As we say goodbye to another summer, below you will find Fall Garden Tips for the next 4 months.
With the cooler fall weather upon us, it’s time to get outside and prepare your garden for the onset of a Canadian winter. Maybe you haven’t spent that much time in the garden over the past few weeks, with kids going back to school, or some time off at the cottage, but there’s alot of little tasks that need to be done in preparation for winter. Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs, cut back perennials, remove annuals and get your lawn healthy for next spring. Remember to keep watering. Trees and shrubs that are deprived of water now will be easily stressed in the winter. Below is a handy guide to fall clean up tasks.
SEPTEMBER
• Collect seed and herbs for drying
• Add compost or manure to garden beds
• Cover water features with netting to collect falling leaves
• Check houseplants for pests, then start to move indoors
• Plant new trees and shrubs, to give them at least 6 weeks before frost
• Plant spring flowering bulbs
• Clean bird feeders, gardening tools
• Continue watering trees and shrubs until the ground freezes
• Bring in any clay pots
• Pull weeds before they go to seed to reduce the number of weeds next year
• Fertilize your lawn
OCTOBER
• Start fall compost pile
• Remove dead annuals from the garden, after a frost
• Divide and replant crowded fall-blooming bulbs after leaves yellow
• Buy winter- and spring-blooming bulbs
• Trim tall grass away from trees and corners of your home
to discourage small rodents from creating nests
• Dig up tender bulbs such as dahlia, canna and gladiola.
Wrap them in moist material and store in a cool dark place
• Plant cool- and warm-season lawns
• Aerate cool-season lawns and loosen thatch
• Sow seeds for frost-tolerant perennials
• Divide and replant summer- and fall-blooming perennials after bloom
• Plant container roses
• Protect roses for winter
• Plant container and balled-and-burlapped trees, shrubs, and vines
• Plant summer-blooming shrubs and vines
• Plant frost-tolerant trees
• Sharpen lawn mower blade and pruners.
NOVEMBER
• Fertilize your lawn
• Plant winter- and spring-flowering bulbs
• Turn off outside water connections. Drain garden hoses
• Clean fallen leaves in downspouts and gutters
• Divide spring and summer blooming perennial plants
• Buy winter- and spring-blooming bulbs
• Wrap screening around fruit tree trunks to protect from small animals
• Cut back on feeding houseplants (do not feed dormant houseplants)
• Protect roses for winter
DECEMBER
• Start paperwhites and amaryllis for winter blooms.
