Garden maintenance in the fall

With its flamboyant colours, the final harvest from the garden, fall gives us the feeling of having done a good job, and we are already looking forward for the upcoming spring projects. But before, lets make sure to prepare the lawn, plants and trees for the winter.

Sow grass seed or lay sod.
Repair damaged areas.
Mow the lawn until its stops growing. Lower the height of the mower to 3.5 cm for the last cut.
Apply a fertilizer to strengthens the grass to make it more resistant to the winter cold and promotes better re-growth in the spring.
Treat against grubs.
Clean the yard. Rake fallen leaves for mulching or composting.
Install a winter protection cover at the edge of the street to protect the lawn from abrasives such as salt, gravel, sand or calcium.

For more information on how, read this article on how to prepare your lawn.

Remove grass regularly.
Plant spring-flowering bulbs.
Clean up flower beds before the first frost.
Divide perennials which flowered in the spring.
Protect perennials that are less hardy than required for your climactic zone and those that you planted or divided in the fall.

Bring plants that you want to keep over the winter into the house.
The seasons for spectacular fall plants like decorative cauliflower or chrysanthemums can be prolonged by potting them.

Read the article on how to bring your plants inside

Plant new perennials to gain a season of growth.
Divide and transplant the perennials.
Many perennials need to be cut back 15 to 20.cm from the ground once their growing cycle is over.

Harvest the late varieties before the first big frost.
Keep vegetable roots as cool as possible: from 1°C to 2°C.
Plant garlic.
Cover strawberry plants with a protective layer of straw.
After harvesting raspberries, cut back to the ground in late fall or early spring.

Plant trees and shrubs.
Add autumn fertilizer to deciduous trees, conifers and hedges.
Before the first frost, spread a layer of mulch around the bottom of your trees and shrubs to protect their roots.
Install the winter protection as late as possible in the season. Ideally when the ground is frozen or after a good snowfall.
If you have climbing plants, make sure that the lattice is in good condition and protect them, if necessary.

Read the article on winter protection.

Move the plants to the deepest part of the pond.
Remove dead leaves form the surface of the water.
Clean the pump and store it for the winter. The pump should be stored in a water-filled container to prevent corrosion.
If you have fish, make sure that the pond is deep enough for them to survive. If not, they must be taken inside and kept in an aquarium.