As the vibrant colors of summer fade into the rich hues of autumn, now is the perfect time to prepare your landscape for the cooler months ahead. At Native Landscape Creations, we believe that fall is one of the most crucial seasons for ensuring a healthy, beautiful outdoor space year-round. Here's our comprehensive guide to fall landscaping, filled with tips to help you make the most of this season.
1. Embrace Seasonal Planting
Fall is a great time to plant due to still having some warmth without the excessive heat. Consider adding native/ Mediterranean climate plants that thrive in our planting zone—they’ll not only enhance your landscape but also require less water and maintenance. Always consider where certain plants might thrive when observing where the prevailing winds are, your soil profile, sun/ shade throughout the day as well as low lying areas where moisture will collect in the winter.
Pro Tip: Observe what’s thriving/ or struggling around your neighborhood in similar site conditions to your own garden envelope. That’ll help you make a more informed decision when considering what type of plants might work in your landscape.
2. Refresh Your Lawn
Your lawn has likely endured the summer heat, so give it some TLC this fall. Aerate the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to reach the roots more effectively. Follow up with overseeding to fill in any bare spots and apply a fall-specific fertilizer to promote healthy growth.
Pro Tip: We live in a warm climate. Be patient with your lawn during and after a warm summer. Additional water if there are brown spots doesn’t always help. You have other contributing to the brown locations like compact soil or sprinkler coverage issues.
3. Mulch for Protection
Adding a fresh layer of mulch to your garden beds and around trees helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and insulate plants against temperature fluctuations. Organic mulches like bark or compost also break down over time, enriching the soil.
Pro Tip: Make sure not to bury the crown(base) of the plant with mulch. This can cause a counter effect and cause crown rot and other issues for your plant.
4. Prune and Clean Up
Fall is the time to prune dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs. Often times plants are tired from pushing a lot of growth through the spring and staying a live through the hot summer. Healthy cuts going into the winter are the best investment for next spring.
Pro Tip: Do not do any major pruning at least 48 hours pre or post rain. This can invite diseases into the fresh cuts and harm the plant.
5. Plan for Winter Interest
Your landscape doesn’t have to be dull in the winter months. Incorporate plants like evergreens, ornamental grasses, tree/ shrubs with colorful bark and/or deciduous plants that have interesting branching habits. Hardscape elements like stone pathways, benches, dry creeks and water features can also add structure and beauty year-round.
Pro Tip: Use this time to evaluate your landscape design and consider adding features like a fire pit or lighting to extend your outdoor enjoyment into the cooler months.
6. Prepare Your Irrigation System
As temperatures begin to drop and moisture begins to enter back into the soil from the rains, it’s important to cut your timer back or off depending on the amount of rain throughout the winter.
Pro Tip: Purchase a moisture meter to check your soils moisture throughout the year to adjust your timer to properly regulate how much water your plants are getting. Often times plants are over watered or watered to frequently causing the roots to stay shallow. Deep and infrequent soaks promote deeper roots to follow the water which in turns allow for a more grounded healthier plant.
7. Plan for Next Season
Fall is the perfect time to start planning your spring landscape projects. Whether you’re thinking about a new garden bed, an outdoor living space, or sustainable landscaping solutions, the team at Native Landscape Creations is here to help you bring your vision to life.
Pro Tip: Contact us now to schedule a consultation and get a head start on your spring projects.