Theannualshave fadedand the turf is tiredaftera
blistering-hot summer. It'sMotherNature'swayof
tellingus toput thegarden tobed forwinter.
Turf
- will survivewinter best and come backmore vigorously in
spring if you fertilizeandaerate it this fall.
Vegetable gardens
- Pull upoldvinesandvegetableplants. Insect
pests that feedon theseplantsduringsummerand falloften layeggs
on theoldplants. If thevinesare lefton thesoil surface, insecteggs
will survive thewinter and hatch in the spring. If they are not dis-
eased, you canwork theoldplants back into thegarden soil. This
adds valuableorganicmatter to the soil and, at the same time, de-
stroys insects and their eggs. Inaddition to
gardendebris, other organicmaterialmay
beadded to thesoil in fall.Youcanusewell-
rotted manure, compost, peat or leaves.
Soilmicro-organisms andbeneficial soil in-
sectswill help incorporate thesematerials
into the soil before theground freezes and
in the springafter it thaws.
Annual Flowers
- Pull up spent vinesand fo-
liageof annual flowers and compost them
ordig them into thegarden. If theplantsare
diseased, however, discard them in the
trash.
Weeds
- this isagood time toget ridof them
sinceperennial weeds, suchas dandelion,
thistleandbindweed,aremoreeasilykilled
by fall sprays thanbysummerapplications.
Trymixingyour own sprayof Vinegar and
saltwithadashofdishdetergent -works like
acharmanddoesn’tharm theenvironment.
Combineandblend throughly:
1gallonofwhitevinegar
1Cup table salt
1 tblsp. liquiddishwashing soap.
|E|
AUTUMN
|
EARLY WINTER
2016
98
|
a long
winter’s rest
LandscapeDesigns•Gardens
Stonework•Walkways
Retainingwalls•Firepits
TurfManagementSpecialists
Allowus tobeyourpropertymaintenanceprovider. Nomatterwhat the task,
largeorsmall,wewant toassistyou inwhateveryourprojectneedsmaybe.
182BerfordStreet,Wiarton 519.534.3883
Discover theMcCartneyFamilyDifference
ServicingGreyandBruceCounties,BlueMountainsandCollingwoodsince2000
