A lot of #fall #garden prep involves #organizing and #storing things so they will be useful again when #spring comes. #Clean any hand gardening tools such as trowels and stick the metal ends in a bucket of sand “laced with vegetable oil” to prevent corrosion, says Better Homes & Gardens. Sharpen cutting blades on loppers, shears and mowers; drain hoses and irrigation equipment; and empty all gas-powered implements of fuel. Finally, empty flower pots and other containers of soil and store them in a dry, protected environment such as a shed or garage so they don’t crack during the freeze/thaw cycle. #FallGardening
Tag: container gardening
Fall Tips to Ensure a Lush Lawn Next Spring
Many American families take pride in a lush, green lawn. But a lawn doesn’t necessarily stay healthy on its own; it needs care and #maintenance even as it starts to go dormant in the #fall. Keep cutting it until it stops growing, says Provision RPM, and aerate it once a year. Then, add some fertilizing material by mowing over fallen leaves, spreading compost or buying a store-bought blend. Fill in any bare patches with a quality seed that grows well in your area and the amount of light expected. And if the #autumn weather doesn’t provide it naturally, give your lawn a good soak from time to time. #FallGardening
Plant Garlic Now as the Perfect Overwinter Crop
While it’s too late to plant most vegetables, there’s one crop that can go in the ground right now: garlic. Get a seed head from a local grower’s supply or farmers market and plant the individual cloves six to eight weeks before the first frost, Almanac says. Plant the cloves 6 inches apart in an area that gets full sun, at a depth of 2 inches and in the “upright” (pointy end facing upward). If you’re expecting a hard freeze, mulch the beds heavily with straw or leaves. Fertilize, water, feed and weed as the shoots come up in the spring. Generally speaking, plants’ leaves will yellow when they’re ready to harvest, usually in early July. #FallGardening
End-of-Season Gardening Tasks to Tackle Now
With fall’s chill in the air, avid #gardeners and casual growers alike may be wondering what to do now to guarantee a good season next year. After you harvest any last-minute #produce such as green tomatoes, clean up your pots and garden beds. Pull weeds and add them to the compost heap, Garden Betty advises; trash any diseased plants. Otherwise healthy and pest-free plants can be cut down and used as mulch to nourish next year’s crops. You may wish to test your soil for nutrients and amend it over winter to ensure success in the #spring. Now is also a good time to dived and thin perennials and prune trees and shrubs. #FallGardening
Prepare Your Garden for Planting
In many hardiness zones, March is the best month to prepare your #garden for the #growing season. Tackle maintenance and preparation tasks such as cleaning out beds of debris, raking up mulch and pruning trees and shrubs, Better Homes & Gardens says. Divide #perennials before #spring growth begins to keep them healthy while adding to your garden or sharing extras with friends. Perform any needed upkeep on infrastructure such as edging and walkways, and clean and reintroduce outdoor furniture. By the end of the month, you should be able to safely #plant many cool-weather vegetables such as radishes, peas and potatoes. #GardeningTips