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Since most of my time during the weekends is spent following the "Blue and Gold" on Saturdays and the "Black & Gold" on Sundays, it's hard to squeeze in the gardening chores that I so love. If you're like me, working sixty plus hours a week and trying to squeeze in watching as much football as possible on the weekend with the little time I have -gardening seems to take a back seat to everything else come the fall.
There are a number of very important garden activities that are best performed during the autumn months and simply cannot be ignored. Therefore, I've mastered the art of how to make the best of my limited time during the weekends to help keep up with my gardening responsibilities.
Below are some must-do tasks for fall. To my entire "Blue Thumb" family out there, please squeeze in these basic chores that will result in a healthier and more successful spring. I've even listed them in bullet form so you can tackle them one at a time or when you can find the time - even during the halftime of your favorite college or professional football games!
Fall Chores for my fellow "Blue Thumb" gardeners:
Clean gardening tools for winter storage. Remove soil from tools and oil those with movable parts.
Clean fallen leaves and debris from gutters and downspouts.
Turn off outside water faucets at the valve (or the source of the water) inside the house. This will ensure that outdoor exposed pipes will not freeze and reduce the possibility of cracking. Also, drain and bring all hoses indoors.
Bring in outdoor clay gardening pots so they can be protected from the winter elements. Make sure they are free of pests before you bring them indoors!
Rake leaves continually to make sure your lawn is protected from them during late fall.
Trim tall grass away from trees and the corners of your home to discourage small rodents from nesting.
Pull all or any weeds in fall before they go to seed, so you can help reduce the number of seedlings next year.
Mulch & prune roses late fall to early winter. Protect grafted roses by mounding mulch or soil about 12 inches deep, but do not apply until the ground is near freezing. You can also shelter roses with a burlap screen.
In perennial beds, clean dead foliage after it dies naturally and discard. Apply winter mulch after the ground freezes.
Keep watering newly planted trees and shrubs, especially evergreens, until the ground freezes.
For the best looking lawn next spring, apply fall lawn fertilizers and grass seed to bare spots in late September or October. This will help stimulate both the root & crown growth.
As mentioned last year…one of the most important items to take care of during the autumn months is your mower and its blades. This is relatively simple and easy. You can do this with a good metal file or sharpening tool. Or once removed, they can be taken to a machine shop for a professional job (in fact, it's not a bad idea to have it served now and beat the spring cleaning rush). Sharp blades make for a clean cut and better lawn. Even if you don't want to do it, get your mower serviced and blades sharpened during the off season so you are ready to go the first time you rev up next spring…you'll appreciate it.
Members of the "Blue Thumb," always remember to "never accept defeat" and "you can't win if you don't try"…so get out there and garden away. The best way to get off to a tremendous start in spring is to prepare now and finish your chores. This is our "Spring Training" and I'm rooting for your garden as much as I am my favorite 'ball teams!
Happy Gardening!
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