Getting Ready for a Glorious Fall Season – Part 2

By Carolyn Williams

In last month’s Compost Bin, part 1 of “Getting Ready for a Glorious Fall Season” began by asking that you cut back your garden plants that bloom in the fall. By this time of year they have become tall, leggy and, need to be revitalized. By cutting them all back about 1/3 of their height, and by cutting out dead branches and reshaping, they will be ready to spring forward when cooler night time temperatures begin to arrive.

I also suggested adding a new layer of mulch. Hopefully you know the benefits of mulching and already add that to your must-do gardening chores. While reading this past Sunday’s Austin American-Statesman newspaper, I came across an article by Judy Barrett, a local gardening guru. In the article she states, “Mulch grabs and holds onto water much better than bare soil can. It keeps the soil below at a level temperature—cooler when hot, and warmer when cold. This in turn keeps the soil creatures healthy by neither freezing nor cooking them. And those soil creatures work hard to make your soil more fertile and more permeable. Instead of bouncing off the surface and running into the street, rainwater is held in the mulch to trickle down into loose, absorbent soil below. When the rain stops, the mulch will keep moisture in the soil longer and keep the soil from hardening and drying the roots of your plants.”

Your goal should be to add mulch a couple of times yearly in order to maintain the breakdown and continual improvement of your soil.
Now, with your plants cut back, your soil mulched, and the slowing down of the hottest temperatures of the summer, it’s time to add a shovel full of compost around your plants and then rearrange the mulch back around the base of the plant, making sure to water after applying.

This is also a great time to start seeds such as marigolds, zinnias and cosmos, as well as veggies like lettuce, arugula and spinach, that really seem to take off once the cooler temperatures arrive.

Fall is the time to divide any of your spring bulbs. Rearrange them into new areas or give to a gardening friend. Remember the rule: if it blooms in spring, divide in the fall …and vice versa. Certainly our local area nurseries carry the bulbs that thrive in our climate. If you need verification, check out the web site of the Southern Bulb Company, www.southernbulbs.com.

Herbs are also wonderful fall plants. After languishing through July and August, several, such as oregano, chives and sage, will start to perk up. It’s also time to reseed favorites such as dill and cilantro that grow well in the cooler weather. Check your parsley, and if it is sending up bloom spikes, it may be a good time to replant. Another one to check is your basil as it will be coming to a close. To enjoy basil all through the fall and winter, I start clipping off leaves now, cutting them up, putting them in freezer trays and topping each little section off with olive oil. Freeze, then pop them into marked freezer bags to enjoy with your soups and Italian meals throughout fall and winter.

Grasses are a mainstay in my fall garden. With their fall color, tassels and swaying blades, they add such lovely interest to any garden area. Miscanthus, gulf muhly, Mexican feather grass, big muhly and numerous others look wonderful with the fall colors of salvias and sages.

If you do not have any fall plants, you might try autumn sage, ‘indigo spires’ salvia, copper canyon caisy, majestic sage, black & blue salvia, Henri Duelburg sage, Mexican bush sage, amistad salvia and Mexican mint marigold. The reds, blues, purples and mustard yellow blend well together to make your landscape an autumn riot of color. Add a flame leaf sumac, Texas red oak, cedar elm or big tooth maple tree, along with a pomegranate or pecan, and you have the essence of autumn.

Remember: prune and mulch in late summer, fertilize in early fall, and enjoy another season of color!

Happy Fall Gardening!