Autumn is a great time to rejuvenate a garden for the new season and next spring.
The following tips will help your autumn garden flourish.
* Autumn is a time to make new plants from cuttings.
Autumn is rose season and they look gorgeous at this time of year. Cymbidium orchids require full sunshine to encourage good flower spikes during winter and spring. Divide evergreen perennials. Lift them from the soil, divide at the root and re- plant into well conditioned soil.
* Trim tree hedges before the onset of winter to keep them compact and bushy from ground level.
* Keep the lawn looking good and make sure any weeds you sprayed last month are dying. Repeat treatment if necessary. Now is the time to keep them from growing.
* Remove fallen leaves off your lawn so they don’t smother the grass and plants.
* Gather grass clippings, kitchen scraps, shredded pruning’s and fallen leaves and layer them in a bin to create a compost bin – remember to turn periodically with a garden fork, allowing air to circulate and feed organisms and decompose matter quickly – also remember to keep your compost bin filled with a different mix.
* Earthworms are a sign that soil is fertile. When you add organic matter such as leaves or manure – you will attract earthworms, so no need to add more to your garden.
* Don’t try to cultivate soil beneath large trees. You will only damage the roots instead, make planting holes between roots and insert small plants with tiny root systems that establish themselves readily.
* Don’t rush to prune seed heads. They provide a wealth of food for birds that visit the garden.
