Time To Put Your Yard To Bed

Dont abandon your yard when the first chill of the season hits

. Your lawn and garden need some TLC before they take their long winters nap. Now is the prime time to tend to your landscape, so it will really shine next year.

Clean up

You can begin by removing all the spent annuals and vegetables from your garden. Since annuals will not live over the winter, it is best to pull them out of the ground completely, roots and all. This will help to eliminate the potential for diseases, molds, and fungus that may carry over in the plants next spring. Once you have removed all your annuals, move on to the perennials. Remove dead and excess material from the perennials, but many perennials can be left up for the winter. These will provide wonderful winter interest, and they will become a food source and habitat for birds and other wildlife.

As leaves fall, it's a good idea to clean up as much leaf debris as you can, especially if your tree has had any insect or disease problems through the year because that's just going to transfer into the next season if you don't clean it up. If fallen leaves are not removed, the lawn will not get light and will eventually die. An alternative to leaf removal is pulverizing tree leaves with a mulching mower and letting them decompose on your lawn. Use your leaves for compost, or for mulching beds.

Fertilize

Use your existing compost or purchase fertilizer and spread it over your garden. Let your trees go dormant, let the leaves fall off, and then fertilize. Fertilizer applied too early will promote succulent growth in the fall that will make the lawn more susceptible to winter injury. Fertilizer applied too late will be of no benefit to the turf. If you make a late-fall fertilizer application, spring fertilization can be delayed until late May to early June.

Mulch

Mulch your beds once all your plants have stopped producing. By placing mulch on your garden or around tender plants, you are effectively placing a blanket over your garden, protecting it from the harmful effects of winter. The mulch can also suppress weed growth. If you have broadleaf weeds, spot treat or dig them out now.

Take the time to tuck your landscape in for the winter and your plants and flowers will show their appreciation come spring. When you are done, sit back, take off your garden gloves and bid your yard goodnight.

by: Gary Warren

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