Fall Garden Essentials

PutIt’s time to enjoy the vibrant colors of fall, plan for spring and get down in the dirt! Fall is one of the best times to plant, plan and protect your garden.
Plant: Fall is one best times to plant hardy specimens and spring blooming bulbs.  The ground is still warm allowing for the newly planted to get established while the winter rains hydrate roots.

• Plant sod or seed and apply organic fertilizer to your lawn & landscape
• Plant hardy trees, shrubs, perennials, cold season veggies, grasses, ground covers and spring blooming bulbs. 
• Add Fall Annuals and colorful perennials into pots, borders & beds- Pansies & Violas; Mums & Asters; Cabbage & Kale and Fall Color Vines (Purple Grape, Silver Lace Vine, Virginia Creeper) & Shrubs (Dogwood, Spirea & Blueberries), Evergreen Perennials (Heuchera, Tiarella & Hellebores), Broad Leaf (Euonymus, Azaleas & Lonicera) and Conifers.
• Start a Veggie Garden! Cool season veggies-there are a bunch- Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Brussels & Cauliflower; Cabbage & Kale; Lettuce, Chard & Spinach; Onions & Leeks; Radish, Rutabaga, Turnips & Carrots

Plan:  Design your garden, redo a bed or plan your spring garden.

• Make yourself a list of what you need to do and when. This saves you time and money in the long run.
• Research new varieties to try, build a greenhouse or cold frame and make raised vegetable beds. Organize your seed packages.

Protect: Plant roots, delicate foliage and irrigation.

• Apply Mulch like compost or other organic soil amendments 1-3” deep. This helps protect your plants roots from winter damage.
• Avoid heavy pruning in fall, best to wait until late winter.
• Irrigation systems need to be winterized, ask a professional when needed. Add a hose bib or spigot protector to all outdoor faucets.
• Bring in tools, wheel barrows and hoses to protect from freezing.

Learn more, take a class at Zenith Holland Nursery!  Put your Garden to Bed 9-29-18, Hydrangea Care 9-15-18, Fall Container Design 9-30-18 & 10-20-18