Cooler fall temperatures are always a welcome relief from the summer's sweltering heat and humidity. Many parts of the Southeast have suffered through drier than normal conditions; some areas may still be under watering bans as we head into fall.
Depending on the severity of the drought and the type of grass you have, your lawn may have gone dormant due to lack of water. Warm-season grasses will tolerate hot, dry conditions for a longer period of time than cool-season grasses. When rainfall finally resumes, lawns that suffered the greatest may require measures like resodding or reseeding.
Ornamental trees and shrubs are also affected by severe drought. You may see leaf scorch, early fall color, partial or complete defoliation, or complete browning of the foliage (which indicates a dead specimen). In some cases, drought injury may not be evident until one or two years later as the plant slowly declines. Most affected are newly planted trees, and shrubs that have not yet developed an extensive root system.
Plant...Plant...Plant! Fall rains combined with cooler air temperatures and warm soil temperatures help new plants get established. This is the best time for planting trees, shrubs and flowering bulbs. Develop a landscape plan, or have a professional create one for you. Either way, fall is a great time of the year to start, enhance or redo your landscape, and improve the exterior appeal of your home.
As deciduous trees and shrubs lose their leaves, remove the excess ones from your lawn to avoid smothering it. Mulching mowers do a good job of shredding the leaves and returning them to the soil, but they can only handle so many leaves. Use a rake or leaf blower if too many leaves accumulate.
As leaves fall, it is easier to see the branching structure of trees and shrubs, making them easier to prune. Remove branches that cross and rub against each other. Cut back shrubs that are growing too tall to a manageable height. Some shrubs need to be thinned periodically to keep them healthy and growing. It's also easier now to spot and remove diseased branches.
If your tall fescue lawn was ravaged by summer's scorching conditions, consider overseeding your lawn to quickly bring it back to desirable quality. For the best results, plan to overseed in September or October. Here's how to prepare a lawn for overseeding:
Do not let your landscape or warm season lawn go into winter dormancy suffering from drought-like conditions. Drought-stricken plants may not survive the winter or become green the following spring.
If you overseed your tall fescue lawn, water lightly every day for the first two weeks or so until the seedlings germinate. After that, water deeply one or two times per week to sustain the lawn if rainfall is not abundant.
Spring flowering bulbs - such as daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths - add spectacular color to a springtime landscape, and fall is the time to plant them. Avoid planting bulbs in single file rows - mass planting creates the most striking visual effect. Within the designated area, pack bulbs only inches apart from each other. The larger the bulb-packed area, the more spectacular the effect. After the bulbs are buried, plant pansies or other winter-hardy flowering annuals on top, being careful not to disturb the bulbs. The flowering bulbs will emerge through the annual flowers for double the color display.
Last year many southern landscapes were invaded by fall armyworms. These caterpillars arrive in huge numbers to feed on your lawn. There's no way to predict whether they will be a problem again. If your Bermuda grass or tall fescue lawn begins to rapidly thin over a three- to five-day period, pull the grass apart and look for brown or dark green hairless caterpillars hiding near the soil surface. If you find them, control measures are necessary to prevent further damage.
Fall is the best time to find a good deal on a lawn mower or other power equipment. Keep an eye out for clearance sales at your local hardware store.
If you haven't used your power blowers since last fall, be sure to place fresh gas and oil mix in the unit before attempting to start it. Empty any old gas from the tank and dispose of it properly before refilling with fresh gas. At the end of the season, run the engine dry to remove all gas from the tank.