Here are some tips to prepare your landscape for the cooler weather.
- Water Less: Lower ground temperatures mean less evaporation, so dial back your sprinkler schedule to avoid root rot and fungus.
- Sprinkler Logic: Check your sprinkler system before the really cold temperatures come. Repair broken heads and check to be sure they reach all parts of your garden.
- Postpone Heavy Pruning: Avoid heavy pruning or high-nitrogen fertilizers in late fall. Pruning and high-nitrogen fertilizer can trigger new growth that can be damaged by unexpected winter freezes.
- Mulch Mulch Mulch: Add shredded bark or compost mulch around flower beds and tree bases to trap warmth in the soil and block cool-season weeds. [1, 2]
- Plant Cool Stuff: Plant cool-season color like pansies, snapdragons, and hardy vegetables. This is also the ideal time for planting trees and shrubs so they establish roots before summer.