By Mike Dunlop,
Schriemer’s Home & Garden Show Place
During September and October there are many
outdoor activities that have to be tackled as it relates to your lawn and
garden, to ensure good overwintering and a healthy yard next season.
Here are a few of the activities that will ensure a beautiful yard year
after year.
Lawn Care:
· Overseed sparse and bare patches
·
Aerate and dethatch
·
Seed new lawns or sod
·
Apply a fall weed ‘n feed lawn
fertilizer as it is an excellent time to fertilize.
You can also apply a biological fertilizer
Flowerbeds:
·
Add a clay soil conditioner (claybuster)
for heavy and clumpy soil
·
Add compost, peat moss, bone and
blood meal and manure to recondition the soil for next year
Perennials:
·
Divide spring flowering plants.
Perennials should be refreshed every 3-5 years after becoming
established. This is done to
prevent overcrowding and is done by digging out some of the plant to new root
and plant development.
· Fall is an excellent time to add bulbs for next year’s early spring colour. Tulips, Daffodils, Crocuses and many others present a fine show of colour with little expense and effort
Trees
and Evergreens:
·
Fall is a good time to prune
deciduous trees after they have become dormant (the leaves have all fallen off).
This can be done until early spring, but before the leaves appear.
·
Dormant spray kits are a safe,
effective and simple way to kill over-wintering insects and fungi, but it must
be sprayed on when trees and shrubs are dormant yet warm enough to spray.
Do not use on evergreens or when trees have leaves.
·
Make sure your evergreens are well
watered with plain water (no fertilizer) before the ground freezes.
·
If possible, wrap evergreens that
are young or prone to winterburn or kill.
·
Fall is also a time for
transplanting evergreen plants, but it must be done very carefully.
If you are unsure about the process or have never done so before, seek
the advice of a professional before attempting this task.
Schriemer’s Home & Garden Showplace,
located on 1505 Molson Street is a full service garden centre with greenhouses,
nursery and showroom offering service, assortment, value and expertise.
We are open year round and our friendly,
knowledgeable staff are always here to answer your lawn and gardening questions.
We can also work with you to design a yard you will be proud of.
For more information on lawn and garden
maintenance, please contact Mike Dunlop, Service Desk Manager at 668-8357.