Prep the garden now for next year

Perennials

When perennials begin growing in the spring, they use food reserves that were stored in their roots the previous fall. By fallfeeding plants, you make sure roots are filled with these food reserves. These helps perennials survive winters' ravage and are ready to grow vigorously when spring arrives. Generally, this means an application around Labor Day to give plants time to take up nutrients and transfer them to root storage.

Trees

Fertilize trees just as their leaves begin to color. At this time, trees are rapidly moving food reserves into their root systems. An extra helping of a slowrelease fertilizer, which won't burn roots, helps trees survive the winter and begin growth in the spring. For trees that tend to be chlorotic in the spring, such as silver maples, you may wish to add iron to your fertilizer. This will help trees overcome this early spring chlorosis.

Lawns Northern lawns should be fertilized around Labor Day. This keeps them in good condition so their roots are full of reserves for winter and early spring. Another late fall fertilization after lawns quit growing but before freeze-up gives grass the nutrients they need to survive the winter. Research at the University of Wisconsin indicates

that

northern

lawns take

up nutrients

even when they

are not actively growing. Starving lawns during early winter sets the stage for winter-kill.

Southern lawns are trickier to fertilize in the fall. Even though southern lawns benefit from a fall application of fertilizer, don't fertilize these lawns within thirty days of dormancy. If you fertilize too late, you will encourage growth when they should be entering dormancy. This causes winter kill.

According to Mike Archer, research coordinator for Milorganite, "Use fertilizers high in waterinsoluble nitrogen, such as Milorganite 6-2-0, for your fall fertilizer needs. This type of nitrogen stays in the soil until plants use it. This is especially important when plants are growing slowly, as in the fall. Milorganite fertilizers also contain organically complexed iron, which give leaves a deep, green color, overcoming spring chlorosis."

Watering

Fall is arguably the most critical time to make sure

plants have

adequate moisture.

In order

for them to

store nutrients,

plants must have

enough water to move them into their roots. Without adequate water this will not happen. Water deeply, to rooting depth.

Shallow

watering

only teases

plants and, in

many cases, may do more harm than good.

Cleaning up

Your garden plants also need regular cleaning to keep them healthy. Depending on your preference, removing dead plant debris can be done either in the fall or early spring. By cleaning up in the fall, you are giving plants a head start in the spring by not allowing debris to shade the ground from early spring sun. By waiting for spring, you are giving local wildlife a chance to eat seeds and collect debris for winter nesting. The choice is yours. Just remember: don't put diseased and insect-egg infested debris in your composting bin.

- ARA content