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Cool Weather Garden Tips

Pruning
Get your pruning done before the beginning of fall so that new growth has time to harden off before the first frost. If it's not done by September 21st, hold off until the first of December or later.

Fall Color
It's time to plant Mums, Pansies and Snapdragons for fall and winter color.

Other Planting
Fall is the best time to plant shrubs and trees and is also a great time to divide perennials. To do this, root prune just outside the dripline using a sharp, clean shovel. It's all right to sever the roots, as plants produce two roots for every one cut. Wait a month to transplant, and be sure to mulch and maintain good soil moisture.

Lawns
Spread 0-0-20 fertilizer on Centipede lawns at a rate of 5 pounds per 1000 square feet. This, along with proper watering (see Irrigation, below) will help protect it from winter kill.

Irrigation
Even though your lawn will be going dormant soon and some plants will lose their leaves, they all still need water through the winter. If there's no rain, run your irrigation system twice a week until the first of December, and after that once a week in periods of no rain.

If plants and sod dry out and temperatures get down into the 20s at night, they could suffer considerable damage. One of the biggest problems with Centipede sod is winter kill (see Lawns, above) so don't let your sod suffer this fate.

On the other hand, overwatering can be a problem. To prevent this, consider installing a rain sensor on your irrigation system. Sensors can cost as little as $75 and can save water, and therefore money. Call us for a free estimate for this and any other services mentioned.

Vegetables!
There's still time to plant your fall vegetable garden with lettuce, spinach, broccoli and collards. And remember this fun fact about growing your own food: A $70 investment in vegetable gardening averages a $600 return. Further,
 
You know where your produce comes from and what is on it.
 
You know how fresh it is.
 
It's easier to walk out to your backyard and pick lettuce than to drive to the store.  
 
You'll feel good about yourself when you harvest.
 Vegetable gardening is something the whole family can enjoy together. Kids love picking things.

And again, with the composting...
Keep on composting to utilize kitchen scraps and produce the best fertilizer possible for your garden the next season. You can add it as mulch around plants or work it into any bed as you prepare it, and worms, those excellent composters, love it. For good instructions on starting and maintaining a compost operation, look here.