By Joe Lamp’l - Gardening Expert and Host of Growing a Greener World®
October 21, 2023
As a gardener, fall is always an exciting time for me because I know it’s the perfect opportunity to enrich the soil in my garden beds. With many seasons and successful gardens behind me, I know that the work I do each fall to prepare my beds has everything to do with the success I have in subsequent years. I also believe it’s one of the main differences between the productivity of my garden vs. other gardens I see in my travels across the country each year.
Investing time and resources in building your soil is like putting money in the bank. The more you pay attention to what goes in your soil, and when, the better the returns coming out. This leads back to why I’m such a fan of fall for doing much of this work. Although there’s never a bad time to amend the soil, in fall, during that transition time between warm and cool season plantings, my beds are temporarily vacant, if even for a just a day. Yet it’s that day, that may be the most important of the entire year.
Think of it this way; all through the year, your plants are growing and drawing energy from the sun, and nutrients from the soil. Yet in a finite space, the nutrients within it will likely be exhausted by the end of the season. So it’s essential that you replace those depleted reserves. Otherwise the soil becomes unproductive, and plant vigor, disease resistance and productivity suffer as well.
My amendments of choice are organic, well balanced, and free to make or inexpensive to buy. There are many choices that fall under this category but my favorites include the following:
1) Add Compost to Your Garden Beds
My number one go to choice always. Compost has the important nutrients plants need, great soil building properties, microorganisms to improve and mediate undesirable soil, and you make it for free.
2) Shredded Leaves and Wood Chips Help Your Soil
Free, abundant and amazing for how they improve soil. Much of the nutrients taken up by trees can be found in the leaves, which can end up in your garden beds. Collect as many leaves as you can, grind them up first with a mower, and let them rot over winter in a big pile or compost bin. Next summer, they should be ready for your garden to mix into the soil are added as a top dressing of mulch.
Wood chips: The wood chips left behind from those big grinding machines that turn whole trees and limbs into this is another priceless amendment for your garden. Seek out tree service companies and arborists in your area about getting a load or two. I have a couple loads deposited every year. In that time, the chips break down to soil and much smaller pieces of wood, which I then add straight to my garden beds.
3) Worm Castings Improve Soil Health
AKA worm manure, they’re rich in nutrients and disease-fighting microorganisms. You can find worm castings in better independent garden centers by the bag or you can order online in bulk. They aren’t cheap but they’re well worth it. Fortunately a little goes a long way. Only about two percent by volume worked into just the top few inches of your soil will do wonders.
Worm Castings naturally in the lawn
4) Add Nitrogen to Garden Beds
Although everything I add to my soil as an amendment contains some nitrogen, I like to supplement what’s there. Nitrogen is a vital primary nutrient for plants and it’s essential to building great soil. The sources for supplemental organic nitrogen are many, including animal byproducts such as blood meal, crab meal, and fish emulsion, to plant ingredients such as alfalfa, cottonseed, and soybean meal. Even granulated slow-release organic-nitrogen fertilizer such as Milorganite is an option I use often.
As long as I’ve been gardening, I’m still amazed at how giving some attention to building great soil with the appropriate amendments can do to improve even the worst soil. The rapid transformation is nothing short of amazing. The simple process, utilizing readily available ingredients, means there’s no reason great soil can’t be in your gardening future too. And fall is a great time to get started!
FAQs
With this application rate, you should see visual results in the lawn within 7-14 days as long as you are keeping the turf irrigated and it's actively growing. The good news with Milorganite is its slow release so it won't hammer the lawn too hard even as temperatures are going up. Throw'er down, and hope for the best!
Is fall a good time to landscape? ›
The cooler temperatures and mild humidity of fall is one of the best times to embark on landscaping projects. Planting trees, shrubs, and perennials in the fall allows them the time to establish strong root systems so they are strong when the following spring arrives.
When to seed and fertilize a lawn in fall? ›
When In Fall Should You Apply Fertilizer To Your Lawn? Apply fall lawn fertilizer 2 to 3 weeks before the ground freezes. To find an exact date, look for the first frost date in your area. That date is typically a good time to fertilize since the ground hasn't frozen yet.
What are the 7 steps to landscape design? ›
- Step 1: Plan a Landscape Project. Like any home project, planning is one of the most important aspects of re-landscaping your yard. ...
- Step 2: Remove the Lawn. ...
- Step 3: Install Hardscape. ...
- Step 4: Build a Healthy Soil. ...
- Step 5: Install an Irrigation System. ...
- Step 6: Purchase & Install Plants. ...
- Step 7: Water Efficiently.
Rule 1: The House is the Most Important Part of Any Garden
It's almost always the largest, most dominant structure in the garden. Your journey starts and ends with the house and therefore any garden plan, should always start from the building and work outwards.
When should you not use Milorganite? ›
Fertilize warm-season grasses with Milorganite around Easter, Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the last application in early-October. (Does anyone know of an early-October holiday?) Centipedegrass and Bahiagrass are the exceptions.
What happens if you put too much Milorganite on your lawn? ›
Your Milorganite application contains a minimum of 2.5% iron which helps green your lawn along with nitrogen. Your lawn can only take up so many nutrients. Excess nutrients can result in nutrient runoff into our waterways, wasted money, product, and time.
Will Milorganite thicken lawn? ›
Milorganite will be great for the new seed and its initial push, but it will also help your existing lawn to green and thicken up right alongside it. Cool-season lawns push roots in fall time naturally anyway and Milorganite will support and encourage it to push more!
What months are best for landscaping? ›
Although many people believe spring is the best time for planting, landscapes thrive when installed during the late summer and early fall months.
Is it better to water landscaping in the morning or evening? ›
Morning watering is actually preferable to evening watering as the plant has time to dry before the sun goes down. At night, water tends to rest in the soil, around the roots, and on the foliage, which encourages rot, fungal growth, and insects.
Ideally, your lawn around your house would have a slope of about 5%. That means that the surface of the ground 10 feet away from your house would be about 6 inches lower than the ground right next to your foundation. However, grades between 3% and 25% are usually considered acceptable.
Can I overseed and fertilize at the same time in the fall? ›
You may choose to use fertilizer when overseeding your lawn. Fertilizer delivers nutrients essential to young growing grass and optimizes seed germination and quick establishment. The best time to fertilize your yard is right after your aerate it and spread your seeds.
What is the best fertilizer for fall? ›
A complete fertilizer with a high ratio of both nitrogen and potassium is essential for enhanced rooting, cold hardiness, disease resistance, and wear tolerance. An ideal fall fertilizer blend has a nitrogen to phosphorus to potassium (N:P:K) ratio of 24-4-12 with isobutylidene diurea (IBDU).
Do I overseed or fertilize first? ›
You should fertilize your lawn right after it is overseeded. It's important that you fertilize the seeds right away because they will need nutrients to help them germinate and develop a strong root system.
What are the steps involved in landscape planning? ›
The five steps of the design process include: 1) conducting a site inventory and analysis, 2) determining your needs, 3) creating functional diagrams, 4) developing conceptual design plans, and 5) drawing a final design plan.
Is it hard to do landscaping yourself? ›
Simple landscapes which focus on maximizing existing elements lend themselves easily to DIY gardeners. But more formal arrangements—lots of shrubs, complicated beds, plenty of hardscaping—may require the muscle and expertise of professionals. Learn more about garden styles.
