End of Summer Lawn Care

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Because COVID-19 has reintroduced the joys of staying home this summer, your lawn has probably endured more activity than usual. It’s common for homeowners to think that because your grass is growing more slowly in fall that it needs less care, but the opposite is true. Your lawn is invisibly busy fortifying itself for winter. A little late summer-early fall TLC will help keep your lawn lush and give it a healthy head start for next spring.

Here are a few things your lawn will thank you for:

  • Aerate the soil. Summer sun and increased activity compacts the soil in your yard making it more difficult for the grass to obtain water, air, and nutrients. Aerating the soil is the best way to loosen things up. This process is also a good first step to fertilizing as aerating will also allow the fertilizer to reach the grass’ roots better. If you have a small yard of an acre or less, you can rent a self-propelled walk-behind aerator, but if you have acreage, consider hiring a landscaper.
  • Spot Seed bald spots. Most lawns will develop bald spots or thinned areas over the course of the summer. Late August through September is a perfect time to spot-seed these areas. Fall is an ideal time for seeding as the grass will have less competition from weeds, allowing for better grass coverage. Once you seed, don’t forget to keep these areas well-watered.
  • Rid the lawn of weeds. Just like the grass, weeds are also in nutrient-absorbing mode, drinking in all the water they can. The good news is that this includes week killers. Applying herbicides now will diminish spring weeds significantly.
  • Fertilize in fall. In the fall, grass leaves grow slowly but that is not the case for their roots and rhizomes. Fertilizing in the fall enables these roots and rhizomes to grow deep and hold onto nutrients throughout the winter. 

Grow Vertical: Trellises & Pergolas & Arbors

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pergola with yellow leaves and flowersThere’s a period of time toward the end of summer when avid gardeners and homeowners who love their yards begin to mourn prematurely the end of their favorite season – summer. For those of you in this group, here’s a perfect way to continue working in the yard while setting up a thing of beauty for next spring.

Trellises, arbors, and pergolas add both function and elegance to any garden or backyard. Whether used in your vegetable garden, to hide unsightly air conditioning units, or as a romantic seating area, these structures can be as simple or elaborate as desired. And, while roses are one classic choice, there are many other plants that add beauty, shade, and privacy.

Whether made by you out of branches found around your landscape, purchased as a kit, or delivered to your yard fully constructed, what starts out as a functional support for plants becomes a beautiful focal point and destination. Constructed now, with plantings going in once the dog days of August are over, watching these plants begin to twine in spring is exhilarating.

Here are some vining plants we recommend for your arbor, trellis, or pergola:

Honeysuckle – This hardy plant, left unpruned quickly begins to vine. They produce orange-red, trumpet shaped flowers that are beloved by humming birds and butterflies.

Clematis – While clematis may take a few years before beginning to flower, once it does it will reward you with a multitude of blooms. Born to climb, they come in a wide variety of colors.

Climbing Roses – In addition to their beauty, climbing roses have an intoxicating scent. They grow best on a trellis up against your house. Patience is key as it sometimes takes three to five years for prolific flowering.

Trumpet Creeper – this plant is native to our region and is drought resistant. It is a fast grower and can quickly reach 40 feet with tubular flowers that will bloom throughout the summer months.

Wisteria – The scent of wisteria in unforgettable. Producing white or purple flowers in spring, this woody vine will drape flowers over your arbor or pergola like grapes.

Climbing Hydrangea – This vine grows well in both full sun or partial shade. The vines are so it needs substantial support. You can leave drying flowers on the vine as they keep their shape even after their foliage begins to fall.

 

 

Why We Love Blooming Trees

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Flowering trees are one of the most treasured sights of early spring. Heralding the return to warmer weather, they make a bold statement which makes them a great backbone of any great landscape.

Whether looking out your window, coming up your driveway, or sitting on the porch, that flowering tree in your yard brings an uplift to one’s spirit and a feeling of hope.

Shopping for a Flowering Tree

Be prepared to be amazed at the number of choices you’ll have. There are more varieties to choose from than you thought available. Something to think about though are size, form, where you want to plant, and even what their fall foliage looks like.

Most of the deciduous trees in stock are grown locally in our Augustine Nursery Tree Farm. Flowering deciduous trees are great if you’re looking to create shade on your property. They are also capable of helping to deal with erosion and rain water run-off by being planted on embankments. Some of the varieties we grow and sell include Dogwood, Flowering Cherry, Crabapple and Redbud. And we can even deliver and plant it for you to give it the healthiest start in your yard.

