Fall Landscaping Tips
Cooler temperatures and falling leaves are trademarks of the fall season. In Ontario, we are lucky to enjoy some spectacular colours as the leaves change. Fall is truly a beautiful time of year. It is also the time of year to care for your landscaping to help it look its best now and next year. Here are some important fall landscaping tips:
Lawn Aerating
Your lawn can take a beating over the summer. As you walk, play, and enjoy the season on your lawn, you will compact the soil. As the soil compacts, it becomes increasingly firm and doesn’t allow water, air, or nutrients to fully penetrate and reach the roots of your grass. It’s important that your lawn is able to breathe, and you can help it with aeration.
Aerating your lawn will help to:
- Allow nutrients, water, and air to reach the roots of your grass.
- Help freshly seeded and overseeded lawns take root.
- Prevent the formation of thatch.
The proper tools reach deeper into the soil. Professional equipment and operators will significantly improve your lawn.
Pruning Trees & Shrubs
It is important to stay on top of pruning to ensure that your trees, shrubs, and other plants stay healthy and strong.
Pruning is a bit of an art form — it isn’t simply about cutting off dead branches. A professional landscaper knows exactly where to prune to enhance the beauty and strength of your plants. They also know how to trim trees and shrubs to help them grow in appropriate directions — you don’t want branches coming close to your roof, wiring, eavestrough, or your vehicles.
Regular pruning will also help to protect your home and family from branches falling during winter storms.
Planting Spring Bulbs
Spring bulbs poking through the snow are a welcome sight to many gardeners. When the flowers burst forth, enthusiastically heralding the beginning of warmer weather, they create pure joy!
September is a great time to plant bulbs that will grow into beautiful, flowering plants that you can enjoy next spring. There are so many bulbs to choose from that it can be difficult to decide. Here are some of our favourites:
- Daffodil
- Crocus
- Tulips
- Hyacinths
- Alliums
Keep these tips in mind when planting bulbs:
- Plant in an area that receives full sun (about six hours per day).
- Ensure you have healthy, nutrient-rich soil.
- Plant the bulbs approximately six to nine inches deep.
- Plant in groupings, not even numbers. Imagine a bouquet of spring bulbs in a vase. Now plant in numbers to emulate that vase in your garden. Don’t skrimp, plant lots!
- Consider colour. One or two colours will create the best visual. Too many and you will have a dog’s breakfast.
- Coordinate your planting for constant colour throughout the spring. Hyacinths and crocus are early, then daffodils, and finally tulips. Allium are from the onion family and are striking plants that bloom in the early summer. They are gorgeous!
- Make sure to plant with the pointy part of the bulb pointing up.
- Protect your bulbs with mulch.
There are many important steps to maintaining your landscaping in the fall and a trained expert will know exactly what to do. Contact the experts at Green Thumb Landscaping. We’ll help your home or business look beautiful this fall and next season.
