Fall is around the corner and it’s one of the most important times of the year for your garden. Elm Landscaping knows that gardening and lawn maintenance is not just a summer activity. In order to keep your garden looking its best a little love goes a long way. September, October and November are the most important months for winterizing your lawn and garden and preparing for next year (oh yeah, we are already planning for 2018!)
We have a month-by-month guide for taking care of your lawn and garden as all things begin to turn Pumpkin Spice.
September
Planting season is far from over! Late August to Early-September is the perfect time to plant your fall-flowering bulbs. This is also a good time to transplant any shrubs that you’ve purchased with root balls wrapped in burlap. Make sure you get them in the ground two to three days after purchase. Do not fertilize until the second year, when the feeding roots have become established. If you have fall crops such as beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, Chinese cabbage, kale, lettuce, and peas make the most of the end-of-season planting.
There’s a reason fall is the time of harvest. Your vegetable garden should be requiring daily harvesting. Pick vegetables as soon as they are ready to get the most flavor and to make room for new veggies. If your herb garden is looking lush and you’re thinking about drying them for the winter, cut the herbs just before the flowers open to get the most flavor.
Your lawn has already started to prepare itself for winter. Most Toronto lawns are a hybrid of warm- and cool-season grasses. By this time the warm-season grasses have had their day in the sun and it’s the cool-season grasses that are starting to flourish. Now is the time to amp up the water and reseed any areas that are looking bad.
October
This year we got 158 beautiful days of planting! The season officially comes to an end on October 9th with the first frost. If you haven’t brought your houseplants in yet, do it before you have to start heating your home. This gives them a chance to adjust. Wash them thoroughly before bringing them in to rid them of any pests and eggs.
With the houseplants moving in, think about doing some bigger projects outside. This is a great time to plant new trees and shrubs because the new roots will have plenty of time to become established before the spring. If you have any existing trees, avoid pruning them, as they will need to become dormant for winter. However, do check for branches that are sickly and take them down before the snow does.
Now is the time to fertilize your lawn for next spring. Cut back on the watering and give the fertilizer the chance to be absorbed into the grass. Lawns that are fertilized in the fall are have a much better chance of surviving the winter.
November
Now is the time to harvest any remaining crops, clean up the lawn and garden and remove dead twigs and branches.
Finally, move your gardening tools into storage. Clean shovels, spades, pruners and gardening shears and wipe them down with an oiled cloth. Bring in garden hoses and drain your outdoor faucets.
Take a minute to enjoy the fruits of your labor and know that your garden is well prepared for the winter to come. And as always, call Elm Landscaping for your maintenance needs (including snow removal!)