Fall Lawn and Garden Checklist

Autumn arrives on September 22, ushering in our Fall lawn and garden checklist of steps to get the most out of your lawn and garden. Here in Northeast Florida we experience cooler temperatures and sooner than Florida communities further south, but this checklist is generally applicable for lawns and gardens throughout the state.

–Plant trees and shrubs as soil temperatures remain warm as air temperatures decline, putting less stress on new plantings and transplants.
–Address any drainage and percolation problems that will damage or destroy turf. When the water table or zone of saturation is such that the soil is soggy the available oxygen supply to your turf is diminished that kills turf the same as if it was underwater in a flood. Soggy soil encourages fungus growth such as Take-All Root Rot below ground and a cornucopia of fungus species above grown that kill turf and other plants in the landscape.

–Aerate and provide top dressing soil to your lawn in the Fall or Winter to improve percolation and replenish macro and micronutrients used and leached from your soil. Percolation reduces soggy soil conditions and improves plants’ ability to absorb nutrients. Top dressing with nutrient-enriched soil increases microbial activity such as that of Mycorrhiza fungi that convert nutrients to bioavailable forms for turf and other plants in the landscape.

–Prepare the ground for Fall herbs and vegetable garden beds, perennials, and Spring bulbs, adding compost and soil amendments specifically formulated for the growing requirements of your plantings. For the veggie beds consider planting Beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots cauliflower, collards, cucumbers, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions, radishes, summer squash, and turnips.

–Refresh container gardening arrangements with Fall season color. Refer to our monthly Container Gardening Recipes for tips on what will do well each season.

 

 

 

 

–Rooting hardwood cuttings is best done in Fall.
–Raise mower blades as less frequent mowing is required as warm season grasses prepare to go into dormancy.
–Spread grass seed and lay sod as temperatures have moderated. Many will overseed with ryegrass to green and thicken up the lawn in Fall and Winter.
–Keep your lawn turf thick, which can crowd out weeds and prevent weed seeds from getting sunlight that aids in their germination. Continue pulling weeds, and observing good cultural practices and only then if necessary consider treating with herbicide. Always follow the herbicide manufacturer’s directions. Learn which weeds you are dealing with and their stage of development, which is critical to their treatment. Warm-season weeds will be dying back and replaced with cool-season weeds, which requires the right choice between preemergent and postemergent herbicide application.
–Apply Weed and Feed, commonly called Winterizer this time of year prior to turf dormancy. Remember that any preemergent herbicide component will prevent any new grass seeds from germinating. The appropriate NPK formulation for Fall Winterizers is high in potassium and low in nitrogen. Unlike, Spring when nitrogen benefits new growth that same growth in Fall would be threatened by Winter cold and stress the plant. Adequate potassium provided the grass while its still actively taking in nutrients provides warm season grasses greater protection from stress heading into dormancy. However, weigh the fact that herbicides in general stress St. Augustine grass when applying them as a component of your Winterizer.
–Rake, mulch, or bag falling leaves to avoid leaf litter blocking landscape plants’ available sunlight.

Stop by the Earth Works garden center for more information and assistance implementing our Florida Fall Lawn and Garden checklist. Get a free quote for aeration and top dressing and book a landscape design consultation today!

For newcomers to Florida be sure to attend our Welcome to Florida seminar on Oct. 21, 2022, from 5-8 pm. Matthew Barlow, Earth Works Garden Center Manager will introduce Florida newcomers to need-to-know gardening and landscape information. Enjoy appetizers and drinks while you mingle with other Jacksonville transplants and get all your gardening questions answered.

$25 Cover Charge. Tickets can be purchased at Eventbrite or in-store.

For comprehensive solutions to your specific lawn, garden, and landscaping needs, contact us at 904-996-0712. Earth Works operates a retail Garden Center/Plant Nursery in Jacksonville and provides landscaping, hardscaping, water features, lawn care service, lawn spraying, and drainage solutions.

GARDEN CENTER
12501 Beach Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32246

LANDSCAPE OPERATIONS
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St. Johns Bluff
1119 St. Johns Bluff Rd. N.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

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