John Cretti’s “Gardening With an Altitude Tips”
Garden reminders from our expert John Cretti
Keep Garden Clean
Develop good sanitation practices in the yard and garden. Clean up what’s left from summer’s annual flowers and vegetables. Rake up heavy accumulations of leaves and other plant refuse and use in the compost pile if the materials are not diseased. Leaves from cottonwood, aspen, and willow should be chopped up before composting to speed up the decomposition process.
Plant When You Can
Buy plants early during special closeout sales to get the best quality possible. Then you can get them planted before fall storms and early frosts. The earlier in the fall you can plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped nursery stock, the better the chances for fall and winter survival. Water regularly during the fall and winter and be especially watchful when weather conditions are windy and dry.
Add Spring-Flowering Bulbs to Your Landscape
To add beauty and welcome spring, now is the time to plant daffodils, tulips, crocuses, hyacinths, alliums, and many other spring flowers. Plant them in locations that are visible from windows so you can enjoy their show of colors from February through June. Bulbs are short-lived if planted in poorly drained soils, so add EKO Compost or Clay Buster prior to planting.
Breathe New Life Into Your Lawn
Lawns should be core-aerated in the cool weather of fall. Soak the lawn a day prior to aeration so the mechanical aerator removes deep plugs. Holes left from aeration allow for better air, water, and nutrient movement through the soil. This helps the lawn thicken up since root growth is more active during the autumn. And don’t forget to fertilize your lawn with Richlawn Turf Food on Halloween for “boo-tiful” results!
John Cretti’s Gardening with an Altitude Tip
Clear a Path With Cardboard
Recycle cardboard boxes by cutting them up into sections to lie within vegetable garden rows or pathways. Once the row or path is covered, wet down the cardboard and spread a layer of compost or mulch on top. This will keep down the weeds and prevent mud from splashing on ripening fruits and vegetables. Later in the autumn, rototill cardboard and mulch into the soil as a soil amendment.