Fall is a great time to transplant trees and shrubs including B & B (Balled & Burlapped) Container Trees and shrubs. It’s also a good time to move existing shrubs or trees to a new location in your yards. They put down good root growth in the cooler weather. Some plants that are well suited to NC and add beautiful fall color are Burning bush (Euonymus alatus), Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), October Glory Maple (Acer Rubrum), Loropetalums, and Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa). There are numerous types of plants that have berries that provide exceptional color. Nellie R Stevens Holly, the American holly, Weeping Yaupon Holly, Chinese hollies, Winterberry holly, American and Japanese Beautyberry and Scarlet Firethorn all brighten the fall. Continue to water plants, particularly newly installed landscaping unless there is significant rainfall.
Replenish or replace mulch to 3 – 4 inches around trees, shrubs and beds. If your mulch is already four inches deep but needs freshening up, try raking the mulch to turn over the brighter colored layer underneath the surface. Be careful to not pile mulch against the trunks of trees and shrubs since this can encourage disease and insects.
Remove leaves from lawn and bed areas. Chop leaves up with a mulching mower and leave on the lawn or use them in your beds. Ground up leaves makes a good mulch. As with mulch, make sure to clear leaves out from around your trees and shrubs to cut back on disease and insects.
Continue cleaning up flower beds before winter, deadheading your fall and remaining summer plants and pruning or cutting back dead foliage. Keep weeding your beds and other landscape areas to keep your weeds from multiplying. Mulch dormant perennials by spreading a 2 – 3 inch layer over the ground. Some perennials have evergreen leaves and the leaves should not be covered with mulch. Wait until late winter to cut back perennials and ornamental grasses so their seeds can provide food for birds.
Remember to buy your spring flowering bulbs now while there is a good selection. Wait until the soil temperature drops below 60 degrees to plant them. Store the bulbs in your refrigerator or in a cool, dry place until ready to use.
Pansies, Panolas and Violets can still be planted. They do better in cooler temperatures. These plants are cold tolerant, make great container plants and look wonderful in hanging baskets. Their roots will be growing during the warmer days of the winter, in order to, be ready for a wonderful display in the spring adding beautiful color to your landscaping in the fall, winter and early summer. Be sure to keep them watered well.
Wait until after the leaves drop to do heavy pruning. In early fall, pruning wounds close more slowly and plants are more at risk for fungal diseases than at other times of the year. For most trees, the best time for major pruning is late winter to early spring. Prune only for dead, diseased or damaged wood and minor shaping of the plant in the fall.
Keep the lawn watered. If you didn’t add a winterizing fertilizer in late October, add it now.
Please let us know if we can help you with your lawn or landscaping. We have a wide variety of products to help with your landscaping needs at our nursery and mulch yard. We can also provide you with a pest/fungus/fertilization program. This program can and will help keep your lawn and your shrubs/trees healthy.
From all of us at Miller’s Lawn & Landscaping, please spend some time with loved ones and have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!