Autumn Gardening Tasks and Tips For Tidying the Garden
Fall is a great time for garden maintenance. If you’re planning on replanting your perennials, now is the time to prune the old shoots and foliage from your plants. Shearing is not necessary for plants such as lavender, but some herbs may benefit from a partial cutback. Dead foliage provides shelter for wildlife. The temperatures can vary throughout the fall, so it’s important to consider a number of things when pruning your plants.
Planting your flowers and vegetables in the autumn will increase their chances of blooming in the spring. Autumn planting will encourage the growth of tulips, daffodils, and other cool season plants. Using an organic soil improver will make the soil more water-retentive and encourage earthworms. When it comes to vegetables, autumn is an ideal time for planting cool-season vegetables, including silverbeet, baby beetroot, lettuce, and broad beans. In addition, cool-season plants may need some fertiliser to produce their blooms.
Fall gardening can involve raking leaves and clearing foliage, planting winter crops, and preparing for next year’s vegetable garden. Other activities include growing leafy greens, garlic, onions, and bulbs, building soil, and even things that attract wildlife. If you’re still unsure of what to plant, consider starting with a small indoor garden. There are still plenty of plants that will thrive year-round, and many are hardy enough to tolerate cold weather.
Fall gardening can be a great time to plant seeds of perennials such as kale. Plant them now, so that they can develop roots before winter arrives. If you’re in a cooler climate, you can even transplant some summer vegetables such as spinach and lettuce. The cooler temperatures will also help prevent them from bolting. In addition, you can buy vegetable starts for your winter garden. You’ll also find late season sales of root crops and vegetable plants.
Planting irises during autumn may be challenging, but it’s well worth it if you’re serious about establishing a thriving iris collection. If you’re planning on reblooming irises in your garden, be sure to check out the Reblooming Iris Society to learn which varieties will bloom in your area. Remember that different varieties of irises require different care, so it’s important to research iris species in your area before planting.
If you’re looking for a unique way to attract wildlife to your garden, consider growing fruit trees. Many fruit trees will attract wildlife, but you can also grow dog roses or dogwood trees to provide food for small animals. Additionally, there are many different types of wildlife homes available for sale. Consider installing bat boxes, bird houses, or bee boxes to attract bees and other insects. You’ll be glad you did!
Heucheras have become popular fall foliage plants, and have been around for centuries. They used to have hairy green leaves and tiny red flowers, but today they have rounded leaves that turn a bright orange in the fall. The variety ‘Palace Purple’ was named after the groundcover at Buckingham Palace. It’s still available, and is the perfect ground cover around a deciduous shrub. You can even plant heucheras in pots to create a dramatic effect.
Did you miss our previous article…
https://diygardeningtips.com/garden-tips/pruning-clematis/