Preparing Your Garden for Fall Tom Watkins – Certified Master Gardener Prescott Valley 1

Irrigation Remember to irrigate landscape plants and fruit trees Average rainfall in November is 0.81 inches Can decrease schedules times of irrigation Maintains vigor of plants Reduces likelihood of pest problems 2

Fall Plantings - Flowers May plant cool season flowers Prepare soil by digging in lots of composted matter mixed with small amount of nitrogen fertilizer Types of flowers: Pansies, Poppies, Sweet Peas, Snapdragons 3

Fall Plantings – Landscape Good time to plant native & drought adapted plants Examples: Globe mallow, acacia, mesquite, Use the improved planting standard Do not prune fruit tees/roses until Feb/Mar 4

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Turf Cool season turf; fescue, bluegrass, ryegrass Fertilize with one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. Remember one pound of nitrogen fertilizer does not equal one pound of nitrogen applied Apply turf fertilizers evenly so not to concentrate it in any one area 6

Helping Your Garden Grow AlkalineAcidic 7

Cool Season Weeds May use a pre-emergent herbicide Consider mulches (At least 3 inches deep) to help control weeds Attractive mulches: wood chips, bark Mulching is good soil protection and water conserving 8

Clean Up Clean up your vegetable garden and flower beds Compost healthy plant residue If you don’t have a compost pile, consider starting one May plant cool season crops Consider planting a cover crop; annual rye, barley etc. 9

Questions?? Answers 10