Fall is finally arriving, hopefully some moisture will come soon with the cooler temperatures.
Fall is a great time to plant many landscape plants. The cooler temperatures are less stressful on plants allowing them to put more energy into root development.
There are still many items at garden center to purchase this time of year. However, remember before you buy, be sure to look at the label or do a little research to make sure the plant you are buying will be comfortable in the space you would like to plant it when it reaches maturity. Happy Fall Gardening and pray for rain!
Turfgrass
•You can continue to replant or establish cool-season lawns like fescue.
•The mowing height for fescue should be lowered to approximately 2 ½ inches for fall and winter cutting.
•Broadleaf weeds like dandelions can be easily controlled during October. (at end of article there is more information about spraying Broadleaf weeds.
•Mow and neatly edge warm-season lawns before killing frost.
Ornamentals
•Plant cool-season annuals like pansies, ornamental cabbage or kale, snapdragons and dusty miller when temperatures begin to cool.
•Begin planting springflowering bulbs like tulips, hyacinths, crocus and daffodils.
•Good companion plants for bulbs are ground covers such as ajuga, vinca, English ivy, alyssum, moneywort, thrift, phlox, oxalis and leadwort.
•Peonies, daylilies, and other spring-flowering perennials should be divided or planted now.
•Dig and store tender perennials like cannas, dahlias, and caladiums in a cool, dry location.
•Purchase trees from nurseries and garden centers at this time to select the fall color you prefer.
•Many perennials can be planted at this time and the selection is quite nice.
•Plant fall mums and asters and keep them watered during dry conditions. Don’t crowd since they take a couple of years to reach maturity.
•Plant container-grown trees and shrubs this month.
•Check and treat houseplants for insect pests before bringing them indoors and repot rootbound plants.
Fruits & Vegetables
•Dig sweet potatoes and harvest pumpkins and winter squash.
•Remove green fruit from tomato plants when frost threatens.
•Harvest Oriental persimmons and paw paws as they begin to change color.
•There is still time to plant radishes and mustard in the fall garden.
•Use a cold frame device to plant spinach, lettuce and various other cool-season crops for production most of the winter.
•Plant cool-season cover crops like Austrian winter peas, wheat, clover, and rye in otherwise fallow garden plots.
•Remove all debris from the garden to prevent overwintering of various garden pests.
•Start new planting bed preparations now with plenty of organic matter.
Water Gardens
•Take tropical water garden plants indoors when water temperatures near 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
•Close the water garden for the winter by placing hardy plants in the deeper areas of the pool. Stop feeding the fish.
•Cover water gardens with bird netting to catch dropping leaves during the winter months.