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Crotons are tropical shrubs that, in nature, grow in warm, humid environments. When they're grown indoors (as most are), special consideration must be given to these requirements -- especially the temperature. If the temperature dips below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, the croton may die. Crotons are guilty of routinely dropping leaves after dividing or transplanting. If you haven't transplanted the croton and the leaves are falling, it is generally an indication of either a change in its environment -- such as moving it to a new location -- or it could be the result of improper care.
Over seeding and aerating a lawn are methods of improving your lawn's health and appearance. Every five to six years, your lawn grass begins to age and the stands will become thin. Over seeding fills in the gaps between the lawn blades, which keeps the lawn looking lush and prevents weed growth. Aeration improves the grass seed's soil contact, which increases the rates of germination. The process of aeration and over seeding will keep your lawn looking healthy for several years.
Fall mums are sold in most grocery stores and garden centers in the fall. These hardy mums are a welcome burst of color at the end of the season, but there's no reason why these colorful garden additions can't become a permanent addition to the garden. Fall mums are easily propagated by planting, by division and by rooting cuttings in the spring or summer.
Mowing, watering, fertilizing, aerating, weeding -- taking care of your lawn sometimes feels like a full-time job. If you'd rather spend your time in other pursuits, learn a few tips for efficient lawn care. You'll still end up with a beautiful, healthy lawn, but now you'll have enough time to properly enjoy it, too. In addition, low-maintenance lawn care typically uses less water and gasoline, so your lawn will be green in more ways than one.
A lawn sweeper is like a vacuum cleaner for your yard. A rotating brush sweeps leaves and debris into a collection box, negating the need for blowing, raking or hand gathering of lawn detritus. Leaf sweepers can be push or pull hand-powered machines, electric or gas powered equipment, or models designed to be towed by a utility vehicle.
While many homeowners equate the spring with planting season and summer with mowing or watering the lawn, there are several lawn care tasks to perform throughout the fall. Proper fall maintenance will keep your lawn lush, healthy and easier to care for during the spring and summer of the following year.
Proper maintenance of your lawn grass helps it resist weeds, disease and drought damage. Lawns have specific requirements that depend upon the season. Ensuring the lawn receives the right amount of nutrients and water is vital, as is properly mowing and seeding the lawn. Keeping up with seasonal chores in the lawn keeps your home landscape looking its best all year.
Lawn sweepers remove cut grass clippings from a lawn after mowing. A row of nylon brushes, set low to the ground, rotates as you pull the sweeper behind a mower. The brushes sweep grass clippings and deposit them into a collection bag. Although the sweepers are for use on lawns, it is possible to sweep hard surfaces such as driveways or roads to remove grass clippings.
Lawns traditionally have been grown from non-native grasses such as St. Augustine and Kentucky Bluegrass, but a modern sustainable garden is more apt to use native Buffalo or grama grass. Whether landscape trees are evergreen or deciduous, the maintenance routines are similar. Caring for a lawn and the trees that surround it is easy if you follow a few simple steps throughout the seasons of the year.
Gardening tasks slow down as cold weather approaches, but don't completely forget your lawn. Mow it every two to three weeks until growth stops and provide adequate water and fertilizer.
Preparing your lawn for spring and summer should begin in fall. While most grasses remain dormant over the winter months, fall is the time to ensure the grass plants enter dormancy at their peak health. Healthy grass returns from dormancy greener and lusher than those lawns that are not prepared in fall. Proper nutrition, mowing and watering are all that are required for most lawns to look their best, regardless of the season.
Bee balm grows wild along roadsides and in bogs, and provides bright color in perennial gardens, as well. The plants grow 2 to 4 feet high and produce white, pink, purple or red blooms from midsummer to fall. The tubular flowers attract bees and butterflies. The plant requires little maintenance, especially in the fall, as its growth slows and it prepares for winter.
Hostas are one of the most popular perennial plants grown in American gardens, and with good reason. Their glossy green foliage is visually appealing, and they rarely pose trouble for the home gardener. Although hostas require little maintenance, they are sometimes susceptible to certain pests and disease. During the fall, take some precautionary measures to protect your hosta plants from attack and to keep them thriving. Your autumn chore list will not take long, and it will ensure healthy hostas for the spring.
It is important to care for the lawn in the fall by feeding the roots and taking care of the soil. Rake the lawn with advice from a landscape designer in this free video on fall lawn care.
Tacoma, in the Pacific Northwest, enjoys a mild fall climate thanks to the proximity of the Pacific Ocean and the protection of Puget Sound and the Olympic Peninsula. USDA Hardiness Zone 8 surrounds Tacoma. The average daily fall temperature is 62 degrees F. Snow is rare and rainfall is at least 3 inches per month.
Few flowers evoke a sense of nostalgia better than hydrangeas. With their big puffy blooms and dense foliage, they are a delightfully old-fashioned addition to any garden. While most perennials don't need much care in the fall, several species of hydrangeas need some attention in order to avoid the damage caused by extreme cold and the fluctuating temperatures common to more northern gardens.
