Autumn Lawn Care

Autumn is the season when you ready your lawn for winter by fertilizing, weeding and thatching.  It is also the time to start a new lawn and repair an old lawn. By taking care of your lawn needs in early September through October you will prolong the color and have a healthy lawn that will resist weeds. 

When spring comes your lawn will be dense with no bald spots and grass will be lush and green.


Fertilizing Lawn
Here in the central states fertilizing your yard is best done the first week of September.  My lawn is a combination Kentucky blue grass and perennial ryegrass.  The cool season grass grows fast in the spring and the fall.  I fertilize my lawn once a year with a quality lawn fertilizer that has a slow-release of nitrogen.  By fertilizing in early fall my grass stays greener longer and come spring my grass comes back quick.

If you are going to fertilize your lawn with a winterize then apply a fertilizer that contains at least 20 percent more nitrogen and less phosphorus and potassium. 
Follow the directions on the winterize lawn fertilizer and water well after application.  

The best time to winterize your lawn is from October through early November. 
If you are unsure of how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is needed then I would recommend getting your soil tested.

Weed Control-Thatching
In late August mow your lawn to the height of two inches and then treat it with a pre-emergent weed killer to get rid of the common broadleaf weeds; clover, sow thistle, dandelions, bindweed, plantain. 

In about ten days the weeds will have died back and you would then remove the weeds and the thick tangled dead grass roots from your lawn by thatching.  Thatching rakes have curved tines which enable you to clear your lawn quickly and to loosen up the top soil. 

Care for your lawn in autumn

Planting Grass Seed
After you thatch your lawn it is now ready for reseeding your lawn or to fill in bare spots.  The best time to seed your lawn is in early September.  The cooler weather is agreeable and the grass grows quickly.

Irrigating Your Autumn Lawn
Keep your lawn watered especially if you have a dry autumn or winter seasons.  Even if your lawn goes dormant it is still living and needs water to survive throughout the winter months.  Grass needs an average of 1/2 inch of water a week to stay healthy.  You can go 2 weeks without watering and then water your lawn 1 inches of water. This deep watering will get to the roots and benefit your lawn.

Measure the water by setting an empty tuna fish or cat food can next to the sprinkler.  When the water fills the can then you have reached your lawn watering requirements.

Tips
Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass lawns in sun should receive 1 to 4 pounds per 1000 square feet of nitrogen every year.

Fertilizer used in the fall should be higher in nitrogen then potassium and lower in phosphorus. Grasses fertilized this way have shown greater survival during winter months than those fertilized with high phosphorous.


Learn more about fertilizing lawn in fall here: http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/CoopExt/4DMG/Lawns/mythwint.htm

Fall Container Garden Ideas

Fall is the time when you pull out the summer annuals from your container gardens and replace the plants with colorful fall shrubs and flowers.  

September and October has been warm during the days here in the central states and my annuals are still blooming however the foliage is starting to fade due to the cooler nights.  

Today I removed the annuals from the containers and then got the containers ready for fall plantings by adding some compost.  


In the fall I like to add color and interest to my container gardens and tend to be creative by planting shrubs, pansies, grasses, ground covers, and Chrysanthemums.I also like to plant urns of purple and yellow cold hardy pansies.  Pansies are a good way to add color to your fall containers

These plants are will make a long-lasting container that will last until Thanksgiving.  If your winters are mild the container will last throughout the winter season and will make the entrance of your home feel warm and inviting.   

View this YouTube video for some creative fall container garden ideas.

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Tips:

When your Chrysanthemum blooms fade, remove the plant from the container and replace it with a new plant. By doing this you will have a continuity of color.  Plant the mum with spent blooms into your garden.

Dwarf coral red barberry will add color to your fall containers.  It is a compact mound-shaped shrub that is slow-growing. This shrub features orange flowers in the spring and ornamental bluish black fruit in the fall.

One of my favorite plants for fall containers is the caramel coral bells Heuchera. The white-pink flowers bloom on 18-inch spikes in May and June. The fall foliage of gold, orange with pink variegated is what makes this plant outstanding.  

Accent your fall containers with orange pumpkins and gourds.  Set the pumpkins around your fall container so that it is attractive to the eye.

Elephant Ear Containers look good in the fall as long as there is no hard frost.  Accent your containers with yellow Chrysanthemums.  Leave the elephant ears in the container until it is time to cut them back, dig up or bring them indoors.

