Fall is the best time to go after those broadleaf weeds in the landscape and lawn. Using a weed killer in the fall works better as the weeds are taking in nutrients and storing them in their roots for winter, so they take in the weed killer as well. Once these weeds are gone, the grass will quickly fill in the spaces vacated by the weeds.
Don't Prune Roses
Avoid the urge to prune back roses in the fall. Unlike milder areas of the country, roses need all the foliage and new growth from this year to store food reserves for winter survival. Just remove spent blooms and dead stems or canes. The best time for a major pruning of roses is in late spring.
Spruce up your containers
Change out the summer annuals in your containers for great fall bloomers. Mums, asters, pansies, violas, cold-hardy annuals, ornamental grasses, fall blooming perennials, ornamental cabbage and kale are wonderful additions to your pots. Remove spent annuals, add some new potting mix and start planting.
This a good time to add pansies, violas, mums, and asters to perk up the fall landscape. The late-blooming plant selections thrive best in cooler weather and shorter days.
Keep planting trees and shrubs
As long as the soil is workable and the weather is good, you can plant all through the rest of the year. Fall is the best time for planting most trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, lawns, etc.
Transplant trees, shrubs and perennials that need to be moved in the yard.
Expect your evergreens to shed inner needles during the fall. It's a normal process.
Clean up areas around fruiting trees and plants to get rid of fallen fruits, diseased leaves and branches, etc.
Start (or pot from outdoors) herbs for growing indoors over the winter. Visit the greenhouse at Pinehurst for a great selection of herbs.
Keep those leaves from accumulating on the lawn, especially newly seeded lawns. In mature lawns, feel free to return some of those leaves back to the soil by mowing them into finer pieces. Grass clippings and finely ground leaves actually creates a thin layer of composting right there in the turf!
Continue to remove all dead foliage from perennials and clean up left over annuals and veggie plants. Cut them off and leave the roots. They will break down and add organic matter back to the soil. Place disease free dead foliage in the compost pile.
Till the garden this fall. Exposed soils freeze and thaw over the winter and helps to break up that heavy soil. Add a layer of compost, soil pep (ground up bark), or finely chopped or mowed leaves and grass clippings before you till.
Feed the trees in fall with Ferti-lone Tree and Shrub Fertilizer.
Keep mowing the lawn on a regular basis (change directions each time you mow) until the lawn has stopped growing. For the last 2 cuts lower your mower. When the lawn has stopped growing for the season, mow it one last time, and then feed with Ferti-lome Winterizer.
Visit the garden solution center at Pinehurst for all your gardening needs.
