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Smile If You Love the Fall Season!

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In most parts of the country the Fall is the best time of year for all kinds of garden activities, including planting and transplanting my types of plants. It’s also the time of year when you can save a bushel of cash on gardening equipment and nursery stock, and save even more by properly tucking in your garden and equipment for its long winter’s nap. Here’s how:

1) Build yourself a compost pile and/or mulch

If you don’t already have one, you definitely want to start a compost pile in the Fall to provide a receptacle for all the leaves, pumpkins and other yard debris you should rake up before winter sets in. Building a compost pile can be as simple as staking up a hoop of three-foot-high “chicken wire” or other mesh fencing; just so long as it allows for air circulation from the sides and is deep enough for leaves and other organic matter to compress itself thanks to the law of gravity. Also, keep your eyes open after Halloween and Thanksgiving for leftover bales of straw that might be discounted – or even put out for the garbage man – now that they’ve served their decorating purposes; straw makes great mulch or can be added to the compost pile. Mulching garden bedsin the Fall with wood chips, compost, or other suitable organic matter helps to retain ground moisture and protect plants sleeping underneath. Check with local landscaping and tree removal services in the Fall for some of the best prices of the year on mulch.

2) Score great deals on end-of-season local nursery stock

Just recently I saw a Japanese Maple measuring about 8-10 feet high for only $40! Plants, shrubs, ground cover, even soil sees a discount this time of year at your local nursery or Home Depot!

3) Update your garden tools and equipment

Fall season means it’s slowing down at the local Lowe’s and Home Depot for ‘summer projects’ so you’re likely to score a deal on the latest lawn and garden equipment they’ve overstocked. Pick up a new shovel, shears, planters, you name it!

4) Use your current plants to multiply and make more

In addition to being the best time to plant most springtime flowering bulbs (e.g. tulips, daffodils, crocuses, irises, etc.) as well as trees and shrubs, many perennial plants and vegetables can be divided in the Fall. Do a little homework on which ones are best for this sort of arrangement but you’ll find just a little light labor will have you with double the amount you had for no extra cost!

5) Tune up and do some TLC for your current tools and equipment

Since you won’t be mowing the lawn as much (or at all depending where you’re at), you’ll need to make sure you keep fuel that’s been treated with a stabilizer to prevent condensation and deposits. Sharpen your shears by cutting through the aluminum foil scouring pad a few times. Oil all metal surfaces of your tools with used or new motor oil, and scrub that dirt and rust off your shovels, hoes, etc, to guarantee their lifespan.

Hopefully this helps you in your yard and garden heading into the fall.