Even though summer’s on its way out, there’s still yard work to be done

By Robin Ruehlen
C & G Staff Writer

As summer starts to fade and fall activities begin, local lawn care experts advise homeowners not to neglect the everyday things that will keep lawns healthy and ready to regenerate next year.

Kurt Borngesser, manager of Hydro Harry’s Garden Center in Warren, said of the four times per year to fertilize the lawn, fall is the most important.

“You want to build up your lawn’s root system and strengthen it up for the winter months,” he said.

“There’s lots of fall fertilizers out there — you can go to any garden center. Here in Michigan, most people have a ‘mutt’ type of lawn, so all the fertilizers you’d find locally are for our northern grasses.”

Soil tests are also a good idea for lawns and gardens, to see what the soil might need for good growth next spring.

“When the pH is right, that’s when your plants, grass, trees and shrubs grow at their best,” Borngesser said.

“Michigan State University Extension is the best way to go — they have extension offices in every county, and they will give you a complete statistical breakdown of your lawn’s pH. You can get a home test yourself for about $2, but that’s nowhere near as accurate.”

According to MSU Extension’s Web site, the optimum soil pH range is between 6.0 and 7.0, which keeps nutrients most available for plant growth. A regular soil test includes determination of soil pH, available phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium levels, as well as recommendations for lime and fertilizer.

Be mindful about keeping leaves and other organic debris off the grass before the snowfall, Borngesser added.

“Leaves will mat down over the winter and kill next year’s grass. Gardeners will often take some leaves and put them in the flower beds to cover their perennials and add some organic material back into the soil, so leaves do serve a purpose — just not an entire load of them,” he said.

Fall is also a good time to plant perennials like mums, ornamental cabbage and ornamental kale.

“It’s nice and cool, and those perennials don’t go through shock. They take much better in the fall,” Borngesser said.

Lowe’s recommends digging up bulbs such as elephant’s ear, caladium, gladiolus, canna and dahlia before the first frost, and storing them for the winter.  For roses, stop fertilizing in early fall, and spray them with fungicide. Cover the plants with a minimum 8 inches of soil, mulch or compost, and prune canes back to prevent wind damage.

Prune dead or diseased branches from trees and shrubs, and water trees and shrubs deeply one last time before winter sets in, especially any that were recently planted, according to Lowe’s Web site.