The time has flown by; crazily enough, we’ve already hit fall with winter right around the corner! That means it is also time for some last-minute fall gardening tips to help prepare your space for what is to come over the next few months, from the falling (and piling up) of leaves to the winter frost around the corner.
Start With Cleaning Up – It doesn’t sound like much fun, but cleaning up your garden and flower beds should be the first step to getting your garden fall and winter ready. Pull up dead annuals, clear out veggies and roots so they don’t rot in your bed, cut back limbs and stalks that have grown too far, mulch what you can, and rake up fallen leaves to use as extra fertilizer and protective layers against future frost!
Plan For Next Spring – Okay, this one might sound odd, but fall is the best time to get a head start on your spring garden by turning up the soil and planting some bulbs! If you live in a cooler climate where temperatures have already dropped, you can plant your bulbs in October, but if you live in the Southern states, planting in November or even early December is OK!
Aerate Your Lawn – This tip might not come up as often, but aerating your lawn will be helpful if you want a green and lush garden next year. You can rent a lawn aerator or hire someone like Rock City Services to come in and create holes in the soil to allow water, oxygen, and fertilizer to reach your grass and roots faster. Remember, this is the best time to fertilize since your lawn isn’t focused on growth but on prepping for winter!
Keep Things Covered – You might already know this, but you need to go ahead and start covering up your plants now, especially if they are on the more sensitive side! Take tarps and throw them over the plants in the evening or at night when the frost is more likely to set in or bring what you can inside, so you know they won’t die overnight. You can also add straw or leaves for added protection for your beds.
Plant Some Cover Crops – One way to get some last-minute benefit from your garden is to plant cover crops such as winter field beans, ryegrass, peas, clover, or vetch. These cover crops will help suppress weeds that may take advantage of the winter season to grow and prevent erosion and condition the soil when they die back.
Rock City Services has you covered if you want to take the trouble out of getting your garden ready for the coming months! We’ve got everything you need this year, from lawn care and landscaping to general home maintenance needs. We are now available to get your home and yard fall and winter-ready! Contact us today at 315-523-1378 or [email protected].