Practice these fall landscaping habits to save money and time in the spring.
Landscapes change and shift throughout the year, evolving through each season. Even though your landscape has an annual lifecycle, this does not mean you need to start fresh every year. Implementing year-round landscape management strategies will help you extend your landscape’s life and reap the benefits in every season. One of the best strategies is determining what you can use, reuse, and distribute among what you already have. The following fall landscaping actions also help you save time and money not just during this season but also into the spring.
Divide Your Perennials
You can use this practice to collect new plants for new areas of your landscape without spending any extra money. Dig up perennials that have grown too big such as Irises and Black-Eyed Susans. Then, chop them in half, replant one half and move the other half elsewhere in your landscape to start a new garden. Dividing your perennials on cool fall days will also help ensure that your plants do not dry out when you move them. Make sure you water them appropriately after they are planted in their new location.
Transplant Small-to Mid-Size Shrubs
If some of your shrubs are looking cramped, fall may be the best time to move them to more spacious territory in your landscape. Azaleas, Boxwoods, and Spirea are shrubs that move easily when you dig them up as cool temperatures and rains return. This fall landscaping technique will help give your garden a fresh look at no cost. However, you should be certain that the plants are well-hydrated before digging. The new transplants will then initially require extra water.
Pull Weeds
A key component of fall landscaping is pulling weeds, roots, and all, so you can better control the weed population in the next growing season. Late summer does not mean that it is time to stop weeding. Even though you may not see many weeds in fall or winter, many weeds go to seed during this time and lie dormant in the winter, waiting to sprout in spring. To avoid an explosion of troublesome weeds in spring, do what you can today to remove weeds from your grass. You may want to consider a pre-emergent weed application in your beds.
Seed
Fall is the best time for seeding thin areas because the soil is warmed-up, responsive, and regular rains return. These are crucial elements for promoting new root growth. You can start the process by aerating your lawn to relieve the soil and provide more pore space for air and water. Then, apply a light mixture of soil and fertilizer and rake in fresh grass seed. Make sure there is a good seed to soil contact. Then, water the seeds to ensure germination and growth.
By practicing these money-saving fall landscaping practices, you can help save yourself unnecessary expenses while maintaining a beautiful landscape through the different seasons.
Scientific Plant Service Is Your Go-To Source In Landscape Healthcare
Scientific Plant Service, located in Baltimore, is a privately owned corporation, chartered in Maryland in 1957 by Frank J. Burke. We started as a full-service Arborists specializing in the care of shade trees and ornamental shrubs, but today we are a Lawn Care company that is a huge part of the community. From aquatic environments and snow management to deer and mole control, SPS has services tailored specifically for your lawn and landscape.
We offer services in Maryland, Washington, DC, and Virginia, including: Harford, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Talbot, Queen Anne’s, Calvert counties in MD, as well as Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church in VA. For more information, contact us online, or call us at 410-321-0970. Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest!