Preparing Your Lawn & Garden for Fall

For many of us, the advent of fall means a welcome break from mowing lawns, weeding gardens and other outside chores. But before you hang up your weed eater and rake, take time for some maintenance and get a jump start on next spring. Allgood Pest Solutions can tackle any pests invading your garden or lawn but the rest of fall preparations are up to you.If you planted a garden this year, make notes of what vegetables performed well and what didn’t. You may also want to draw a garden map and mark areas with problem weeds, wet/dry spots or non-producing plants. Make sure you remove any plant trellises or tomato cages, clean them and store for next year. If you installed an irrigation system, remove and store hoses, sprinklers and other accessories as well. Instead of just piling garden tools in a shed, clean, sharpen and oil them. Before you clean your tiller though, use it one last time to till the garden and chop up any remaining plant matter. You can also plant a cover crop like clover to prevent erosion and build up the soil for next season. Lastly, plan to do a soil test in the next month or two so you’ll be able to apply any needed nutrients well before it’s time to plant again.Other fall chores include prepping your lawn, bushes and perennials. Now is the perfect time to prune flowering annuals and perennials (but don’t prune woody shrubs as it makes them more susceptible to cold damage). If you’re planning on adding new plants, do it now and also replenish your mulch. The mulch will help insulate the roots and retain moisture.If you’ve noticed problems with ants or other outside pests invading your garden or lawn and then migrating inside your home, it’s probably time to give Allgood a call.For lawns, keeping leaves cleaned up allows sunlight, water and nutrients to reach the grass’s roots more easily. Also, if you haven’t had a soil test done on the lawn in the last three years, have one prepared now. Lastly, mow the lawn one setting higher than normal – the extra height will help insulate the grass during the winter.