Fall Hints for the Garden . . . Fall is a good time to prepare the garden for the winter months. During the winter the last thing you want to think about is gardening so let's get it done now!
Weed control in the fall is very important in flowerbeds, groundcovers, shrubs and bare ground areas. Apply Weed ImpedeTM (Surflan®), (formerly Weed Stopper®), prior to fall rains and these spots will be weed-free until next spring. Who wants to go pull weeds in the cold winter months? In those bare areas where weed growth has already begun, mix Weed Stopper with Roundup® to kill existing growth. This will cover both preemergence and postemergence weed control in one application. Weed ImpedeTM (Surflan®) will prevent weed seed germination for up to 6 months!
If you haven't put down Weed ImpedeTM (Surflan®) and weeds have already become a problem in your garden, Quik II (formerly Quik Weed Killer) is another product that is well suited to winter usage. Remuda Full Strength (same as Roundup®) works very slowly in the low temperatures. Quik works fast for the top kill of unsightly weeds that appear during the winter months and can be mixed with Remuda for the best of both products.
For lawn areas there are many hard-to-kill winter weeds this time of year. Spurge Power is perfect for controlling broadleaf weeds in your turf. Take care of these lawn weeds now so your lawn can get off to a good start this spring.
If you have any lingering insects around the house it's a good time to clean up those spiders and ants around the house. Bug Buster is designed just for this job. Apply around the house, patio or under the eaves to prevent insects from overwintering in these areas. If you prefer a ready to use (RTU) formulation try our new All Purpose Insect Spray RTU in a spray bottle.
The fall and winter months are also the ideal time to treat deciduous fruit trees to control leaf curl, brown rot and other diseases that appear in the spring. Liqui-Cop and Bravado are both products that provide excellent protection from these diseases. Make these applications now while the fruit trees are dormant. These fungicides can also be combined with Saf-T-Side® horticultural oil to control the overwintering of mites, scale and aphids and their eggs.
For more details on dormant sprays for fruit trees and ornamentals see our Dr. Garden tips, Dormant Sprays For Fruit Trees and Certain Ornamentals.
That's it for your fall gardening chores! Get these done now and you can enjoy the holidays and look forward to a great spring in your garden!
