ORGANIZING BLOG

A Good Time to Plant (and Plan) the Garden

Your first #fall gardening task should be to make an honest assessment of what worked and what didn’t, Proven Winners says, to create a plan for next year. Then, remove annuals from containers and landscapes and store pots away for winter. Still-warm soil promotes healthy root growth, however, so this is a good time to plant trees, shrubs and bulbs. You can also divide perennials and cut them back, but leave the pruning for spring. Most of the excess foliage can go in a compost pile, but be alert to disease and infestation — you don’t want to risk reintroducing blight into your garden next spring. #FallGardeningTips

Fall Lawn Care To-Dos

To prepare your lawn for cooler temperatures and help it thrive next year, rake large quantities of fallen leaves to keep them from choking grass off from the sun, Better Homes & Gardens says. Seed or sod any bare spots. Aerate high-traffic areas to loosen compacted soil and pull weeds, which can get established as other plants start to die off for the winter. Raise the mower blade to encourage root growth. Finally, this is the best time of year to feed common cool-weather turf grasses, experts say, which can result in earlier earlier greening and an improved appearance in the spring. #FallGardeningTips

The Benefits of Mulching in the Fall

#Mulching is often a job that #gardeners perform in the #spring to maintain their beds’ moisture, keep weeds at bay and retard erosion. But many landscaping professionals also advise mulching in the #fall for the same purposes, HGTV says. Adding #mulch in the fall insulates the soil to provide a warm environment for earthworms and microbes that improve soil, and it insulates plant roots, which can protect seedlings that are still getting established. Plus, mulching in the fall may save you time during the busy spring planting season — and the weather likely won’t be as hot and sticky when you do it. #FallGardeningTips

Prep Your Garden for Spring in the Fall

With the start of #fall last weekend, many #home #gardeners across the country are starting to see their vegetable harvests slow and their flowers start to fade. That means it’s a good time to clean up and prep the #garden for the next growing season. First, remove any plants that show signs of weakness or disease, says EarthEasy, and any invasive weeds. Then, allow the healthy plants to die and decay naturally to enrich your soil. You may also choose to plant a cover crop such as rye, clover or barley and till those plants under in the spring to return valuable nutrients to the soil for all of your plantings. #FallGardeningTips