Before you know it, autumn is going to be rolling in upon us and that means you need to start getting the garden ready. Cooler weather changes the game for your garden space and even though you may be excited for the oncoming Halloween and Christmas months, you need to start thinking about the external area of your home.
When you prepared it for the summer, you might have brought out all of your furniture, pressure washed or decking and sorted out all your flowers to watch your favorite fruits and flowers bloom. Even with a flawless irrigation system in place right now, some areas can be tough on your garden. So when autumn comes around, it is important that you give your plants, soil and your lawn a little bit more TLC so that they can start recuperating from the heat and go into their hibernation mode. Whether you are calling tree services to cut back those trees before the weather gets wild, or you are calling in the experts to come and sort out your deck, you need to get your garden ready for autumn. Below we have put together a list of things that need to be on your To Do List.
- Get planting. Did you know that autumn is the ideal time of the year to get your plants in the ground? The soil is warm enough for establishing roots, but it is not too hot to fry them. There are so many water saving and drought tolerant plants that you could use, but planting should be something you do now. Ready for the spring blooms in six months time.
- Start pruning. The winter brings frosted ground and wild weather, so you need to get your hedges pruned back, your trees cut back, and you need to get your bushes and shrubs under control. If you prune everything back to around 1/4 of their size, you will be able to remove all old flowers and dead matter and ensure that your space is looking good for the autumn ahead.
- Planning ahead. Choosing plants that are great to survive through the winter is a good idea, but really you need to be looking at your existing plants first and how you can protect them through the cooler months. What are you planting ready for spring and how can you protect it in the meantime? What netting will you need to cover your bushes with so that you can keep any debris away from them? Rotting leaves that are soaking wet from the rain can affect your plants, so making sure that your plants are covered and protected is important.
- Feed your plants. For months your plants have survived the raging sunshine, so it is time to give him a little bit of a treat. Fertilization right now is important as you go into autumn because a combination of being fed and being in the right conditions will help your plants to take a break from the heat and thrive.
