Mario Bautista
WINCHESTER, Va. (WHSV) – Fall is around the corner, which means a new regime for most gardeners. The Virginia Cooperative Extension provides tips on garden care.
Joanne Royaltey is the Consumer Horticulture and Invasive Species Program Associate at the Virginia Cooperative Extension and a part of the Northern Shenandoah Valley Master Gardeners. She said gardening is a way to connect with the environment and does not require certain expertise.
Royaltey said Autumn can be some of the best times for landscaping and pollinators. She also noted the importance of correcting ‘home remedies’ when gardening and the impact the remedies can have on the environment.
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a holistic, ecological approach to controlling pests. Royaltey says gardeners should take a more holistic approach when tending to their plants, such as using chemical pest controls as the last resort.
“Your impact extends beyond your fence [and] beyond your neighbor’s fence. What you do in your garden can have an impact on your neighbor’s garden” said Royaltey.
More information on IPM can be found here.
Some of the Virginia Cooperative Extensions tips for gardening in September include:
- Apply herbicides to your lawn for winter annual or perennial weeds that germinate or form rosettes in turf during the fall. Check herbicide labels before using and select the appropriate chemical for the weed types and lawn type in your yard.
- Early Autumn is the best time of the year for the sowing of grass seed. Grass sown in spring is often killed by hot, dry, summer weather. For more vigorous growth, spread a very thin mulch of clean straw over newly seeded areas.
- Allow plants to finish the summer growth cycle in a normal manner. Never encourage growth with heavy applications of fertilizer or excessive pruning at this time as plants will quickly delay their hardening process that has already begun in anticipation of winter several months ahead. New growth can be easily injured by an early freeze.
- Fall weed control around fruit trees is crucial- be sure to tum the soil as the days grow cooler to destroy soil-burrowing larvae.
More tips can be found here under the September tab.
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