The site you select for planting will also affect how well a flowering tree performs. In general, most prefer full sun (eight hours) to reach their optimum bloom power, though some types, such as dogwoods, will still deliver a great show with less sun.

Planting in Spring is Best

Spring is a smart time to plant a flowering tree. Spring rains bring plenty of water, allowing the tree to establish itself and grow more.

And the benefits of a flowering tree reach well beyond their beauty:

  • Any tree provides reduced levels of carbon dioxide
  • Aids drainage and storm runoff in your yard
  • Planted in the right place, a flowering tree can shade your home, keeping it cooler in summer
  • If you choose a variety with fruit, you’ll have delicious fresh snacking all season long.
  • Fruiting trees attract birds, bees, and butterflies. And, many of these birds will eat the insects around it.
  • Hides any unattractive view you might have such as a compost pile or electric pole

We’re Open!

Ask us about adding a flowering tree to your landscape. We can advise you by phone and you can come pick up or we can deliver. Now’s the perfect time to make your outdoor environment as lovely as a spring day.

 

Sod: Here Today, Lawn Tomorrow

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For those who may not know exactly what sod is, It’s mature lawn that has been professionally grown, cultivated, and cut into rolls including underlying soil and roots. You’re basically buying lawn that someone has nurtured for you for about 18 months – a careful mix of several grasses that are chosen for optimal color, texture, and heartiness. For homeowners who dream of a lush lawn to luxuriate in, sod is well worth the investment.

You’re also buying convenience – none of that watching the lawn grow.

Fall is Sod Season

Fall is a great time to do many lawn projects and laying sod is no exception. Cooler temperatures, occasional rain, and practically no competition from weeds makes early fall ideal. It’s at this time that the sod can continue to grow and take hold without the harsh summer sun. You just have to lay it in enough time (6 weeks) for it to develop a strong root system before the ground freezes.

Benefits of Sod vs. Seed

  • Sod takes less time and care to establish
  • Provides an instantly healthy and lush lawn without patches
  • Seeding requires families to stay off the lawn – hard when you have kids and pets
  • Sod is a great choice for sloped lawns or erosion-prone areas where seed would wash away

The only cons to laying sod is its expense and the prep work required to make your soil sod-ready. And Augustine can help with both the prep work and laying the sod. If you don’t want to sit and watch the grass grow, give us a call to learn more about sod. What you lay this fall will truly pay off in a beautiful lawn to enjoy this coming spring and summer.

Fall is the New Spring

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Let’s make this the year we redefine the boundaries of the growing season by annexing fall to our planting season! There is so much to love about fall as a gardening season. For one, we can tend to our yards without the blazing heat, not to mention the beauty of the colors as they change around us.

No, fall will no longer simply be the season of the things we have to do to survive winter like raking leaves or cleaning gutters. This fall, let’s do the things we want to do because we want to make our yards and gardens more beautiful than ever when spring awakens once more.

Plant a Large Tree

Fall is a perfect time to think big! Does your yard need a focal point to increase curb appeal? Do you need some shade or perhaps something to help stave off erosion? The root system of a large tree will grow stronger when planted in the fall as the cooler temperatures allow for greater growth without the competition of new top growth. The result is a stronger, better established root system for next spring’s growth.

Get Bulbs in the Ground

It’s easy to pop bulbs in the ground. And you’ll be handsomely rewarded in early spring as they begin to show their beauty. Iris, daffodils, and tulips are just a few varieties that are easy to care for while rewarding you year after year with color.

Fall Vegetable Favorites

Instead of bidding farewell to your vegetable garden for the year, dig in to some of the following fall favorites.

If you love garlic, there’s good reason to grow your own – the spicy flavor of homegrown garlic just can’t be beat and you can use the stalk like scallions. Plant in fall and by June you’ll have an incredible harvest of garlic.Asparagus is a perennial vegetable and doesn’t need anything special to thrive for years to come. All you need is patience because you shouldn’t harvest year one asparagus. Allow them to grow into dill-like brush. When the brush turns brown, cut it back and wait another season.
Onion are another fall vegetable that will yield a harvest by early summer. Bought in sets, they are easy to plant.

Augustine Nursery can help you with all your fall gardening and yard needs. Did you know we even have our own tree farm? Augustine Tree Farm trees are already established for our climate, and we’ll deliver and plant it for you! No need to wait a generation to enjoy the majesty or shade of a beautiful large tree.