprayer that keeps the spray low to the ground to protect my valuable ornamentals from drift. As always, be sure to read and follow the label directions when using any herbicide.

A lawn can be an integral part of a garden. Whether it covers an expansive area or is just a small patch, your turf grass deserves the same kind of pampering you give your perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees. With a few hours of work in fall, you can lay the groundwork for a lush green carpet that will make your entire garden look better come spring.

John Fech is a horticulturist at the University of Nebraska in Omaha who hosts Plant Talk, a weekly call-in radio show.
From Fine Gardening


:)

[Megan's Mom]

Dh and I were talking yesterday about whether or not you trim the crape mrytles in spring or fall. Can anyone help me? Thanks.

[Snowwark]

Welcome to the Flower & Garden board, Megan's Mom. :)

From what I've read, very early spring is the time to prune your crape myrtle.

When you have a chance, pour yourself a nice hot cup of tea or coffee, and check out the following site. They have all kinds of info on crape myrtle. :) Pruning/trimming info is 2/3rds of the way down the page.

Crape Myrtle Info (http://www.arhomeandgarden.org/Ask_Janet_Carson/Trees/Crape_Myrtle.asp)

I hope this helps! :)

[Megan's Mom]

Thanks for the information. I glanced at the site and it looks like what I have been looking for. crapes havn't done very well around here this summer because we have had a very wet summer and they have put on more new growth instead of blooms. I guess that means we can wait until spring to deal with them. But even better we don't have to prune them before we leave this weekend.

[Snowwark]

Oh, very nice, lucky you!! :earsgirl:

Thank you in advance for saying Hi to the main Mouse!! ;) :earsgirl:

[Snowwark]

~Continue to water trees, especially evergreens, until the ground freezes. Evergreens need a a good store of moisture going into winter because they don't lose their leaves, which means they continue to transpire (give off water vapor) (sweat..lol.. :)), through the cold months.~

:)

[marydmjj]

I shred fallen leaves with the lawn mower and put them over my exposed beds. Seems to keep the cats from using them as a potty and some of it decomposes by spring.

[shep]

Too lazy to rake leaves?
Cut your grass more often so they blow in your neighbors yard...:jester:

[Snowwark]

.....or use a leaf blower! :p

[shep]

Originally posted by Snowwark
.....or use a leaf blower! :p

too cheap to buy one...;)

[DebºoºS]

SLOL...... let the fall winds blow the leaves
I try and plant bulbs, weed a little clean up as much as possible so I have a little less to do in the spring.

[Tulirose]

Originally posted by Snowwark
~Once they're past their prime, empty your containers of annuals and store frost- sensitive containers in the garage or basement.~ But what DO we do with the old potting soil? Should I save it? Throw it into the garden? Throw it out? Believe it or not, I have done all three! I never know what to do with it! :confused:

[Tulirose]

I need a tip to help me rally the enthusiasm I feel in the Spring to get things done in the Fall. Leaf raking - Yukko! Neverending! My yard looks a mess. The lawn hasn't been mowed in ages and so the leaves are not blowing off into the street as they should (I know that tip already!).

I love the journaling reminder. I kinda sorta started one this Spring (when I was full of enthusiasm) but know not where it is now at!

And speaking of Spring and Fall - don't we have them anymore? We had no Spring and it seems like we are skipping out on Fall! However, tomorrow is suppose to be a great day - Happy Halloween!

P.S. - Sorry Snowwark for turning your tip thread into my personal gripe post! LOL!

[Tulirose]

Okay, my front yard looks better after running mower over those leaves!

Still waiting for answer to my potting soil question from above. :listen:

[bobbiwoz]

Tulirose,

I don't know what SHOULD be done with the old potting soil, I usually put it in the compost bin. So, if there's a definite DO, I'll be interested in hearing it.

You mentioned in one note that tomorrow was Halloween. In the Dayton OH area, the municipalities get to designate one night around Halloween as Beggars Night, that's the night for Trick-or-Treating, and Oct. 30th was the night this year. We had beautiful weather that night as well, and had about 25 beggars at the door.

DH, mom and I then turned things around and we were at MVMHP on Halloween!

Bobbi:D

[Snowwark]

Tulirose, like you and Bobbi, we do a bit of all three. Most of the time we only remove the plant material and compost it (except if it's diseased, then it goes in the garbage). This empties them about halfway and we add more soilless container mix in the spring. Probably only a third of our containers get completely emptied each fall.

I do empty my vegggie containers every year.

Now, having said that, that means that our containers don't get thoroughly cleaned every year, which is often recommended by the experts, especially if you aren't using container mix.

It seems to be one of those...whatever you have time for, or feel most comfortable doing...kind of things. :)

I'm sorry if this didn't help you out.

Speaking of containers, here's another tip, although it's more useful for the spring.

Don't be intimidated by large containers, thinking that they will need tons of soil to fill them. Use an empty plastic nursery pot upside down inside the container, and then add your soil.

Bobbi, you were at MNSSHP? I hope you had a fun time!! :)

[bobbiwoz]

Yes, Mom, DH and I took a quick trip to Florida last weekend, and we had tickets for MNSSHP, but we were too tired to stay to the end, but we enjoyed what we did. We've already received the picture that the studio takes. Mom (83) had never been trick-or-treating and she had lots of fun. We had dinner with the Princesses at the GF before the party. The weather was beautiful and we also checked out possible retirement places for Tom and me while we were in Florida. We anticipate retiring in '07.

Bobbi

[DixieDreamer]

While cleaning up the garden is a always a good idea in the fall (putting it to bed for the winter) ... don't forget to leave some of the more interesting plants alone to create some winter interest in the garden. I like to leave the stalks and dried cones of my coneflowers standing through the winter months... they are beautiful against the winter snows. :)

[Snowwark]

Laura...:) It is SO nice to see you here!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :) We've missed you...:)

Bobbie, it sounds like you had a perfect vacation, and what a great adventure for your Mom! :)