Tips For Fall Watering

Just because fall is here, it doesn't mean you'll never have to water your plants or lawn again this season. Fall does bring cooler temperatures and often more rainfall, but not always. If your lawn hasn't had at least an inch of rain in the last week, you should water your lawn and gardens. Plants that begin the winter season stressed from a lack of water have a more difficult time surviving our harsh winter climate in Canada.

Whether you're using an inground irrigation system, a dripline, or even a portable sprinkler, you should be safe to keep it going until mid to late October before there's danger of a hard frost.

We've gathered some other great fall landscaping tips for you so your lawn and landscape will look its best this fall and for the start of next spring.

Keep Mowing

Leaving your lawn to grow too high will make the plants more susceptible to fungus and snow mold. Mowing your lawn too short means the plant isn't able to produce enough food or nurtrients to thrive. Again, stressed plants are more vulnerable to the extreme temperatures we face in winter.

Gather Those Leaves

Many homeowners gather the fallen leaves every fall, but there are some who wait until spring. The problem with this is that those pretty colourful leaves turn into a dark, heavy, wet mat that smothers the grass beneath it. Come spring, that grass may be dead or at the very least stunted and slow to grow.

Fall Planting

Fall is a great time to split and relocate plants. Try to do this early enough in the fall that the plant has a chance to take advantage of the milder temperatures and extra rainfall to establish some roots in the new location. This is a great time of year to plant bushes and other perennials, again allowing them enough time to get some roots started. Often, nurseries discount these plants at the end of the year so you can often get a good discount.

Mulch

This is a great time of year to add mulch to your gardens. It's often cheaper to buy from retailers and nurseries, and still provides the soil with shelter and moisture retention. Mulch also offers a bit of insulation for the cold temperatures which is especially helpful for new or young plants.

Fertilize Your Lawn

Many people prefer to wait until spring to fertilize, but there are many benefits to fertilizing in fall. However, timing is very important in the fall. Fertilize too soon and the plants will take those extra nutrients and put into new growth that likely won't survive the winter. Fertilize too late and the plants won't have an opportunity to fully absorb the extra nutrients and the time and effort is wasted.

Pruning

Look around the yard for any dead branches (they should still be easy to spot) and get rid of them. Better to prune back those dead limbs and branches now than wait until a winter storm brings them down and causes damage.

The sprinkler system experts at Nutri-Lawn Burlington Irrigation can help you prepare your inground irrigation systems for fall. Contact us today for your complimentary quote.