Person rake leaves in autumn
by Bronwynne Bailey
Get outside and enjoy the nice weather by spending some time working in your lawn! There’s quite a lot to do to make sure your landscape stays in tip-top shape.
Planting
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs, except tulips and hyacinths. Place these in the refrigerator for 6 weeks before planting in late December or early January.
- Pot basil, chives, parsley, rosemary, and sage for your sunny kitchen window.
- Plant annuals: pansies, violas, pinks, flowering cabbage and kale, English daisies, wildflowers, larkspurs, and Queen Anne’s lace.
- Plant perennials: asters, salvias, hollyhocks, daylilies, baby’s breath, irises, Shasta daisies, peonies, and phlox.
Fertilizing
- Test soil in your garden to monitor the balance of minerals.
- Apply pre-emerge herbicide to the lawn if you have not already.
Pruning
- Now is a great time to inspect the trees in your yard for any damaged or dead wood! As the leaves fall, it’s easier to spot limbs that need to be removed. Prune back any limbs or branches that are noticeably dead or damaged. Information Sheet 204, “Pruning Landscape Plants,” offers techniques for pruning back landscape plants that might be helpful!
- Pick the blossom-like fruit of golden rain trees, and let them dry for winter arrangements.
Miscellaneous
- Mums are a classic fall plant. Like many plants, mums require much attention for them to look their best. Fertilize your mums with complete fertilizer every two weeks, stopping once blooms appear. To water the mums, you need to make sure you add your water at the base of the plant. Do not pour water directly on top of the blooms! Wet leaves make it easy for fungal growth to set in, so avoid pouring water on the blooms and leaves.
- Dig up caladiums with foliage intact, allow to dry, remove dried foliage, and store in peat moss in a cool, dark place for replanting next year.
- Force bulbs for indoor show (paper-white, narcissus, lilies of the valley, jonquils, or hyacinths). Place the bulb on gravel and water enough to cover the roots; keep in a dark place until the root system is established and sprouts reach 3 inches. Bring gradually into the light and refill the container with water to the original level.
- Make sure the birds in your garden have food, shelter, and water.
- Place leaves in the compost bin or mulch them with your lawn mower.
Blooming
- Camellia sasanquas
- Mums, marigolds, periwinkles, salvias, sasanquas, golden raintrees, roses, ageratums, asters, camellias, celosias, colchicums, dahlias, petunias, salvias, and zinnias.
Fruiting
- Golden raintrees, beautyberries, dogwoods, ginkgos, pyracanthas, apples, yaupons
If you have questions, you can reach a Master Gardener helpline from 10 am–2 pm on Wednesdays at 662-234-4451 by asking for the “Master Gardeners.” A Master Gardener will answer or research questions about all things Mississippi gardening.
(see MSU Publication PDF: P3437.pdf)
