Fall Gardening Tips from Patio Preserve!

Fall is upon us and gardening is still an important necessity before the winter months invade! There are many tools that would come in handy this time of year--including a sturdy gardening cart. Garden carts are very useful. Hand tools include shovels, spades, forks, hoes, rakes and trowels. These hand tools can be used in areas where a rotary tiller can not reach. You will want to put them in your garden cart for easy access.

Here are some inportant Fall gardening tips we've researched:

Fall Pruning
Fall is an excellent time of year to prune most woody ornamental plants. Avoid pruning spring flowering shrubs in the fall to avoid removing flower buds set earlier in the year. Pruning is done for several reasons:

To remove dead or damaged plant branches.
To reshape overgrown plants in a landscape.
To rejuvenate old, multi-stemmed shrubs.
To remove diseased branches.
To reduce future problems.
To improve the plant's overall appearance and health.

Fall Leaves - Raking and Mulching
When fall leaves start getting all over your lawn, it's time to develop a program for using them wisely. If left on the ground, fallen leaves may accumulate enough to smother turf, ivy or other ground covers. Clean them up often, because it only takes about a week's worth of leaves to kill patches of your lawn.

Leaves from trees such as locust and maple tend to dry and decompose quickly. Leaves can often be shredded right where they fall to a dust that will not be thick enough to bury grass. If the wind blows the leaves around, you'll need to collect them. Carry leaves in a garden cart to avoid as much of the lifting and carrying as you can and avoid raking wet leaves.

Bring Those Plants In!
The time to bring them in is when the night temperature drops to 45 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Use a beautiful Grecian urn for these plants--which looks elegant inside and out.

Fall Planting of Perennials
Planting perennials is an important fall project. If you've got existing perennials, you can separate them into smaller plants. Each plant should have a good root system and at least one healthy growing tip. Add compost to the soil while you're replanting for extra growing power in the spring. By dividing perennials, you give them better chance for growth in less crowded conditions and pest and disease problems will be minimized.

The cooler the fall weather, the less often you need to water. A must for gardening is water access. Using a hose is the simplest way to water your garden. Tuck the garden hose safely out from underfoot behind our charming Frog Hose Holder.