10.06.08

Homeowners tend to get enthusiastic about lawn care in spring. But fall is the best time to reseed the lawn if it needs it and to fertilize it. If you fertilize your grass only once a year, do it in autumn.

10.05.08

Get a head start on next spring’s new flower or vegetable beds by spending part of a cool fall weekend to dig up the soil.

10.02.08

Many gardeners like to leave the seedheads on coneflowers, daisies, and other perennials in fall instead of cutting down the flower stalks. Those seeds will attract goldfinches, whose acrobatic antics as they consume them will fill you with delight.

09.28.08

Most gardeners wait till the very last minute before frost threatens to transfer houseplants that have spent the summer outdoors. But the plants will acclimate sooner — with fewer yellowing and dropped leaves — if they make the trip indoors when the temperatures outdoors and inside are about the same.

09.25.08

If you buy potted mums to go in the yard in autumn and you’d like them to survive winter, avoid planting them in spots where the drainage is poor or they’re exposed to lots of wind.

09.23.08

Fall is an excellent time to plant lily bulbs. They dry out easily, though, so plant as soon as you’ve bought them.

09.19.08

Want more fall flowers than just chrysanthemums? Ask at a local nursery if these flowers are suitable for your climate: asters, boltonia, Japanese anemone, Joe-pye weed, hybrid goldenrod (there are many new ones that stay small), toadlily, and turtlehead (Chelone).  All are perennials  that will return each year to bright your yard year after year.

09.18.08

Garden insecticides and herbicides — even organic ones — lose their effectiveness after about two years. So it’s a good idea to write the purchase date on all labels and discard the products when your community has a household hazardous waste disposal day. Don’t just toss them in the trash.

09.17.08

Fall is the time to scatter annual poppy seeds over an empty flower bed. No need to cover or dig them in. They’ll germinate  in autumn and bloom next spring. Then save next year’s seeds and do it all over again. It couldn’t be easier.

09.15.08

Each time you water your houseplants – even the big floor plants — give the container a quarter turn clockwise. That way, each side of the plant gets an equal amount of light over a month and you avoid the plant getting out of balance and growing toward the light.

09.11.08

Dusk-to-dawn lights  and chrysanthemums with partially open flower buds don’t mix. Mums are sensitive to the amount of light they receive, and those unopen flowers will stay closed if the plant is placed where it gets light from street or landscaping lights at night.

09.10.08

Do you live in an area where the climate allows you to plant pansies in fall, to beautify your yard all winter? While the tendency is to plant fairly late in the season — after setting out mums and planting bulbs — pansies will actually perform better if you get them in the garden early in autumn. That way their roots have longer to grow and become established.

09.08.08

If you have some packets of flower or vegetable seeds that weren’t completely used, they will be fine for next year if you store them correctly. Fold the top of the foil or paper packet over several times to exclude air. Then place in a zipper-top plastic bag and remove as much air as possible before sealing. Store in the refrigerator, if possible. If you must keep the seeds at room temperature, choose a spot with cool temperatures and low humidity.

09.05.08

Recycle your old newspapers right in your yard. They make a great mulch (covered with a thin layer of chips or other material for appearance’s sake). In the vegetable garden, you can just weigh them down with rocks. When you pile them thick enough, newspaper pages can also be used to kill the grass in a spot you want to plant on. And don’t worry about the colored  newsprint — there’s no problem there. Just be sure to wet the soil well before laying the newspapers down and then wet the paper after it’s in place, so it will allow rainfall through.

09.04.08

There are two types of hibiscus that gardeners like to grow. One is tropical and must be treated as an annual or taken indoors when cold weather arrives because it’s sensitive to frost. Another type is perennial. Those plants are killed to the ground by below-freezing temperatures but they return the next spring. An easy way to tell the difference is that tropical hibiscus has shiny leaves.