As summer fades and cooler temperatures set in you may be tempted to put your yard work on the back burner, but a little time spent on your lawn now can help to ensure a gorgeous one in the spring.
Watering
Despite cooler temperatures your lawn will continue to grow throughout Autumn, to sustain growth it is important to continue to water regularly until the ground begins to freeze. Before temperatures dip too low be sure to blow out any irrigation systems with compressed air to prevent water from freezing in the lines and sprinkler heads.
Fertilizing
Providing your lawn with nutrients that will be absorbed and stored until needed in the Spring can be accomplished by applying a final dose of fertilizer in mid to late October. A standard lawn fertilizer should be sufficient, unless a soil test indicates a shortage of phosphorous, in which case a "winterizing" fertilizer could be used.
Broadleaf Weed Control
One of the best times to control perennial broadleaf weeds such as dandelions, plantain, clover and creeping charlie. Limited numbers of weeds can be removed by hand. Spot treating should do the job if you only have a few weeds or a few small areas. This is easily done thanks to ready-to-use weed control sprays. Treatment should be done while temperatures are staying above 50°. You don't need to apply herbicide to your entire lawn unless you have extensive weed infestation. As for annual weedy grasses, such as crab grass, they are treated more effectively in the spring, and will die off after the first hard frost. Seeding & Sodding Your Lawn Fall is the best time to repair or renovate your lawn with seeding or sodding. Seed planted late in the season has two good growing periods, fall and spring, before struggling through the heat and drought often associated with summer weather. Additionally most fast-growing weedy grasses won't be sprouting in fall, which means the permanent grass won't be competing. There are many ways to seed a lawn, and there are particular situations which call for each method. We would be glad to help you figure out which would be most effective for your lawn!
Caring For Your Fall Mums Naturally the mum is the first thing that springs to mind when one thinks "fall flowers." The mum, or chrysanthemum, is perhaps the quintessential plant of the autumn season and is available in an array of lively colors and varieties that will immediately brighten up any garden. You can choose from a variety of flowers ranging across the spectrum from mums with long, narrow petals, to wider and more compact flowers, in many shades of yellow, pink, red, orange, purple, bronze and white.
As a plus, mums are perennials that can come back year after year to flower each fall if the proper care is taken. Blooming mums go dormant when the weather becomes cold, and then resume their growth in the spring. Be aware, although mums are hardy plants, if inadequate care is taken they might not survive the extreme cold of some winters.
When planting in the fall, give extra attention to watering and protecting the plants for the winter. It's best to choose a sunny and well-drained location that is prone to good air circulation. Once a you have chosen an appropriate location the soil should be amended with 3 to 4 inches of Black Forest® premium organic compost, or Bumper Crop® organic soil builder, both are available at our Garden Center. Dig a hold in the amended soil both wide enough and deep enough to accommodate the plant. Water the mum thoroughly, and then remove from the pot by inverting it and supporting the root ball. If the roots have grown out or are compacted against the pot or container, "feather" the roots out by using your fingers gently to pull the surface roots away from the root ball. This will encourage new roots to grow away from the root ball and out into the new soil. If the roots are extremely compacted, you may need to make a few shallow cuts through the roots on the sides and bottom of the root ball.
Place your plant into the hole, the backfill to ground level. Water the plant thoroughly to ensure the soil fills in completely around the roots, eliminating large air pockets. Pour a transplanting solution containing Root Master®, also available from the Garden Center, over the root ball. This will help the mum to grow new roots.
Monitor your mums daily, watering as needed. Water slowly to attain deep-water penetration, which encourages widespread root development.
One of the most important steps is carefully mulching the dormant mums. Applying a 4-6" layer of mulch is best done in mid-November. Mulching helps to protect the plants from poorly drained soil as a result of the continuous freezing and thawing of the ground in the winter, the biggest threat to the mums' survival.
If you have any questions or concerns, call our Garden Center at (989) 588-6061, we'd be happy to help!
