PAGE 6 • HERMISTON HERALD/EAST OREGONIAN
HOME IMPROVEMENT & CAR CARE
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2015
REMEMBER YOUR YARD AND GARDEN
Fall yard work lays
foundation for spring
Fall lawn care tips
By KATHY ANEY
Staff Writer
As temperatures fall, we roll
our lawnmowers into the garage,
stow our gardening tools and say
good-bye to our yards until spring.
Or not.
Fall, say landscapers and gar-
den gurus, is prime time for laying
the foundation for a lush and boun-
tiful spring. Landscaper Greg Mc-
Laughlin has spent years getting
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seasons and coaxing the best out
of each. Fall, he said, has its own
to-do list.
Fertilizing in the fall
“Fall fertilization of your lawn
and plants is important,” McLaugh-
lin said. “It’s one that a lot of people
miss – they think more of spring.”
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izing in autumn are hidden under-
ground until the weather warms
again.
“You don’t want a lot of top
growth and you won’t get it during
the winter, but fall fertilization
gives the lawn and plants a chance
to develop root growth,” he said.
Generally, October and No-
vember are good months to apply
slow-release, low-nitrogen fertiliz-
ers. Stick to the winter blends, he
said.
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growth that can be damaged,” Mc-
Laughlin advised. “If you stimulate
too much growth, it’s more exposed
for freeze damage.”
Sprinkler systems
In colder climates, experts ad-
vise winterizing irrigation systems
by draining or blowing out the
pipes with an air compressor. No
one wants the damage caused by
water freezing inside the system.
McLaughlin says the deed
doesn’t need to be done before the
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ally start winterizing clients’ sys-
tems about the end of October.
“People get nervous when it
gets near freezing,” he said, “but
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a quick freeze isn’t generally a
problem. It has to get into the low
20s or high teens for a number of
days for cold to penetrate into the
ground far enough to cause dam-
age.”
Soil, he said, is a good insula-
tor. Faucets that aren’t frost-free,
however, are a little more at risk.
Remember to use shut-off valves
to keep water out of those vulner-
able faucets.
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ter out of their systems with air
compressors or hire professionals
if they don’t want the headache.
McLaughlin’s crew removes wa-
ter from irrigation system with a
large-capacity compressor on a
trailer.
Draining can be accomplished
manually, too. Some systems have
manual drain valves installed at
the lowest point in the network of
pipes.
McLaughlin advised turning
off the sprinkler clock in your sys-
tem’s control box for the winter,
but not unplugging. Spending a
tiny amount on electricity, pennies
really, saves one from having to re-
program the system in the spring.
Protect vulnerable plants
Last winter, a freeze on the
heels of unseasonably warm tem-
peratures spelled doom for hun-
dreds of trees and shrubs in Uma-
tilla County. The mid-November
came at a time when plants
To prune or not to prune? freeze
hadn’t yet done their gradual shut-
Fall can be a good for light prun- down, and their cambium layers
ing and removal of deadwood. Such were still full of moisture. Roses
pruning, McLaughlin said, can lead and other vulnerable shrubs were
to vigorous bursts of new growth in especially hard-hit. Probably a
the spring. After the plants go dor- quarter of the roses in Pendleton,
mant in fall, the leaves have dropped McLaughlin said, fell victim.
off and the structure of the tree or
“It’s helpful to mulch around
shrub is easily seen.
roses,” he said. “It gives them
+RZHYHU³GRQ¶WSUXQHLQIUHH]- more protection. They are a little
ing temperatures,” he said. “That touchier plant in our climate.”
can damage the plant.”
Any plants that took a hit from
There are different schools of last year’s freeze, he said, would
thought on pruning roses, Mc- EHQH¿WIURPPXOFKLQJ
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Plants in planters or raised beds
to about two feet in height. Pruning are even more at risk of dying in a
removes the deadwood, improves winter freeze.
air circulation and can improve the
“Bring those plants inside or
plant’s shape.
protect them,” he said.
The following are some tips from Popular
Mechanics for fall lawn care.
Keep mowing: Continue to water and mow
your lawn, as needed, throughout the fall.
Drop the mower blade to its lowest setting
for the last two cuttings of the year. That will
allow more sunlight to reach the crown of the
grass, and there will be less leaf to turn brown
during the winter.
*Note: As you lower the blade, just
remember not to trim off more than one-
third of the grass blades at any one time. If
necessary, gradually lower the cutting height
until the time of the final two cuttings.
Aerate the soil: Aerate your lawn so that
oxygen, water and fertilizer can easily reach
the grass’ roots.
Rake the Leaves: It’s important to remove
fallen leaves from your lawn as soon as
possible. Don’t wait until all the leaves have
fallen to start raking. Leaves will become wet
from rain and morning dew, stick together and
form an impenetrable mat that will suffocate
the grass and breed fungal diseases.
An alternative to raking leaves is to use a
lawnmower fitted with a collection bag or
vacuum system.
Fertilize: If you fertilize your lawn only once
a year, do it in the fall. Grass leaves grow much
more slowly as the weather turns cool, but the
grass roots and rhizomes continue to grow
quickly. A fall application of fertilizer delivers
essential nutrients for the grass to grow deep
roots now and to keep nutrients on reserve
for spring.
Wait until mid-to-late fall, then apply a dry
lawn fertilizer. For optimum coverage, use a
walk-behind drop spreader.
Fill bald spots: The quickest, easiest way
to do this is with an all-in-one lawn repair
mixture. Sold at most garden shops and home
centers, this ready-to-use mixture contains
grass seed, a special quick-starter lawn
fertilizer, and organic mulch.
Use a garden rake to scratch loose the soil
at the bald spot in your lawn. Then spread a
thick layer of the lawn repair mixture over the
area. Lightly compact the mixture, then water
thoroughly and continue to water every other
day for two weeks.
Weed control: Weeds, like most plants, are
in the energy-absorbing mode during the fall.
Apply herbicide now and the weeds won’t
return in the spring. Read label before use.
Most manufacturers recommend applying
weed killer during early-to-mid autumn, when
daytime temperatures are consistently above
60 degrees.
SOURCE: PopularMechanics.com