Fall Lawn & Garden Care Is the Beginning—Not the End! (concluded)

We go from one extreme to another. In the South and some parts of the West, it’s planting time, while in the snowbelt, it’s time to wrap up, tie up, and lock everything down. I must limit my recommendations to the most pressing issues. Fall preparation in the colder areas is more urgent, so let’s start there.

Flowers

• As soon as frost hits your garden, remove all summer annuals to the compost pile. Sprinkle one pound of Epsom salts per 100 square feet of flower beds, add two bushels of fireplace ashes, cover with newly fallen leaves, and spade them under. Mix two ounces of liquid fish emulsion into a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer, fill the balance with ammonia, and spray the spaded garden. Let it sit through the winter.
• For perennials, after frost, cut them back and remove old foliage to the compost pile. Liberally sprinkle bone meal, Epsom salts, and wood ashes on the perennial beds, and let them sit.
• Fall-planted bulbs should not be planted until after a killing frost. When planting, mix bone meal and wood ashes into the soil. If cats or squirrels are a problem, sprinkle cayenne pepper or citrus peels onto the soil to deter them.
• In areas with year-round growing seasons, it’s a great idea to add organic material like compost, sawdust, peat, leaves, and grass clippings to the soil before replanting.

Vegetables

Once considered a hobby, home vegetable gardening is now a necessity for many of us. It provides an excellent supplement to a fixed income, while also offering a source of purpose, entertainment, and exercise. There are no shortcuts when it comes to rejuvenating soil that is expected to produce year after year. However, there are some tricks to make it easier on you and your budget.

• In areas with prolonged or year-round growing seasons, add compost and leaves, along with bone meal, to the soil each time you rotate crops. The more organic material you incorporate into the soil, the lighter and easier it becomes to handle.
• In the freeze zone, make sure to remove all foliage and dropped vegetables from the garden after the first killing frost. Then, dig a trench three feet wide and a spade-head deep across one end of your garden. Spread the soil over the garden and fill the trench with leaves, grass clippings, manure, table scraps, sawdust, ashes, etc. Dig another trench and cover the first one, continuing this until your garden is completely spaded.
• To fertilize, sprinkle organic garden fertilizer on top at the recommended rate. Fill a 20 gallon hose-end sprayer jar with compost tea (mix a can of beer and ½ cup of molasses), fill the balance of the hose-end sprayer jar with water, then spray the area, and let it sit all winter.
• If soil insects are an issue, collect marigold plants and flowers, shred them finely, and spread them over the topsoil. Marigolds are known for their pest-repelling properties.

Surplus Produce

Mother Nature often rewards our efforts, sometimes too generously. Rather than wasting surplus, consider giving it to those less fortunate. You can also preserve excess produce, like tomatoes, by making a simple tomato sauce that can be frozen for later use.

Houseplants

Many of us move houseplants outside in the summer, but it’s important to bring them back inside properly before night temperatures drop below 55°F. For pest control, use neem oil or a mixture of garlic spray and water to keep insects at bay.  Such products are readily available online or at your favorite garden shop.

To acclimate the plants, bring them indoors for a few hours each day, gradually increasing their indoor time. This will prevent shock and ensure your plants transition smoothly back inside.