Garden Tips: October

We're hurrying through our parking lot renovations so that we can once again offer fall trees, shrubs, and flowers!  Remember, FALL IS FOR PLANTING!

LAWNS:     

• Fertilize:  slow-release high nitrogen lawn food or winterizer will help the roots. 
  
• Overseed with annual ryegrass (most affordable) or perennial ryegrass (more expensive, but easier to maintain, less mowing through winter).
  
• Fungal diseases are prevalent in the damp weather, so water deeply but less often, and avoid nighttime watering.  Apply fungicides as necessary.  If you have chinch bugs and/or fungus now, take note of the problem areas so you can pretreat next summer before it gets out of hand.

TREES & SHRUBS:  

• Water: deeply about once a week.
• Mulch!  Nice, even, 1-3" layer of mulch around trees and along shrubs.  NO MOUNDING!  
  
• Prune out dead, damaged branches, gently reshape wild growth on shrubs. 
• Begin fall planting season: first determine what you'd like and how to place them.  Trees and shrubs can last decades and make a significant impact on your property - a little research on variety, spacing, and needs can go a long way towards ensuring it's a benefit - not a nuisance - in years to come!
• Fertilize shrubs & trees
  

FLOWERS: 

• Mulch!  A nice, even, 1-3" layer will help keep out weeds and retain moisture in the soil.
  
• Fertilize with a high-nitrogen formula to give plants a boost through the nice fall growing season.
• Add compost.
• Clean up spent flowers, trim wild growth, but no harsh pruning!
• Plant or fill in flower beds with cooler color such as mums, snapdragons, dianthus, pansies, ornamental kale and cabbage
  
• Start planting wildflower seeds - bluebonnets, paintbrushes & more.  They'll get the best start in September & October.
  
• Flowering BULBS - daffodils, ranunculus, etc.
  

VEGETABLES:   

• Plant Cool-season crops: cole crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, leafy greens like lettuce, kale, spinach, root crops like carrot, beet, and onion.  
  
• Garlic and shallot sets are ready!
  
• Harvest end of summer crops - tomatoes, potatoes, beans, peppers.
  

Let's get out and enjoy these beautiful fall days!  As soon as our parking lot renovations are finished, we'll have fresh plants & outdoor merchandise.  Come see us!

- Carey