Fall Lawn and Garden Tips and Reminders

We have worked on our summer home maintenance but now the leaves are starting to turn those gorgeous fall shades of red and yellow and there is a new found crunch under our feet (and bike tires). Nothing beats those crisp, sunny fall days! That being said, we will soon enter that dreaded rainy season, here on the west coast, and we aren’t going to be so excited about getting outside in the muck so now is the time to start tackling the fall garden clean up. If you start now and plug away at the to-do list, it doesn’t feel like such a big job. The work you put in now will pay off in the spring as well. Here are a few thing we suggest:

1. Weed

Getting rid of those pesky weeds now will make your lawn and garden a much happier place come spring. Many perennial weeds germinate in the fall so getting rid of them now will prevent them from popping up again in the spring.

2. Plant

We all see the garden centre pop-ups in the spring but fall is actually a great time to plant new trees, hedging, shrubs and perennials too! Nature takes care of the regular watering new plants need so if you have a tendency to avoid watering (due to restrictions or forgetfulness), it’s time to let the rain do the work.

If you love tulips, daffodils and all those other stunning spring flowers, now is the time to plant these bulbs. Experts say you should plant bulbs 6 weeks before your soil freezes. Obviously that day changes every year but if you plant during the month of October, you should be good.

For those that like to plant things to eat, it’s almost time to plant your garlic, winter peas and fall rye.

3. Love your Lawn

If your lawn has poor drainage, this is the time of year to aerate and apply coarse sand. You’ll also want to apply winterizing fertilizer and lime but make sure you do not do all of this on the same day. You want to space out any treatments you give your lawn by 3-4 “mows”.

4. Clean Garden Waste

Once your annuals, fruit and veggie plants have finished, get rid of them. No one wants to look at your brown hanging baskets. Rake up fallen leaves but don’t get rid of all of them…

5. Mulch

Fallen leaves make great/free mulch for your vegetable garden and rose bushes.

6. Keep watering (if you need to)

If it’s a dry fall, it is still important to keep watering your plants. Especially newly planted trees and shrubs as they need regular watering to properly establish.

7. Turn off the water

As we begin to see frost later in the fall, it’s a good idea to turn off the outdoor water connections and drain the hose. Put your hose and any clay pots in storage for the winter to prevent damage and cracking.