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Fall Garden Maintenance Save Time and Money in the Spring By Performing Some Preventative Maintenance in the Fall by Jean Van Pelt We’ve all felt “spring fever” – that unbearable urge to hit the nurseries and start digging in our garden after being indoors for months on end.  With all the excitement in Spring, it’s easy to forget that Fall is a terrific time to do planting, as well as other maintenance tasks to not just get a jump on Spring, but also save time and money next season.  Remember, a healthy lawn and garden means less pest and disease problems – and that means less maintenance (e.g., time and money).  Here are some steps you can take right now to help YOUR LAWN look better next year: a)      Due to compaction during the growing season, aerate your lawn to increase air and water access to the deeper roots. b)      Fertilize your lawn now instead of the spring to encourage root growth, rather than top growth (which means more mowing).  Don’t forget to water well after applying the fertilizer to minimize burning. c)      As the temperatures begin to cool, it is a good time to renovate and reseed cool-season grass lawns (i.e., Kentucky Blue Grass, etc.).  This will encourage root growth, promising a greener lawn come Springtime. Wait until early Summer for warm-season grasses, such has buffalo grass. d)     Scale back your watering as precipitation increases and temperatures decrease.  Don’t forget to drain and shut off your overhead sprinkler system before the first freeze; otherwise you might find yourself shelling out more bucks in the spring to replace some valves.  Some of the same ideas can be applied to YOUR GARDEN: a)      Scale back your watering frequency, but continue to water deeply each time.  Make sure yours is not one of the systems watering during our frequent afternoon showers!  Excess water will just runoff into the drains and sewers. b)      Fall is the best time to plant perennials.  There may not be as much selection at the nursery, but you can find some great bargains.  By planting in the fall, the roots will begin to establish, making for a larger, more productive plant in the Spring. c)      Dig and divide early-blooming perennials, such as iris, poppies, peonies, and daylilies (every 3 years or so).  These plants become less productive as they become overcrowded.  Consider them free plants – spread them out in your own garden, or share them with friends. d)     Current planting beds can be topdressed with compost (placed under the mulch) to replace the nutrients in the soil that were depleted by the plant material during the growing season.  With the help of worms (mother nature’s tillers), our frequent freeze/thaw cycles, and your planting actions, the nutrients will make their way through the soil. e)      If you can’t plant this fall, prepare new planting beds for the Spring now, leaving the soil level uneven to increase the surface area.  f)       Mulch the beds after the first freeze to minimize ground temperature fluctuations and keep the soil warm for earlier planting. g)      Stop fertilizing and pruning your roses.  These tasks encourage tender new growth, which is the most susceptible to Colorado’s early frosts.  As winter approaches, protect the bud union by covering it with loose soil or mulch.  Don’t forget to plant spring-flowering bulbs this fall.  Just remember they need 6 weeks for the roots to establish before ground freezes for the best flowering.  Select species tulips, crocus, or any of the numerous varieties of minor bulbs (i.e., Glory-of-the-snow, Winter Aconite, Snowdrops, Squill, etc.) that multiply each year to fill in around your later blooming perennials.   • Xeriscape Colorado Home • What Is Xeriscape? • Demo Gardens   • Upcoming Events • Resources & Reference • Articles