Top 15 garden tips for autumn

Many people think that the crisp autumn temperatures signal an end to the gardening season. But they’re wrong. Here’s a list of things you can do right now that will pay off with spectacular results next summer.

Plant spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, narcissus, etc. Spring-blooming bulbs need several months of cold weather in order to bloom profusely. Scatter them among your perennials, plant them in a line at the edge of a hedge, or prepare a new bed area for a mass display.

Prune your roses. On most varieties, prune the canes back to 36 inches to prevent damage from winter winds. After the foliage drops, spray the plants with fungicide, then cover them with 8 inches of loose, well-drained soil, mulch or compost.

Plant a fall garden. Annuals like chrysanthemums, impatiens, ornamental cabbage and pansies are old favorites. Lavalette has many particularly colorful mums that will extend the beauty of your landscape until frost.

Divide perennials. Fall is the best time to do this, particularly for those that bloom in the spring. Replant the divided perennials immediately and water them well, or pot them up and share them with friends.

Save your seeds. After the flowers die, cut them and allow them to dry. Remove the seeds by crumbling the dried flower head into a container. Separate the seeds from the debris and put them in a labeled envelope for next spring. Or you can just let them fall to the ground and re-seed naturally.

Prune dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs. Now is a good time. The areas to be pruned are easily visible while foliage is still on the living, healthy parts.

Water trees and shrubs deeply one last time right before the onset of freezing weather. Newly planted ones especially need a good drink of water before cold weather arrives. Even though trees and shrubs appear dormant in winter, their roots are still alive and growing.

Reseed your lawn. Fall is the best time to establish a new lawn or patch up bare spots. The cooler and wetter weather this time of year helps keep the grass seeds from drying out before germinating.

Aerate your lawn for healthy grass next spring. Aeration allows greater movement of water, fertilizer and air, which stimulates healthy turf. Aerating also increases the speed of decomposition of the grass clippings and enhances deep root growth. Compacted soil especially benefits from core aerating. Fall is also the best time to fertilize your lawn.

Do a soil test. You’ll learn which (if any) amendments your soil needs. Adding amendments now will get your lawn ready for a burst of growth next spring. If you use a mail-in test from a cooperative extension service, the wait is usually much shorter in the fall.

Prepare your Christmas cactus to bloom on time. About three months from the desired bloom time, stop feeding, reduce or stop watering, and give the plant complete darkness from sundown to sunrise. When buds have formed, resume a regular water/food schedule and wait for the show.

Get your hand tools and lawn mower ready for the off-season with a little simple maintenance. Prepare the mower for winter storage as the manufacturer directs. Clean dirt from shovels, trowels, pruners, etc., remove rust and sharpen them. Then give them a coat of protective oil before storing them. Drain the water from garden hoses, coil them and store them in a place where they won’t freeze.

Clean up debris in the lawn and garden. Leaves, sticks, rocks and other late-season leftovers can harm next year’s lawn and harbor pests and diseases over the winter.

Add to your compost pile or start a new one. Leaves and other lawn and garden cleanup material are perfect for composting. Chop and shred the materials and scatter a handful of garden soil on top of every six inches of new material added to the pile. This helps the compost break down faster. Water the pile and cover it with a tarp to help hold in heat and protect against excess rainfall.