Late Summer Lawn Care
Late summer can be tough on lawns. The days are long and hot and we haven’t had much rain in Maine this season. It is important to follow a few simple rules when caring for your lawn during August to help your grass survive. You definitely want to avoid cutting the grass too short, and while you do want to water your lawn, over-watering can cause problems as well. Wait until later this fall to fertilize and cultivate your lawn. For more detailed tips on lawn care, refer to this article: How to Maintain Grass in Extreme Heat. Check out tips from our local Cooperative Extension in this video on Environmentally Friendly Lawn Care.
Planting Fruit for Next Year
Love blueberries on your cereal or in your muffins? This is a great time to put some blueberry bushes in the ground for harvest next year. Need help choosing plants? Ask the experts at your local garden center. Blueberries require a sunny, well-drained site, and they also prefer a more acidic soil. For a helpful guide on starting your plants off right, see this video from the UMaine Extension: How to Grow Blueberries.
Fall Bulbs for Spring Color
Pruning Back Perennials
It’s a good time to start cleaning up the garden by pruning back your perennials. Dana Gardner of the University of Minnesota Extension says this: “The main difference between pruning spring-versus summer-flowering perennials is the amount of cutting back that is required after flowering. Depending on your objective some perennials should be pruned before flowering and others should be pruned after flowering. Pruning after flowering improves the aesthetics of the garden.” For the full story, see this article: Pruning Perennials.
