When compared to the spring season, fall can prove to be a better time to plant. To have a smooth season, however, it means that you have to get ready for the season in advance.
Having a less busy fall season means that your preseason has to be activity packed getting your garden ready to ensure that you have reaped a satisfactory harvest at the end of it.
In getting garden ready, it is important however to note that times for fall planting will differ with regions. It is important to be not only knowledgeable of the fall signs but also familiar with the symptoms that are most concurrent in your specific area.
Fall Signs
- I. The soil will start to freeze
- II. The appearance of the first frost
- III. The rains of the fall will begin.
How to prepare for the fall season
1. Spring bulbs should be planted in preparation for the cooler temperatures.
They may include daffodils and tulips. It is important to mark where they have been planted to prevent digging them up later which will cause wastage.
2. Perennial plants at this time of the year tend to turn brown or yellow in the color of the leaves.
These plants should be pruned to give way to the growth of newer and greener leaves after the season.
3. Diseased plants’ foliage can harbor diseases and outbreaks.
Diseased plants should not be left as compost or just lying around as they will prevent the growing plants from being at full health thus also affects their productivity.
4. Fallen tree leaves should be raked up and stored as compost.
This, however, does not apply to all the leaves. The fresher leaves should be left to first compost and not raked into the garden.
This is because they will facilitate smothering among the young plants. Walnut tree leaves are another exception. Their leaves can neither be collected into the garden nor mixed with the compost.
These are because they possess a chemical that can hinder the growth of plants or even end up killing them.
5. Plants that are young or that have been planted recently should be staked.
Fall can tag along wet snow that is heavy and strong blustery winds. If these new plants are staked, they will be held intact preventing them from damage.
6. Ensure that your garden bed is mulched.
This will help retain the moisture of the earth and protect your plants from the varying temperatures.
Moreover, fall season poses an ideal time to spread compost especially on vegetable gardens with this compost being dug into the soil later during spring. This will give it ample time to integrate with the ground.
7. Adding nitrogen fertilizers despite them being either organic or chemical should be restrained.
These will have an effect on the plants that will grow as frost will either cause them damage or kill them. Moreover, microscopic organisms are affected by phosphate.
8. Leave attractive seed heads standing and bird feeders full.
This will create a garden that encompasses nature well as it will help embrace the migration of birds and attract the birds building more color and liveliness in your backyard.
In general, terms, watering your garden is a necessary step of getting your garden ready for fall. This and the above measure will create a beautiful and bountiful garden at the end of the season.
