Early Fall Garden Checklist

 

Pull out the camera and snap some shots of what you’ve accomplished this year. Don’t forget to take a few photos of areas that need improvement, too!

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Go Shopping! Now is the time to get great deals on plants. Take advantage of fall sales at nurseries. Take extra care when planting; most of these plants will be root-bound. You can cut up to a 1/3 of the base of root ball off or  cut a deep cross into the root ball and tease the roots apart. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot but only as deep as the pot. Back fill the hole and water in. We get enough rain in October so Mother Nature should do the rest of the watering for you.

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 Summer annuals often look great right up until frost, but you may want to plant cold-tolerant annuals and refresh containers — especially those in high visibility spots with autumn plants — for a few extra weeks of frost-proof color.

Plant cool season veggies for your fall harvests: Lettuces, carrots, radish, kale, Asian greens, spinach. 

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Plant cool saeson flowers for next year. Seeds that need cold stratification to germinate next yhear include: Larkspur, Cornflower, Poppy Love in the mist, calendula, pansies, and sweet peas.  Sow seeds about six to eight weeks before your area's average first frost date

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 Buy spring-blooming bulbs early for the best selection. Store them in a cool spot until you’re ready to plant.

Reseed Your Lawn, fall is the best time to reseed your lawn. The weather is comfortable enough to work in, we get ample rain in October and you have a month to add fertilizers before the Nov. 1 cut-off date. No fertilizers can be put down after that as run-off pollutes our coastal waters.

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 Divide perennials that bloom in late spring and summer, such as daylilies and daisies. You can still divide and plant Bearded Irises. Are your Iris not blooming as well as they have in the past? You probably need to divide them. Slide a shovel underneath the mat of rhizomes and lift them up. Break off the new rhizomes and re-plant them. Irises need good air circulation, excellent drainage and full sun to bloom. Video Tutorial about Iris can be found here

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 Stop feeding your perennials, trees and shrubs about six weeks before your average first frost. 

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 Bring house plants inside before night temperatures dip into the 50s.

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 Watch for insects and treat the problem to cut down on overwintering populations.

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