By Kier Holmes, GARDENISTA
Above Photo by Joy Yagid, GARDENISTA
When September rolls around, sadness that summer is over mixes with happiness that life can slow down just a bit—even for a month—as kids return to school and before the holiday season kicks in. Out in the garden, plants heave a sigh of relief from summer’s intense sun and visibly show signs of wear and tear, letting us know that they need a little extra tending to right now and would love help transitioning into cooler temperatures. Your garden may also be in the throes of its last hurrah, producing ripe edibles or pretty petals, but secretly eager to downshift and get ready to be put to bed in the upcoming months.
Here are 5 garden chores to help your garden ease into fall.
1. Plan for next spring.
Above: Photograph by Britt Willoughby Dyer for Gardenista
As crazy as it may seem with fall knocking on the door, now is the time to be thinking of spring and planting spring-blooming bulbs for a spectacular display next year. Easy and smart choices are daffodils, hyacinths, and crocus.
2. Water—but don’t fertilize—your shade plants.
Above: Photograph by Kendra Wilson, from Landscaping Ideas: The Case for Camellias.
Give some extra attention to your shade-loving camellias and rhododendrons right now to make sure the roots are well watered so that next year’s buds successfully develop. And wait to fertilize these beauties until their active growth period in the spring because feeding them now generates late-season new growth that’s vulnerable to damage from upcoming freezing temperatures.
3. Don’t stop planting.
Above: Photograph by F.D. Richards
Now is the time to plant a variety of cool-season, cinch-to-grow pretties such as calendula, cosmos, pansies, and chrysanthemums. Tip: Let your local nursery be your guide and see what’s new in the store. Make sure you choose container-grown plants that aren’t root-bound and bursting out of the bottom.
4. Prop up your pumpkins
Above: McEvoy Ranch in Northern California.
To help your pumpkins ripen for Halloween, remove leaves shadowing the fruit, plus raise your festive friends off the ground to prevent possible rotting. One trick is to set them on a piece of wood or leftover slate.
5. Turn your attention to cool-weather crops.
Above: Photograph by Marie Viljoen
Despite the sun lowering itself slightly in the sky, the soil is still warm and toasty so there is still time to sow select edibles. And the bonus is that the flavor of many crops (think beets and carrots) get tastier due to the upcoming cold winter temperatures concentrating the sugars. Plants to grow now: snap peas, winter greens (chard, mustard and collards) also brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli). And don’t forget about adding onions to your list. If you live in a cold climate grow your new crops under a cold frame in a green house.