Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to ignore your garden or landscaping just yet.
If you want to have a healthy lawn and garden next summer, there are some things you need to accomplish outdoors to put your landscape to bed for the winter.
Here are some winter landscaping tips to prepare your lawn and garden for the big chill ahead:
Feed your lawn. Fall is the optimal time of year, not the spring, when you should fertilize your lawn. If your lawn includes cool-weather grasses, such as perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass, it’s best to fertilize twice each fall. Use a nitrogen-rich fertilizer in late September, and stick with a phosphorus-rich fertilizer around Thanksgiving, but before the ground freezes. A soil test can help you determine your lawn’s pH levels and the types of nutrients that may be lacking. This will help you find the right fertilizer to use.
Reseed and repair your lawn. If your dog has damaged your lawn, take the time in the fall to repair it and plant more seed. If you don’t have much time before winter, buy ryegrass, which only takes four to seven days to germinate. When you spread seed, lightly cover it with soil or compost.
Water your lawn. Even in autumn, your lawn needs moisture. Experts recommend at least one inch of water every two to three weeks. Don’t go overboard. Your lawn should be wet, not soaked, which can promote mold growth.
Put the pruning shears away until spring. Many homeowners incorrectly think fall is the time to prune back their branches and plants, but don’t do it. Pruning actually encourages plant growth, which isn’t what you want to do just as the plants become dormant for winter. You can rid your trees and bushes of dead branches in the fall.
Clean out your flower beds. Fall is the best time to clean out your flower beds and get rid of any dead growth that cause rot in your perennials with heavy root systems. Go ahead and leave any ornamental grasses since they can make your empty beds look nice during the winter. Add fresh mulch or hay in your flower beds to protect your plants from any hard freezes.
Plant bulbs for spring. The best time to plant bulbs is in the fall. It may feel odd to go visit a garden center in the fall for plants, but you’ll be thrilled in the spring when your bulbs take root and bloom after the cold winter. It also gives you something to look forward to next spring, to see if your efforts in the fall have paid off.
Plant a cover crop. A cover crop, like clover, can be planted in your vegetable garden in the fall and it will provide rich nutrients in your soil when you simply turn it over and till your garden come spring. Cover crops are a natural way to provide nutrient-rich soil for your garden.
