Planting:
Fall is the PERFECT time for planting! We have trees, shrubs, and gorgeous perennials & herbs that are ready to go into the ground now. Fall is the best time for planting trees and shrubs to ensure healthy root growth, and establish the root systems before they need them for leaf production in the spring. It’s also the time for planting garlic. We have seed garlic in many varieties available right now, but it sells fast! Come in soon for best selection, and don’t miss out. Plant cover crops over beds that are not going to be used through the winter. You can plant crimson clover, rye, vetch, white clover, and winter peas… We sell cover crop seed in bulk!
Fertilizing:
Fall is also an excellent time for applying fertilizer. You can fertilize now to promote healthier plants and more robust growth in the spring. Learn more here. Apply Acid Mix 4-3-6 when planting fall blueberries, and side dress your already established plants to promote healthy root growth and boost resistance to extreme winter temperatures. If you have a lawn, apply some of our balanced Bio-Turf 8-3-5 to your lawn in October, giving it a boost of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Pests:
Pest management starts with prevention. Keep your yard and garden clean and free of debris and accumulated plant material to reduce breeding grounds for pests, as well as help prevent disease. Another great way to reduce the amount of pests in the garden is to plant a forage garden to attract beneficial insects. Find a good list of plants to attract beneficial insects here. Manage slugs and snails now, for reduced numbers in the spring, via traps, Sluggo, or hand-picking.
Maintenance:
With temperatures cooling down significantly- especially in the evenings, it’s time to wrap up the summer garden and prepare for winter. Consider covering leafy greens like lettuces and spinach with row cover to protect when there is danger of frost. Make sure to have some on hand, as October temperatures can drop quickly overnight. Harvest and store potatoes. When danger of frost looms, bring tomatoes indoors to let them ripen, mulch around the base of plants such as berries to protect the roots, and make sure to place mulch in beds where asparagus and rhubarb are growing. Clean up dead and diseased plant material in beds and dispose of properly. Sharpen and clean garden tools for the next season. Keep up on weeding to eliminate more work later. Add organic material like compost or mulch around flower beds. Slug control now means less slug damage in the spring. Tidy up your strawberry beds by thinning, cleaning up dead leaves, and trimming off any runners you don’t want.