Astilbe is a flowering perennial. Its flowers grow along tall stems and can be stiffly upright, airily open or plume-like. Some astilbe flowers have a subtle scent. Astilbe loves dappled shade. There will be fewer flowers if astilbe grows in full shade; full sun, on the other hand, will cause flowers to fade faster. Astilbe is deer-resistant, non-invasive and non-aggressive, and attracts pollinators that feed off the many small flowers along the stems.
Just because your grass stops growing during the cool fall months doesn't mean it stops needing care. In fact, fall is the most important season for lawn care since the fertilizer and treatments you apply now will have to last your lawn all winter. The way you treat your lawn in autumn will affect the condition of your grass come spring, when it awakens from dormancy.
There are many important lawn care tasks to perform in the fall, including fertilizing, mowing and removing thatch. Properly taking care of your lawn in the fall can help it stay healthy throughout the winter.
Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) is a perennial ground cover popular with gardeners for its hardiness and masses of tiny pink, white or blue colors. Some varieties of phlox also have a pleasing fragrance. If left alone, creeping phlox can spread indefinitely, even invading desirable areas of the landscape. The plant requires very little care to thrive, but it will last longer and bloom more profusely in the spring if it is bedded down properly for the winter once the cool weather of fall arrives.
Dahlias are a beautiful specimen of garden flower. These flowers grow from tubers in healthy, well-drained soil. Many gardeners are intimidated with the thought of growing dahlias due to the extra care they often require. Because dahlias are tropical plants, they can only be grown outside year-round in only the warmest zones. Most likely, you will need to dig these plants up before the cold winter months. With a little special care, you can enjoy these attractive blossoms from early summer until frost.
Over time, fertilizer, excessive rainfall and composting plant material can make soil acidic. When soil becomes too acidic conditions are created that are not favorable for plant growth. Adding lime adjusts the level of acidity in the soil so your lawn can thrive. However, too much lime added to the soil can create problems with too much alkalinity and damage the long term health of the soil and kill your grass. A professional soil test is required to find out how much lime is needed for optimal soil and plant health. Contact your local county extension office for information about…
After a summer of backyard fun, many fescue lawns look patchy, sparse, and are in need of improvement. An easy way to improve a fescue lawn is by overseeding the existing lawn in the fall to fill in the patches. Tall fescue lawns are a popular choice for lawns in the central U.S. because of their shade and cool-weather tolerance. Fescue lawns are one of the least-demanding types of lawn as they do not require a lot of fertilizer or water, and will even grow in soils that are acidic.
Peonies are one of the most popular plants found in yards throughout the northern half of the United States. They produce large, lush flowers every spring around Memorial Day, making them a great plant for cutting gardens. But their gorgeous flowers are only one reason they are so popular. The other reason is their ability to grow in the same spot without much tending for decades.
A lawn sweeper is a special tool that can be attached to a riding lawnmower. It is attached using the hitch mechanism and pulled behind the lawnmower as it cuts grass. During the fall, large amounts of leaves can make lawn care difficult. The lawn sweeper eliminates these issues by collecting all of the leaves in an easy to operate basket. The sweeper is usually comprised of a few simple parts: a large brush, an axel, two wheels and a large hopper. Attached to the top of the hopper is a rope used for emptying the device. While the lawn…
Fall is the best time of year for maintaining or starting a new lawn. Heavy growth occurs in both the early spring and early fall. Typically the best time to begin is from late August to early September. Fertilizing, weed killing and thatching can be most effective in these seasons when root growth is abundant for grasses. Preparation for new lawns is also effective as the high heat of summer is gone and moisture can be kept where it is best utilized, near the new seedling growth.
While some lawn tasks are repetitive throughout the growing season, others are best timed to suit specific needs of the grass at critical times. Caring properly for your lawn to keep it green and lush in the current season as well as healthy for future seasons requires consistency and the right kind of maintenance to suit your specific variety of lawn grass and climate. Other than in temperate or tropical climates, winter is typically a down time for lawn care, and the bulk of maintenance activity is focused on the spring, summer and fall.
The lowly onion has many health benefits, ranging from stimulating the immune system to lowering cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Its history as a medicinal herb stretches back to the ancient Egyptians who used onions in over 800 different medicinal cures. It is the most common herb in the American kitchen and is used to season foods and enhance flavor. Braiding onions and garlic and hanging them within easy reach it kitchen saves time and space and adds a distinct feel of country kitchens.
The cooler months may give homeowners a reprieve from the summer ritual of mowing the lawn, but there are a few essential things that should be done to care for your lawn during the fall and winter.
The wonderful daisylike blooms of fall mums adorn porches and decks as fall grows near. These beautiful flowers come in a wide range of colors and are simply stunning potted. Fall mums are more than just pretty flower to show off for a few weeks in the fall. They can be planted right in the garden bed to return each year and reach full bloom just in time for fall.
Hollyhocks are easy to grow as well as maintain. Caring for your fall hollyhocks is simple! Hollyhocks will usually only last for a certain length of time, about three years, but they are still just as easy to care for. Just read on and enjoy your beautiful flowers each and every year.
Get rid of that pesky black ice each winter with sand. Here's how to use sand to melt black ice.
