Finishing touches of the year | Gardener Joe


October 21, 2012 · Updated 12:12 AM 

Fall, A time to enjoy the bounties of our grow season. Noticed a lot of trees are showing there fall color. Take notes. Is there some color you would like to add in your own yard?

This time of the year I like to finish up on some pruning of trees and shrubs. The key in pruning at this time of the year is to prune before the leaves drop. I like pruning Japanese maples and most fruit trees at this time. Please never top your trees. Consider how the plant grows and prune for its natural growth.

If you have trees that were pruned wrong or needs some rejuvenating only prune a third now and then a third next season and so on.

Preparing your lawn for the winter is very important. Take some steps such as aerating first. Do a light thatch and most important top dress with some nice compost.
The soil is alive with microbes. The microbes work side by side with the plants roots. Thus keeping your plant healthy and better withstanding disease and insect infestations.  Your brown lawn will soon come out of dormancy so when the rains come back you can cut down on your watering. I will go over more about getting your watering system ready for winter later.
Happy Gardening,
Gardener Joe

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