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Late Summer Gardening Tips
Fall is around the corner, and you may be welcoming in the pumpkin spice and sweaters, but you can keep your yard looking beautiful for a little bit longer. Once the month turns to September, many of us get excited for the cool fall season, but Utah is going to be warm for a while longer. Extend your beautiful summer garden into the early fall months with these tips.
Water wisely – Utah has seen water restrictions all summer, so watering wisely has been imperative. Continue this effort for the next few weeks by watering in the early morning hours. This gives your plants vital moisture while also allowing time for the water to reach their roots before it evaporates in the heat of the day.
Strategically mow lawns – During extra hot times, raise the cutting height of your mower and cut your grass in the cool evening. Mowing later in the day allows the lawn more time to recover throughout the night. Leaving your grass a little longer keeps the roots cooler, providing a healthy lawn overall.
Spend a little time weeding – By September, we’re starting to get tired of yardwork, but avoiding the task of pulling weeds will only make the job harder. Pulling young weeds is much easier than working with them after they’ve established strong roots.
Deadhead perennials – As flowers fade, deadhead them right away to extend their life. Deadheading forces the plant’s energy to be sent to buds rather than seeding, which is what they want to do this time of year. This allows the flowers to keep blooming and look beautiful longer.
Prune – Later summer and fall is good a time shape bushes, shrubs, or trees. Remove suckers to prevent them from stunting your tree’s growth. Shaping brushes and shrubs will promote more flower growth and thicker foliage. Be careful with extensive pruning of trees—this is often best left to a professional.
Keep up on pests – Aphids are typically thriving right now, so keep a watch for them. If you catch them when they’re small, they’re fairly easy to get rid of. Spray the populations off the plant with a strong stream of water from hose to dislodge them from the plant.
Mulch – Mulching is a benefit any time of the year, but in the late summer you can amp it up by using lawn clippings in your vegetable garden, for example, as it comes to its final production stages for the year. If you have potatoes in your garden, adding a layer of mulch will protect the vegetable well into the cold.
Divide your plants – Some plants, such as peonies and day lilies, are happier plants if you divide them in the late summer or fall. Gently pull apart some of the roots with your hands and cut them back with a sharp knife. Doing this keeps the plant healthier because there is more space for roots to grow and absorb water and nutrients.
If you need help finishing the blooming year off right, come in to The Dirt Bag for the highest quality products.
