Gardener’s Corner

Fall is a good time of the year not only for planting, but to think about spring.  Focusing on lawns for a moment, I want to highlight some things that are good to do in the fall to make your lawn look its best in the spring. 

Fall Fertilization.  If you would like to give your turfgrass a boost for next spring, fall fertilization is the way to go.  Fall fertilization, helps the lawn to recover from any problems it may have suffered in the summer.  It also helps the grass store carbohydrates that will be used next spring to initiate growth.

Fall Seeding.  We are a bit beyond the window for fall seeding, but if you really want to add some seed to the thin areas of your lawn, you can still do it but you will have to hope that this warm weather continues for a while longer.

Broadleaf Weed Control.  Fall is an excellent time to control the broadleaf weeds that may have invaded your lawn this summer.  The reason this is a good time to control them is because the weeds are busy storing carbohhydrates in their root systems and are more susceptible to herbicide application.  Apply the herbicides on a sunny day when there is no chance of rain for 24 hrs. There are many types of broadleaf weed controls available.  Make sure to wear the proper protection for the application and keep your pets indoors or off the lawn until it is dry.  You will not get to see the weeds die, but next spring there will be less of them to notice.

Core Aeration.  Golf courses in Michigan are busy with this activity at this time of the year.  Core Aeration punches little holes in the lawn to allow the intake and exchange of air.  This type of aeration helps to combat soil compaction especially in areas that have a little higher traffic pattern. Soil compaction is bad for trees, shrubs, perennials and turfgrass because it limits the amount of air getting to the roots.  Roots need oxygen and CO2 exchange in order to survive.

Winter will soon be here, unfortunately for us gardeners, so next week we will discuss winterization for your trees, shrubs and perennials.

     Most people think that the best time to plant is spring.  They are right.  The second best time to plant is fall.  In fact, the fall is almost as good as  spring in most respects and better than spring in other respects.  There are a few plants that should not be planted in the fall, but the list is very small and even these plants can be planted in the fall if they are not freshly dug.  An example of this would be Magnolia.  Magnolias have a very fleshy root system, which means that they don’t have a thick bark covering on their roots like other trees.  Because of this fleshy root system, they do not enjoy being dug and transplanted in the fall.  Too much injury is caused by the transplanting and they don’t have time to heal before the winter weather sets in.  However, if a Magnolia was dug in the spring and balled and burlaped and sat in the nursery all season or if it was grown in a pot, it is fine to plant it in the fall.

     The reason that spring and fall are great for planting is that the weather is cool so the plants are not transpiring as much and thus losing moisture at a rapid rate.  There is more moisture through rainfall and other sources in the spring and the fall.  In the spring we have melting snow and spring showers.  In fall we usually have fairly large amounts of rainfall.  Some people actually feel that fall is better than spring because the plants have time to get acclimated to their new surroundings, then they go dormant so they are not using as much moisture or sugars, and then they “sleep” until spring when they have plenty of natural rainfall, and time to root in before the summer heat and drought hit. 

     At Reder Landscaping we still have a nice selection of trees, perennials and shrubs in the nursery.  We are also having a fall sale.  All perennials and shrubs are 30% off and most of the trees are also 30% off.  Come on in and see what is available.  We have at least until Thanksgiving to get the plants into the ground. 

     Keep planting.