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Fall is the time to prepare for winter with mulching and pruning. The fallen leaves and dying annuals are not for the trash. The organic material is terrific for the garden.

More people should use organic matter in their beds rather than trashing their yard waste. It has to be raked or mowed, so why not use it as mulch.

It is impossible to put too much organic matter into the soil. Fall is a good time for many reasons. One good reason is all of the materials that you want are there for free, leaves and dying plants.

A good suggestion is piling up leaves, grass clippings and dead plants and going over them with a mulching mower, then putting them into the garden bed. This will shred the material into tiny pieces, and it can be left on as a top dressing. Put on two or three inches. If you have mulch already down, rake that back, apply to the surface the shredded organic matter and then return the mulch on top. It is a huge benefit to put a few inches layered on your garden beds.

The very best thing a gardener can do to better their soil is add organic matter. It increases the water capacity of the soil. While the minerals accumulate, it binds clay particles into larger sums, improving aeration and drainage. Successful gardening always begins from the ground up.

Working with mulch

Add mulch after you have cleared away any unwanted waste from the base of the plant. It is also best to wait until the ground is frozen.

Garden advice when less than 5% of our soils are composed of organic matter.
• Apply 25 to 50 pounds of compost per 100 square feet yearly.

Mulching over the winter works as an insulating blanket. If you plant perennials this fall without mulching, the bald soil will thaw during the day and freeze at night, producing movement that can kill small plants.

Rose gardeners should not be in a big rush to mulch this fall. Putting down a layer of mulch now will do more harm than good. Fall freezes will not hurt the roses, so it is best to wait a few weeks for the soil to freeze before putting down a layer of your winter mulch to any rose.

Prune or not to prune

Some perennials, such as peonies after their leaves have died, need to be trimmed. The iris is open to diseases and rotting and is better off if its leaves get trimmed back.

Plants, such as broad leaf evergreens, like holly and azaleas, are inclined to feel winter dryness and are much better left uncut.

This is the perfect time to clean up after the garden so that you are ready to start again in the spring.

While you’re having fun this summer going on vacations and getting the kids ready to go back to school this month, remember that your garden friends will be extra thirsty this month too. Here’s a gardening checklist to help you keep your plants and lawns thriving during this hot summer.

Annuals

• Check all annuals often for dryness; new plantings are especially needy as they establish their roots.
• Dead blossoms - snap or snip them off to reinvigorate flowering plants; you’ll be rewarded by more flower and root growth.
• For a second bloom, cut annuals back to half their height and fertilize.
• Replace dead annuals with hardy annuals.

Perennials

• In mild climates, fertilize roses once a month throughout the summer.
• After the last iris blooms fade, stop giving them water.
• When leaves start turning brown, trim them down to green areas in a two-snip pyramid shape.
• Replant at the same depth in soil that’s been amended with processed manure and compost.

Lawns

• When mowing, recycle nutrients by letting lawn clippings stay in place, or spread them with a rake.
• Water early in the morning before the sun is at its hottest, so that plants benefit before evaporation takes place.
• Water deeply and less often — say, an hour once a week. Aim sprinklers so that their spray benefits the lawn and plants only; water on the sidewalk is water wasted!
• In dry weather, trim lawn edges.

Vegetables

• Plant potatoes early in the month.
• Sow seeds of these vegetables: spinach, chard, broccoli, lettuce, radishes, beets, carrots, peas, onions and scallions.
• Tomatoes and peppers are shameless sun lovers, so you should see lots of growth. Keep them off the ground, and harvest them as soon as they ripen so pests don’t eat them first.
• Keep mulch around tomato plants evenly spread and slightly moist.
• Plant veggies now for fall and winter harvest.

Pest control

• Root rot is a frequent hazard of wet seasons; help prevent it by thinning mulch around vulnerable plants.
• Look for slugs under moist mulch and in ground cover.
• Spray honeysuckles for aphids every 10 to 14 days; spray them with an insecticidal soap or give them a strong blast with a hose.

Container plants

• Container plants get extremely thirsty in summer months and may need water as often as once or twice a day. If you’re a newcomer to container gardening, you’re in for a treat!
• Planters can be tucked into any cranny. Fill in bare garden spots, arrange them on steps and along walkways, frame a garage door, set them on railings, or circle them around the old oak tree.
• Variety is the spice of container gardening. Combine containers of different shapes, sizes, colors and textures.
• Don’t worry about being perfect; just choose plants you like and learn as you go.
• Move pots around, from sun to shade, or just for a change of mood.
• Branch out from terra-cotta pots and window boxes. Containers made of resin and other synthetics are available in a riot of shapes and styles. Just be sure that containers have drainage holes in the bottom.

Container plants are my favorites because I can be so creative with where they sit and what they are sitting in. I have an umbrella tree, money tree, bamboo, and some other greenery plants. They thrive on water and getting a little bit of sun everyday. Even for someone without a green thumb I’m able to keep them alive and growing stronger every day.

There are many different types of roses that you can grow so this makes it very hard to pick the best one for your area. To make it easier, here are a few important factors to help you narrow down your of choices.

Color

How will the color of your roses affect your garden? You should consider the colors of nearby plants and flowers that will be sharing the garden. Will the assortment of colors look good together, or will they clash? For some gardeners, color is a priority; for others, it’s no big deal.

Climate

Choosing the right roses for your particular climate zone is essential. In order for roses to grow healthy and bloom generously, they must be able to adjust to your climate. If your climate is too hot or too cold, or has the wrong amount of humidity, it could weaken your roses and make them vulnerable to pests and diseases.

Size

The size of the roses you choose is also very important. Consider the height of the rose at full growth. If the rose grows 15 feet tall, will it look unattractive in your garden? Remember, roses vary in size. While some roses may grow up to 8 feet, others can grow as high as 20 feet.

Measure the area of your garden prior to choosing your roses. Compare your width and height measurements with roses you’d like to purchase. Your roses will need plenty of space to grow as well as room for exposure to the air.

If you have only a small amount of space to dedicate to roses, you may want to grow miniature roses. These roses do not take up much space and they are easy to plant and care for.

Maintenance

How much time will you be able to spend maintaining your roses? Are you one of those people who lives to be in the garden, or are you more of a low-maintenance gardener?

There are several types of roses which are very high-maintenance. Although they’ll be dazzling in your garden, they’ll require a lot of your time. The classification known as “Modern Roses” are very stunning, long blooming, and highly fragrant; however, they are very high maintenance and are prone to disease.

The rose classification known as “Old Garden Roses”, on the other hand, have been bred to be very disease-resistant and require less maintenance. “Old Garden Roses” bloom for several months at a time, and have a strong and beautiful scent. The bad news is that people with strong allergies to fragrances will have a terrible time around them. If that could be a problem for you, then consider any of the variety known as “shrub roses”. They are also disease-resistant and long blooming, but produce a mild scent.

If you’re new to gardening and want to try your hand at growing roses, landscape roses may be your best option. These roses are easy to care for and disease-resistant. They’ll look gorgeous just about anywhere. If your garden has trellises, you can add several climbing roses as well. Although climbing roses look very similar to landscape roses, climbing roses have been trained to grow upward like vines. They add a beautiful touch to any home.

Whatever variety you choose, roses will be a wonderful addition to your home.