Fall is the best time of year for testing your garden or lawn soil. Limestone and organic amendments can be mixed into the soil now, as they need time to breakdown and be incorporated into the soil. Come spring, only a planting fertilizer will be needed and you will have the recommendations in hand. Plus, the lab is not at busy in the fall as in the springtime so your results will be sent to you quicker. Interested? To find out more, go to www.soiltest.uconn.edu
fall gardening
10 Tips for the September Gardener
- Mid to late September is a great time to plant accent plants, like mums and asters, that will provide autumn colors in the landscape.
- Rake up leaves, twigs, and fruit from crabapple trees and throw them in the garbage to help control apple scab disease.
- Wood ashes contain potassium and calcium and can be used as a limestone substitute in vegetable and flowerbeds if the soil pH needs to be raised and these nutrients are recommended.
- Watch for frost warnings and cover tender plants.
- Wait until after a light frost to harvest peas, cabbage and beets from your fall garden to obtain the best flavor.
- Early fall is a good time to plant trees and shrubs and allows time for the root systems to get established before the ground freezes.
- Continue weeding garden and shrub beds.
- Continue to re-seed bare patches on your lawn and prepare the ground for sowing a new lawn, while the earth is still warm.
- Take cuttings of begonias, geraniums, coleus, etc. to grow as houseplants.
- Stop by Cornucopia Fest at UConn-Storrs on September 29th from 11 to 4 with 1⁄2 cup of soil for a free pH test, free “UConn Compost Tea’ bags and for answers to your gardening questions.
