Ready for fall? Tips to get your landscape autumn-ready.

August 20, 2015 | By webadmin

Has the summer heat been hard on your landscape? You’re not alone. The flooding in spring, followed by intense heat and very dry soils, have taken their toll on landscapes all around Dallas. Lawns are stressed, some shrubs and perennials haven’t made it through the summer and trees are nutrient deficient. It may still be hot outside, but now is the time to start getting your garden back on track to take advantage of more mild fall weather.

The maintenance and care you offer lawns and landscape plants now through September can either refresh your plants and get them looking their best...or keep them on a path of decline. No matter if you have a maintenance crew or are a DIYer, there are some simple yet important things you should be doing now in your landscape to get it back to looking great.

Fertilize Lawn & Garden

August is the time to feed your roses with a rose fertilizer. So if you haven’t done that yet, do it now! We just got a spot of rain this week, so the timing is perfect. More on refreshing fall roses here.

September is the time to feed … everything else. So be sure to get out and buy your fertilizer now so you’ll have it at the ready right when temperatures start to cool in September. Or, double check with your landscape maintenance company to see when they’ll be feeding your garden. Fertilizing your landscape in September will help jump start new root growth, encourage healthy new green growth and help plants beef up for winter survival.

Garden Cleanup

Make room for cool-season color and new fall plantings by cleaning up garden beds. Remove spent plants, deadhead summer perennial color, and lightly trim back any plants that don’t look their best. Clean up garden debris. This is where pests and fungal diseases like to lie in wait! Clean up patio containers and refresh with fall plantings.

Replace Lost Plants

Fall is the time to replace lost plants with more drought tolerant options. With cooler nights and more rainfall, you’ll have an easier time establishing new plants in fall. Fall is also an especially good time to transplant trees and shrubs.

Add Compost

Adding compost to the soil, and a thin layer over your lawn, encourages bioactivity in the soil. Healthier soil will help your lawn and landscape grow more lush with less maintenance. More on why healthy soil grows healthy plants here.

Finish with Mulch

Mulch keeps roots warm through winter, retains moisture in summer, suppresses weeds, and gives garden beds a finished look. Be sure to leave space between the mulch line and the base of your plant. Never allow mulch to be butted up against the plant itself. More on mulch here.

No time to manage your landscape and keep it looking its best? We offer year-round lawn and landscape care customized to fit your lifestyle.