Fall Gardens – Tree, Shrub and Lawn Care in Autumn

Fall gardens represent the culmination of months of human work, months of plant growth. As such, you need to make a conscious effort to enjoy them to the fullest. While the spring landscape holds the seeds (literally) of a fresh start and thus carries a certain excitement of its own, the garden in autumn holds a trump card: it's called the "harvest," the sights, smells and tastes of which are not to be missed for anything.

But the autumn also brings with it some chores that we must perform before the arrival of winter. Below is an FAQ that will:

You've had a long summer of mowing the lawn, pruning shrubs watering trees, maintaining your perennials, etc. You're ready for a break, come autumn, right? Well, not so fast! There are a number of recommended tasks to perform in the fall garden. I'll get the most obvious (deceptively obvious) one out of the way first, even though you'll have to hold off on this one until after you've performed most of the other tasks:

Q.-- What is the most easily overlooked chore in fall gardens?

OK, here's another task that is not at all obvious (at least to beginners). Everyone knows that you have to water grass and other plants in summer. Anyone who doesn't already know this will find out soon: try skipping on watering your lawn some summer, and you'll wind up with dead grass. But what about when summer's heat passes? I deal with watering trees and shrubs later in this FAQ, but regarding watering lawns, click the following link:

Q.-- With all the snow we'll be getting this winter, I don't have to water my autumn lawn, do I?

Watering the lawn is one thing. But what about mowing in fall. Do you finally get a break from mowing in autumn? And if not, the question is:

Q.-- How long into the fall season should I continue to mow the lawn?

Yet another question about autumn lawn care follows. Lawns are a lot of work, aren't they? That's why I'm all for killing grass to convert lawn areas into planting beds for perennials and shrubs. But if you're a lawn holdout, you'll want the answer to this question:

Q.-- How high should grass be cut in autumn?

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Fall Gardens - Tree, Shrub and Lawn Care in Autumn