As summer starts to wind down with the last few weeks of Bay Area heat, here are a few tips to help our gardens stay healthy and safe for the Fall. Giving careful care to gardens is always important, prior planning before the season starts helps to prevent plants from withering and dying.
1. Late summer is one of the hottest times of the year making water usage a priority while trying to be conscious of water usage. Watering plants early in the morning and after the sun sets helps to make the most of the water used for gardens. Watering during the daytime often gets dried off quickly, preventing plants from fully absorbing all of the water.
2. Early September is the perfect time to get fall crops in before it’s too late for them to sprout. Gardeners interested in planting vegetables, such as celery, carrots, broccoli, snap peas, onions, and winter squash, will have fresh produce and vegetables to bring some flavor for your Thanksgiving dinners.
3. After a long summer, garden tools have gotten worn down and dirty. Take some time to clean them off and do some maintenance. Dirty tools are nothing to be worried about, but now is a good time to freshen them up a bit. A little bit of water and rubbing alcohol can go a long way to cleaning up and preventing the spread of disease that may be lingering on dirty tools.
4. Feed those hungry flowers that have been working through this hot summer. By the end of summer, most flowers have used a lot of their nutrients and can use a little bit of fertilizer to keep them healthy for next spring. By adding a little fertilizer, or compost for more adventurous folks, you can be sure your flowers are going to be happy and healthy.
5. While most flowers bloom and wither by the end of the summer, now it is not too late to add a little more color to spruce up your garden for the fall. Some plants that are happy to be planted at the end of the summer are Chrysanthemums, Gaura, and Russian sage. Late bloomers are always a great surprise to help keep your garden beautiful in the fall.
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