Late Summer and Fall Gardening

Although gardening is commonly considered a spring and early-summer enterprise, the late-summer and fall garden deserves attention too. Second and third plantings of crops adapted to growing late in the season not only provide a supply of fresh vegetables for the latter part of the season, but often give better products for canning, freezing, and storing.

Late-grown snap and lima beans and spinach, for example, are well adapted to freezing and canning; beets, carrots, celery, and turnips, to storage. In the South, the late-autumn garden is as important as the early-autumn one.

Be sure to continue watering your garden, especially your shrubs, trees, and evergreens. Water them well until the ground freezes, and make sure you water adequately through a dry fall. As evergreens and broadleaf evergreens don't lose their leaves in winter they need a good store of moisture going into winter because they continue to transpire (give off water vapor) through the cold months.

Most winter damage to evergreens doesn't actually come from cold weather, but from the drying effects of late winter sun and wind. With the soil frozen hard, plant roots can't take up water to make up for moisture losses from transpiration and, as a result, dehydration can cause browning or burning of foliage.

Protect your upright evergreen junipers and cedars from breaking due to ice and snow build-up by wrapping the branches with a heavy string or mesh covers. You can find covers at your local gardening centre. Once fastened into place, you'll hardly see the string or mesh.

Protect young trees by putting a plastic tree guard around the bottom of their trunks to prevent damage from rodents such as rabbits and mice. Make sure the tree guards go high enough - over the snow line.

It is important that your plants are well hydrated for the winter. This is also the time to aerate your lawn and re-seed any dead or balding spots. It is the best time to over-seed your entire lawn, start a new lawn, or lay sod.

Prepare any new planting beds now so they will be ready for planting as soon as the weather warms in the Spring. Fall is a good time to do that landscaping project like a new walkway, deck, or patio.

Do not cut back your perennials too soon. Foliage and seed heads can brighten up a gloomy Fall day, and migrating birds will love the ripe seeds available. Only remove those plants that are diseased or may become 'weeds' if they seed freely.

Remove the summer annuals that are past their prime and plant some Fall plants like Kale and Mums...which will also bring some colour to your garden. And be sure to buy and plant all the spring flowering bulbs you want.

Dig up all non-hardy bulbs after the first frost. These include Gladiolas, Dahlias, and Cannas. Store these bulbs in your basement or garage for the winter months.

Divide overgrown perennials and transplant them, especially your peonies and Siberian and Bearded Irises.

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