Planting a Food Plot for Whitetail Deer

 

A food plot will provide whitetail deer with nourishment throughout the winter months.  If you reside in an area that has harsh winters then the food may not be available for the deer and a cold hardy food plot planted in the fall will provide the whitetail deer with ample food.

Every fall and spring I sow seeds into an area that is 20 feet from my home.  I plant 1000 square feet of the sweet fast-growing forage seed for the whitetail deer.  When planting seed I prefer to use seed that is easy to grow.  No-till forage of clover, brassica, and rye grass seeds that I throw and grow in a plot of land where topsoil has been slightly tilled.

Planting a Deer Food Plot

Choose an area that gets at 7 hours of sun.  An area that has level land is preferred but this throw and grow seed can also be planted in a rocky terrain provided there are patches of soil and ample light.  

I live in the mountains and the land has limestone rocks, the rocky terrain does not prevent me from putting down forage seed.  The seed grows well amongst the rock. Normally I choose an area that is closer to the hardwood trees.  My home resides directly next to a nature sanctuary and the land I choose is a meadow surrounded by a barrier of mature Oak and Maple trees.  The trees provide the whitetail deer with a sense of protection from predators and hunters.  You can also grow the seed in a meadow or a large field.

Getting the land ready for seed is easy, clear the land by removing the leaves weeds and cut down the grass so that it is soil level.  I like to thatch the grass to remove excess dead grass and to loosen the soil I think this step is needed because it is good for the soil to seed contact.

Prep the deer food plot before it rains.  Plant the seeds after it rains when the soil is moist.  The moist soil will help the seeds to germinate.   Watch the forage plot so that the seeds to do dry out.  If you are able to water the plot with a hose and sprinkler then you will prevent seeds from getting burned. 

Before planting the seed test the soil for lime and for fertilizer; the soil test is helpful in determining what fertilizer and how much lime is needed to grow the clover, brassica, and rye grass seed.  Plant forage seed with broadcast seeder.  If you have an ATV run it over the seedbed. Do not cover the seed with more than 3/16 of soil.   If you do not have an ATV then let the seed be, it will grow provided you keep the soil moist.

Tips:

If there are many deer foraging then reseed the area to encourage new plants.

Follow the planting instructions on your forage seed and plant in the spring and fall time zone that is appropriate for your area.

 I plant throw and grow no-till perennial deer forage plot in September.  This year my fall was dry and I needed to irrigate the food plot with water from my well.  After I planted the seed I added a light layer so straw to help keep the soil moist and to deter birds from eating the ryegrass seed.   

There are many reasons why someone would plant a food plot for deer. They may want to deter deer from eating their spring bulbs or other plants in their yard and garden, or they may want to attract deer for photographs or to enjoy nature’s beauty.  I plant a food plot to watch the whitetail deer and to supplement their diet.  Winter is harsh here in the mountains and finding food can be hard for the deer.
 

 

Vintage Gardens of 1928 Home

The gardens that are located on my property date back to 1928, they were designed by a professional gardener who built the home.  

The original garden designer landscaped the entire yard by planting flowers in several different level gardens.  

She moved the earth by hand and installed cement blocks for the steps and red brick walkways. These steps go to the upper gardens and to the lower gardens.  

Wrapped around the gardens is a privacy river rock wall with stately columns at the garden entrance. 

It took the original owner of the home many years to complete the gardens and the rock wall as all of the rocks needed to come from the creek bed.  

My elderly neighbors tell me how she brought the rocks up a steep hill from the creek by wagon and worked on the wall by hand.

Since 1928 there have been four property owners and each of the homeowners has enjoyed gardening.  All have contributed in one way or another to enhancing the beauty of the landscape.  

I moved into the home in 2004 and my contribution was designing and installing a flagstone patio and walkway, a red brick patio, a stone garden path, and capstone paths.  

New gardens; garden mint, daylily, ornamental grasses, hosta, irises, herbs, vegetables, wildlife, and a rose garden.  I planted a wildlife habitat in the side yard and there I grow wildlife forage, wildflowers, and switchgrass.   

Along with the wildlife gardens, my husband and I installed three small ponds.

I love residing in a home that has history especially when it has a lovely garden.  here are photographs of the gardens.

Spring and Summer Flower Gardens:

 

The Wildlife Habitat