Fall is in the air. Our temperatures are cooler now, and rain is much more common than during our dryer summer months. Fall is a wonderful season to spend more time outside enjoying your landscape.
Mid-October is the ideal time for a fall color change of flowers, to add new plantings, or to do a landscaping project. Fall landscape projects offer the benefit of plenty of time outdoors to enjoy the upgrade, with the region’s mild fall, winter and spring.
Fall is also one of the best times for plantings in general – trees, shrubs and general plants that are planted in the fall will have ample time to establish themselves before the summer months.
Here is a to-do list for landscaping and gardening in the Dallas/North Texas region to keep your lawn and landscape beautiful.
Watering: With more rain in the fall, you may need to reduce the frequency of watering. This is also a good time to stop watering St. Augustine lawns in the evening, as this can lead to fungus and brown patch, discussed below.
If you need to check, repair or upgrade your irrigations system, please call us. We have licensed irrigators and trained technicians to keep your landscape healthy and flourishing.
Mulching: Check to make sure you have 3-4 inches of quality mulch in your beds and around all shrubs and young trees. Mulch offers several advantages for your plants. It conserves water, it lowers the temperature of the soil, and it helps to prevent weeds in your beds.
Lawn Mowing: The best looking lawns will be those that are mowed regularly. Continue to mow your warm season turf grasses every 5 to 7 days. Bermuda should be maintained at 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inches, while St Augustine at 2-1/2 inches in full sun and 3 to 3-1/2 inches in the shade. Keep mower blades sharp, and don’t cut more than one-third of the length of the grass blade during a single mowing session.
Fertilizer & Weed Control: Early October is the last opportunity to fertilize warm season grasses (St. Augustine and Bermuda), trees, shrubs and ground cover.
If you are planting pansies or other annual for fall color, it is best to use a high nitrogen fertilizer a few times the first week after planting to get them off to a good start.
Planting: October is the time to establish your fall colors. We generally recommend planting pansies and ornamental kale for heartiness and beautiful fall colors. While these are best planted in mid-October, it’s not too early to call us to schedule your fall planting. We get very busy in October with fall plantings.
Also, divide and replant ground covers and spring-and summer-perennials. If you have any spare plantings after dividing and replanting, they make great gifts to your gardening friends.
Pruning: While you should avoid any major pruning until the dormant wither months, continue to prune out dead or broken branches from your woody, ornamental trees and shrubs.
Continue to prune or cut back spent flowers on annuals and perennials to encourage fall blooms. Also, remove any spent summer plantings.
Insects, Diseases and Fungus: Be on the lookout for brown patch in St. Augustine grass. Do not water in the evening, as fungus thrives in wet grass during the cooler fall nights.
If you notice brown patch on your St. Augustine grass, treat with a fungicide. Feel free to call us if you need assistance.
Landscaping Projects: Consider any landscaping projects that you didn’t get to in the spring. With our pleasant weather in the fall and early winter, many people spend extra time outdoors entertaining in the fall on through Christmas. These projects could include the installation of new landscaping such as shrubs, trees and flowers. Many also consider hardscaping projects like patios, stone borders and outdoor kitchens to beautify their outdoor spaces. You may wish to consider some current trends in landscaping and design, such as creating a more natural and sustainable environment, using native plantings, attracting and sustaining birds and bees, and reducing water and irrigation requirements.
As with fall plantings, we get very busy during the fall installing landscaping projects for our customers. If you are planning a project for the fall, it’s not to soon to call us so that we can help you plan your project and get it scheduled to meet your needs.
We’re Here to Help: If you need any assistance, we are here to help. High Quality Landscape Services has been creating beautiful landscapes and providing exceptional service to Dallas residential and commercial customers for 45 years. If you need landscaping services, maintenance, irrigation or chemical control, let us put our experience to work for you to create a beautiful landscape.
