Summer is over, it's time for autumn! In the garden, there is no idleness: you have to prepare for winter and spring. Here are 6 tips to know about maintaining your garden in autumn.
The summer heat gives way to autumn and its flamboyant foliage... If the leaves are falling, it is not the time for those who garden to rest: to your pruning shears, and your rakes, the maintenance of the garden in autumn is crucial! What gestures are essential? Let's take a look.
CLEANING YOUR GARDEN IN AUTUMN
Get ready for a big fall garden cleanup:- Dead leaves: pick up dead leaves that accumulate on your lawn but do not take them to the waste disposal centre, they are very useful in the garden! They can be used as mulch or turned into leaf soil. They are also perfect for compost, as they are part of brown or carbonaceous waste.
- Lawn: after removing dead leaves, take care of the lawn. Carry out a last rather high mowing (at least 5 cm) before the cold arrives.
- Flower beds: it's time to weed your beds that are gradually becoming bald! Pull out deflowered annuals (you can keep the ones that remain aesthetically pleasing) and weeds. Bring in the compost after superficially scratching the soil. You can then install a cover of dead leaves or another natural mulch to prevent the winter rains from damaging your soil too much.
PREPARING FOR THE ARRIVAL OF WINTER
Anticipate the arrival of cold weather as best you can:- Clean the greenhouse: If you have a greenhouse, now is the time to prepare the premises. Aerate and clean the floor. Wash any windows that you may have whitewashed to limit the temperature in your greenhouse during the summer. In autumn-winter, make sure to let as much light as possible into the greenhouse!
- Mulching: a good thickness of mulch at the foot of your plants will protect the roots from the cold.
- Move potted plants: Place potted plants in the areas of your garden that are most protected from the cold and weather (a south-facing wall, for example). The most chilly plants should be placed in a frost-free shelter.
- Prepare your winter sails: they will allow you to protect the aerial parts of your plants that cannot be moved. Be careful not to install your winter sails too early: wait until it is cold and remove them in case of a thaw.
PRUNING YOUR PLANTS
In autumn, a good part of your plants can be pruned or pruned moderately:- Trees: remove branches that unbalance the silhouette of your tree as well as dead branches. Then place a healing tree putty on the wounds. Fir and pine trees do not need to be pruned.
- Fruit trees: stone trees (apricot, peach, plum, etc.) are pruned at the beginning of autumn, except for the cherry tree, which does not like to be pruned. However, pruning the cherry tree may be necessary: proceed every 3 to 4 years after its leaves have fallen. Hazelnut, walnut and fig trees can also be pruned in autumn (in mild climates and after harvest). The pruning of pome fruit trees (pear, apple, etc.) will wait until December.
- Rose bushes: Autumn pruning is not essential but can make it easier for you to prune the main which takes place at the end of winter or early spring. You can remove dead, broken or damaged branches.
- Shrubs: prune shrubs that have bloomed this summer, hedge shrubs and topiaries.
- Climbing plants: prune in mid-autumn to avoid unsightly or overly invasive development.
Remember to bring the proper tools: sharp and disinfected pruning tools, safety equipment like gloves, glasses, and a stable ladder.
PLANTING TREES AND SHRUBS
Isn't it said that on St. Catherine's Day, all wood takes root? Autumn is indeed the ideal season to plant trees or shrubs, ornamental or fruit, in the garden: the soil is still warm after summer and the rains are back.At the beginning of autumn, you can install trees and shrubs sold in containers. From November onwards, you will find bare-root trees and shrubs in garden centres, which are cheaper to buy and have an excellent recovery. However, you will have to plant them immediately after buying them because they are more fragile.
Finally, note that autumn is also the ideal season to move your trees and shrubs that need it.
Finally, note that autumn is also the ideal season to move your trees and shrubs that need it.
PREPARING FOR SPRING
Spring is prepared in the garden in the autumn! Indeed, it is in autumn, from September to November, that spring-flowering bulbs are planted. These include:- Alliums (also known as ornamental garlic) have beautiful flowers, small pompoms or loose umbels.
- Crocuses have an early and delicate flowering.
- Hyacinths are fragrant and colourful.
- Narcissi (or daffodils) are very easy to grow and beautify the garden with their flowers that can range from bright yellow to white.
- Tulips come in many colours and shapes. They can be early (with flowering in March or early April) or late (with flowering at the end of April or May).
THINK ABOUT INSECTS AND ANIMALS
Again, anticipate the arrival of winter and organize your garden in such a way that it is welcoming to insects and small animals. Set up insect hotels and birdhouses. For the latter, make sure to find a place for them at least 2 meters from the ground, away from potential predators (such as your cat). Orient the flight hole away from the prevailing winds: this way, the birds will be protected from the weather (a southeast orientation is perfect).
Finally, when pruning your trees and shrubs, leave a few piles of branches in your garden, which will make great shelters for insects and other hedgehogs during the winter.