Tips for fall gardening

For many, the garden winds down in the fall, but there are any number of chores you can do now for a better garden next year.

Mulch 3-6 inches deep around tender perennials and 2-3 inches around trees. Make certain to keep mulch away from the trunks of trees. Divide spring-blooming perennials now. Dig up tender plants that can’t over winter outside in our climate, such as caladiums, begonias and dahlias. Bring your tropical plants indoors before nighttime temperatures drop below 45 degrees. First, wash them off with a hose and spray with insecticide to avoid bringing pests inside along with the plants.

Now is the optimum time to over seed, fertilize or spread lime on your lawn, although not all at the same time. The sooner you put down grass seed, the better germination you will get before cold weather. If you do apply grass seed now, check the bag for instructions on how long to wait before fertilizing, usually four to six weeks following application of seed. Wait at least a month after applying lime before putting down seed, unless you’re using slow-release or pelletized lime. Is your soil test more than three years old? Have you never had one done? If that is the case, you might want to think about getting around to it now. Soil test kits and instructions are available at the Culpeper Cooperative Extension Office. Mail the sample to Virginia Tech and in two weeks or less you will receive a lab analysis of your lawn or garden soil for only $10.

Fall is the time to look around your yard and garden and plan for next year. Make a diary of what worked and what did not. A small site plan of what you planted and where will help you analyze what went wrong — too much or too little sunlight, poor drainage or poor soil. All these things should be considered when planning for next year. Fall is also the time to plant bulbs you want to see flowering next spring.

The Master Gardener Help Desk at the Culpeper Cooperative Extension Office has helped a number of folks with their gardening questions this season. Although the Help Desk will not be manned on a regular basis from October until next May, if you have a gardening question, call the office at 540-727-3435, and a Master Gardener volunteer will call you back. Oct. 3, the Four County Master Gardener’s will be holding a plant sale at the Culpeper Train Depot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Master Gardeners will be selling perennials and small trees and shrubs from their own gardens. Bulbs will be available for sale or for order from Van Bourgondien Dutch Bulb Company, as well as a handy guide prepared by Master Gardeners with a month-by-month to do list for your garden. Free brochures on composting, lawn care, and the Master Gardeners program, among others, will also be available.

Virginia Master Gardeners are trained volunteer educators working within their communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticultural practices through sustainable landscape management, education and training.