Planting, pruning, mowing

There’s a lot of work to do in the garden in the fall

The year is drawing to end and the nights are gradually getting longer and colder. Winter is getting closer and closer. But what awaits garden owners in the fall? Preparing for winter, of course!

Planting and transplanting work

Autumn is a particularly good time for transplanting, as the more frequent downpours provide the soil with sufficient moisture. Planted early, the plants will form new roots in their new location in the fall and thus have a significant growth advantage over plants planted in the spring. Ideally, new plants should therefore also be planted in the fall. Only frost-sensitive plants, such as garden hibiscus or trumpet trees, should be left until spring. The following applies to roses: plant them in the fall, but then mound them up with soil. Flower bulbs are also planted in the autumn so that their flowers sprout from the ground in the spring and delight us with their colorful splendor. The right location is crucial for the spring bloomers to thrive and blossom. Most like fresh to slightly moist soil in spring, but in summer, during the dormant phase, it can be dry and well-drained. The bulb should be about twice as deep in the soil as it is high. Using a bulb planter, for example, you can easily cut out a sufficiently large and deep planting hole, then place the bulb in it with the “nose” facing upwards, cover it with the soil from the planter and press it down.

Pruning bushes and shrubs

When the foliage of the shrub turns yellow, its stems lean towards the ground or it starts to turn yellow, it is time to cut it down. This is because the plant is now drawing its juices back into the roots. If it is not cut back now, it will look unsightly in the garden. In a natural garden, however, perennials with hollow stems and those with fruiting stems are left uncut until spring. They are a feast for the eyes when overripe and covered in snow. Insects find shelter in them and garden birds in turn find the insects a source of food in the barren season. Bushes and shrubs can now also be pruned if necessary. You can usually find precise information on this when you buy them, on the plant labels on the plants or from your local gardener. If necessary, the hedges can also be trimmed one last time in the fall to prevent them from rotting in the event of water logging. However, winter green hedges should only be cut back to the extent that no holes are created, as these will not grow over the winter and could make the hedge look bare. The leaves of trees lying on evergreen hedges should also be removed, as otherwise the hedge could be damaged.

Lawns

In winter, the wetness and low temperatures as well as the weak sunlight affect the lawn. The lawn should therefore be fully maintained again before the cold season. When the leaves fall in the fall, they should be regularly removed from the lawn. Leaves that are left lying around take light away from the lawn, cause brown patches and promote the growth of moss.

Lawns can be scarified until the end of October to remove moss, weeds, leaves and matted lawn debris from the turf. To prevent lawn weeds from spreading, bare patches in the lawn with a diameter of more than ten centimetres should be reseeded in the fall. Seeding can be carried out across the entire lawn by the end of September if the weather is warm and damp.

The lawn is usually mowed for the last time at the beginning of November. It is important to ensure that the grass is not mowed deeper than five centimetres, as longer grasses can make better use of the limited sunlight. This ensures that the lawn is more resistant to weeds and moss. It is also advisable to apply an autumn fertilizer. This usually has special forms of nitrogen that are suitable for winter and a high potassium content. It is precisely this increased potassium content that strengthens the grass and increases its frost tolerance.