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October 2006 Landscape Calendar

• The most important fertilizer application for your lawn is the one you apply in fall. A “winterizer” fertilizer provides your lawn with the necessary nutrients to withstand the harsh temperatures of winter and to fight off any residual summer lawn diseases. If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, fall is the best time.

• Save your piles of raked leaves for inexpensive mulch for your garden beds. Run over the leaf piles with a lawn mower so the leaves are shredded; this will keep them from matting. Mulch liberally after the ground has frozen.

• If rainfall is not adequate, make sure your evergreens go into winter well-watered. Before watering, check the soil moisture by sinking your finger about two inches into the soil. If it’s moist, don’t water. Continue to water shrubs, perennials and roses until the ground freezes.

• Avoid the temptation to prune. Pruning has an invigorating effect on woody plants and can stimulate late growth that will be more susceptible to winter injury. In addition, pruning wounds are an open invitation to potential insect and disease pests. Unless you are pruning to remove broken, dead or diseased branches, leave heavy pruning until next spring.

• Be sure to continue to mow your lawn until growth stops. Tall matted grass encourages disease such as snow mold as well as pests such as voles. Fall is also a great time to aerate your lawn.

• It is not too late to plant fall bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, and other spring flowering bulbs can be planted now up until the ground freezes. If planted among hosta, daylilies or ferns, their foliage will hide fading bulb foliage next spring.

• Late October is the time to use the Minnesota Tip Method for all of your hybrid and non-hardy roses.

• Garlic lovers—get an early start on your garlic by planting it in the fall and covering it with mulch for the winter. By spring snowmelt, you’ll already have green garlic shoots poking out of the ground.


Contributors:
Gertens Greenhouse and Garden Center
651-450-1501

Drummers Garden Center and Floral
507-388-4877

Linder’s Greenhouses, Garden Center, Flower Marts, and Landscaping
651-488-1927

Klein Landscaping
320-255-1832

Wagner Greenhouses
612-922-6901

Bachman’s, Inc.
612-861-7662

Otten Bros. Nursery & Landscaping
952-473-5425

Villa Landscapes:

Oakdale
651-773-7440

Maple Grove
763-425-9277

Burnsville
952-894-1553