Environmental Landscape Management Program
Seneca College, King Campus
It’s almost that time of year to say goodbye for the season to your lush and vibrant gardens. You may now be wondering what you should do to your garden in the fall to prepare it for the seasons ahead.
If your garden is getting overgrown, the fall is a great time to divide and transplant your plants. However, don’t wait too long because you want them to get established before the ground freezes up completely.
When it comes to other fall garden chores, think of it as two main tasks – cleaning up this past season’s growth and preparing your garden for a successful growing season next year.
After we get those first frosty nights, some plants will get floppy and soft. As students in Seneca College’s Environmental Landscape Management program learn, plants like Hostas and Daylilies can be cut right down to the ground. However, plants like Coral Bells like their leaves left alone to protect their crowns from the cold winter. In addition, you may want to leave your ornamental grasses and any Sedum Autumn Joy you have for winter interest in the garden. If you are a bird lover you may also want to leave your Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans alone to feed our feathered friends.
To prepare the garden for next season, consider adding some organic compost in the fall to provide nutrients next spring when the plants need it most. If you have any tender perennials in your gardens pile up some mulch or soil around the base of the plants to protect the roots from any freeze and thaw cycles, but make certain you wait until after the ground freezes to do this.
One thing to keep in mind is different plants have different needs and requirements, so it is important to know which plant species you have in your gardens. Once you figure that out, you can research the plants to find out what works best for each one, or you can always call an expert.
Speak Your Mind