Fall is really starting to set in now with the cooler temperatures and shorter days.  Use this time in your garden to do some cleanup and get your garden ready for Spring.

Continue harvesting your vegetables, of course, as long as you can.  Make sure to pick your pumpkins and other winter-squashes with hard shells before the first hard freeze comes.  If the hard shell develops enough, you should be able to store your squashes for several months in a cool dark place.  Pick tomatoes green to save them from a killing frost and ripen them in a cardboard box or paper bag.  Extend the life of your cool season crops (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, etc) by using row cover.

Continue planting your spring flowering bulbs until the ground freezes.  Divide your perennials if you haven’t done so already, and plant any new shrubs/trees while the ground is still soft.  Also make sure to keep watering any new plants until the ground freezes.

Fall is also the perfect time to mulch.  Surround your plants with 2-3 inches of mulch/soil conditioner to protect your plants from the cold, help retain moisture, and prevent new weeds from sprouting.  Just make sure you don’t actually cover any of your plants, blocking them from air and sunshine – this could cause them to rot.  To learn more about the importance of mulch in the garden, check out this video from Moana Nursery in Reno:

Well, September is almost over – this year is just flying by.  The temperatures are starting to cool off a bit and it is officially Fall.  As always, though, there are still things that can be done in the Garden.

Fall is a great time for planting – one of the best actually.  The cooler temperatures ease a lot of the transplant shock, yet there is still some time for the plants’ roots to take hold before the winter sets in.  So take advantage of those fall sales at the local Garden Centers if you’re looking to add some more trees or shrubs to your landscape.

Speaking of planting, now is the time to plant your spring-flowering bulbs (think crocus, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths)!  Wildflowers, too, can be seeded in the fall.  And don’t forget to divide and re-plant any of your perennial flowers that are getting too big.

In the vegetable garden, continue harvesting the summer’s bounty to keep the plants productive.  Make sure your winter squashes (pumpkin, butternut squash, etc) have a hard shell before picking them to ensure a longer storage life.

Lastly, when it comes to your lawn, the Fall is an essential time to fertilize.  This will allow it to winter over nicely and take off in the Spring.  Re-seed bare areas so the new growth can get started before we start to see some major freezes.  This will help prevent muddy areas in the winter too.