Horticulture Guy

“Live Long and Garden” - Peter Punzi

General Landscaping

  • Prepare open beds in the flower and vegetable garden with organic matter and organic fertilizers. Chopped leaves, peat moss or compost can be added now to improve the soil’s humus levels. This improves the structure, drainage and nutrient holding capacity of your soil. For established beds work in organic matter and fertilizers around the plants and cultivate them into the to few inches of soil.
  • An inexpensive way to add more organic matter and nutrients to the soil is through the use of cover crops on beds that are fallow for the winter. These cover crops will fix valuable nitrogen into the soil and can be planted this fall: Austrian field peas (Lathyrus hirsutus), crimson clover(Trifolium incarnatum), fava beans (Vicia faba), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa). They will also slow down the leaching of nutrients caused by winter rains.
  • Clean tools for storage. Remove soil with a brush (coconut fiber, nylon or a metal brush) and then remove any rust with steel wool. Sharpen tools with appropriate files or sharpeners. Then wipe with a clean rag and then oil exposed metal with special tool oil (Felco makes a spray on type) or machine shop oil. If you don’t plan on using the mower this winter bring your mower in to your local dealer for winterizing. Next spring you will have a clean running mower with sharpen and adjust blades. You will also avoid the wait in the spring when most people bring them in for service.
  • Mow lawn to 1.5 to 2 inches for the winter This keeps the lawn healthy and prevents the lawn from matting down.
  • Keep leaves and compost or make a dedicated leaf mold pile for future mulch unless they are from allelopathic trees (producing chemicals that inhibit other species growth) like the genera Juglans (e.g. Black Walnut or Aesculus (e.g. Horse Chestnut).
  • Drain and clean man made pools and ponds. Remove tropical plants and store hardy lilies.
  • Get out with hoe and remove cool weather weeds like shotweed that germinated during the October rains.
  • Test soil for pH and apply limestone or wood ash accordingly. It takes time for these products to react with the soil and affect the pH. Fall application will ensure the pH is adjusted by spring.
  • Very last call for planting trees and shrubs including woody fruiting plants.

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