FALL PLANTING TIPS

Fall is a great time of the year for adding trees and shrubs to the landscape. The warm soil and cool air is great for root development. In some cases, plants that are put into the ground in the fall tend to establish themselves better than ones planted in the spring. This is because they have all of the fall and all of the following spring to get established before the most stressful time of the year for plants, the summer.

Planting in the fall is easier on your wallet too. Most nurseries and garden centers discount their plants so that they can sell as much as they can to start fresh the following spring.

Fall is the time that you buy and plant spring flowering bulbs like Tulips and Daffodils. They should be available in Garden Centers throughout the fall. Keep in mind that some bulbs are only available in limited quantities, so it is best to shop early, especially for the new and unusual varieties. Even if you shop early, the best time to plant your bulbs is in October, when the weather is cool and stays cool.

When planting your bulbs, plant them in clusters. Dig a hole 6 to 8 inches in diameter and put 5 to 7 bulbs in each hole. Planting them like this will create a "bouquet" look. You can even plant the bulbs at different levels in the same hole to extend the time that they bloom. If you dig a hole 8" deep you can place 3 or 4 bulbs at 8" deep and then cover them with soil and then plant 3 or 4 more at 6" deep. When you do this the bulbs planted at 8" deep will start flowering when the ones at 6" are almost finished.

Fall is the best time of the year to plant grass seed. The warm soil and cool air are ideal for establishing new grass. If you are going to renovate your lawn and you have to eliminate weeds, get going. You need at least two weeks to make sure that you have most of the weeds eliminated in your yard, before you start to plant your seed. The best time to plant your new seed to have it established this fall, is the middle to end of September. We offer a step by step tip sheet on how to renovate your lawn.

Fall is the best time of the year to feed your existing lawn. The best time of the year to feed your lawn, especially fescue lawns, is once around Labor Day and a second feeding at Thanksgiving. You can get into the habit of doing this, you shouldn't have to do any feeding the rest of the year. Use a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen (20%-30%), that is the first number on the bag.

After the summer, many large shade trees are suffering from the stress of the drought. The best way to relieve some of this stress is through a process known as vertical mulching. We offer an instructional tip sheet on vertical mulching. It is a good idea to do this for your trees. Unfortunately, most people don't realize that their trees are in trouble until it is too late.

As your summer flowers fade away, there are lots of plants that you can plant for fall color. You can plant hardy Mums, ornamental Cabbage and Kale, and Pansies. Most people think of planting Pansies in the spring. You can get two seasons from Pansies if you plant them in the fall. They love the cool weather and will be very colorful through the fall. They will lie dormant through most of the winter, but will spring up on warm days and show their faces. Next spring, since they are established, they will be even bigger and more beautiful than any planted in the spring.