Fall lawn and garden tips: Do these 6 things now
It truly is finally fall this year, with shorter days and cooler temperatures.
That means it is time for the leaves to drop and garden cleanup to begin.
Keep those fallen leaves
Some people dread raking and dealing with fallen leaves each year. But I look forward to this time, first for the fall color, then for the wonderful resource the leaves provide to my gardens.
I can’t believe anyone would rake their leaves and put them in a black plastic bag with the trash.
Why would you get rid of such a wonderful resource? Tree leaves contain nutrients and organic matter to improve your soil.
Why do you think a forest has the richest soil and the best growing environment of any ecosystem?
Get leaves off lawn so light isn't blocked
You do need to remove leaves from the lawn, because they exclude light and grass needs light to grow.
You can do that in several ways — if your leaf cover is light, you can simply mow the leaves into the lawn and provide the nutrients and organic matter right back into the lawn.
Here's how homeowners, gardeners should cope with the year's heavy rain
For thicker layers of leaves, mow and bag the leaves, resulting in a leaf mulch that can be spread on vegetable gardens or landscape beds. If you have a vacuum and leaf shredder you will get an even finer mulch.
The final option is to rake the leaves either directly into landscape beds or onto tarps that you carry to a compost pile or vegetable garden, where they will decompose over the winter.
Whatever you do, don’t let this valuable resource leave your property.
Reseed your bare spots now
If you have bare spots in your lawn, now is the time to reseed. First rake out old, dead vegetation with a hard rake, if the area is small, or with a dethatcher (you can rent one or hire a professional) for larger areas.
Seed will only germinate if it falls onto soil, so exposing soil is important for overseeding. Use a small amount of fertilizer, about one half pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.
Get your soil tested
It is a good idea to take a soil sample to learn the soil pH and the amount of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in your soil. You may need to raise the pH, by adding lime or add P and K if they are low.
The best grass species for Delaware is tall fescue, so I recommend overseeding with a tall fescue blend.
Aerate that soil for better growth
Another important fall task for the lawn is core aeration.
A core aerator is a big piece of equipment with hollow tines that pulls out plugs of soil and deposits them on the surface of the lawn. It helps relieve compaction and will also help decompose thatch.
Pick these plants to survive winter salt use
Fall is the best time to core aerate because grass roots are still growing and will continue to grow until the ground freezes. So, the lawn will recover quickly.
You can rent a core aerator, but it is probably better to hire a professional to core aerate your lawn.
Deal with vegetable garden remains
Most people are tired of their vegetable gardens by this point in the season, but fall cleanup is extremely important to reduce diseases and weeds next year.
Pull out all the old, dead plants and compost them. Rake up fallen leaves so you reduce overwintering fungi.
Don’t let weeds go to seed in your garden. Hoe them, pull by hand or at least mow off flowers before seeds form.
An ounce of prevention now will be worth a pound of cure next spring and summer.
If you are energetic, sow winter wheat in your fallow vegetable garden. It outcompetes winter annual weeds and can be tilled in to provide rich organic matter next spring.
DELAWARE TALES
WHY is that bathtub sitting in the middle of the road in Bellefonte?
Bolognese: Heat at home or eat out
Delaware Gardener is written by Sue Barton, associate professor at the University of Delaware. Email questions to delawaregardener@udel.edu and follow Susan on Instagram at sbartonhort. For information about plant health, follow Nancy Gregory at http://extension.udel.edu/ag/hot-topics-plant-disease/.