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SPRING ISN’T THE ONLY TIME FOR LANDSCAPING

We all know that the garden section of Lowes and Home Depot is nuts at the first sign of warm spring weather, but Fall landscaping and lawn maintenance is often overlooked.  

 New Planting

Fall is an excellent time to plant new shrubs and trees, if you do it in September so they have a chance to settle before the winter.  Many of the local home and garden stores have nice discounts on plants and will guarantee them for one year, so you are safe if the plant doesn’t make it through the winter.  Be sure and follow the advice of the garden center on planting.   Generally, the hole should be twice the width of the rootball and the rootball should be about ½ above-ground with rich bagged soil above and below.  Remember to also place a 1-3 inch protective layer of mulch. 

 Spring Bulbs

Don't forget to plant bulbs in the fall, including tulips, daffodils, and hyacinth, for a bright, beautiful spring display. I suggest you ignore the usual planting instruction which tell you to plant the bulbs 3-6 inches apart.  Most professionals plant bulbs closely together to get a concentrated burst of plant and color in the spring.  Tall tulip and other bulb flowers should be toward the back of you beds with shorting plantings in front. 

 Mow, fertilize, aerate

Once the cool weather and consistent rain arrives, lower your mower's height to stimulate new growth. Fertilize in late-September or early-October.  Fertilizer not only improves turf quality, root growth and color—it also builds cold resistance into your grass.   Aerate grass in September or October as well. Compacted soils are all too common in our area.  Aeration boosts water penetration, which reduces runoff on slopes and helps water and fertilizer nutrients get down to the roots. Landscape companies will provide a one-time aeration and seeding but you can save a lot of money if you team up with neighbors and rent an aerator for a day from a local rental store.  Our lawns typically take 30-40 minutes to aerate.