Spring is the garden season, and homeowners expect to be busier during the warmer months of the year. There is more work to do, from spring cleaning and decluttering your living space, to setting up your backyard for the colorful blooms. But it doesn’t mean you should sit idle during the colder days. Consider fall as a prep time to get your garden ready for a great start next spring. A little work during this season can make the greens and blooms healthier in the upcoming spring and summer. Here are some tips to get started with the preparations.
Weed thoroughly
It is easy to overlook tiny weeds in your garden, but they are the worst thing to have around. Pull every single weed you can see around. If you fail to clear them out, they will go to seed. It means you will probably end up with hundreds of pesky weeds in the next season. Weeds are undesirable because they shelter insects and harbor plant diseases over the winter. It is vital to get rid of them before hanging up your gardening tools.
Amend the soil
Gardening off-season gives you the time to test your soil and take the requisite action to amend it. You can buy a test kit to find the pH of the soil and decide if you need to adjust it next year. It is also the correct time to treat the soil with some compost so that it can break down and mix in over the winter. You will end up with nutrient-dense soil for a thriving yield in the growing season.
Divide and transplant
You can take advantage of the cool and wet weather during the fall and divide and transplant perennials. If you want to create new beds from scratch, a garden auger drill bit can help to clear the rocks easily and quickly. Divide perennials through late October so that they have enough time to establish roots before the first frost. Avoid cutting the roots while dividing the plant if you want more resilient ones.
Protect tender plants
When colder months are around the corner, tender plants require extra protection to survive. Water them deeply before the ground freezes. Provide insulation by adding a thick layer of mulch around their roots. You can create a greenhouse effect with warmer air by wrapping tender plants with burlap or plastic. It will keep them safe from wind, snow, and low temperatures.
Seed the lawn
Apart from prepping the garden for healthier plants next season, you must also seed the lawn. Check it for sparse and damaged areas that have appeared over the summer months. Patch these areas with fresh seed early in fall so that you have new grass before winter dormancy sets in. Just a little extra care with watering and manure can make the place lush green.
Make sure that your garden is clean during fall because fallen leaves can give shelter to pests. Clear them away often and stay regular with gardening even during downtime. Thanks to all the companies linked above.
