Three Fall Tips for Your Landscape

1. Trim those dead or dying limbs
Surely you have some branches on your trees that are dead or near dead. These limbs often surrender to the harsh winds and snow that’ll be here in the coming months. Dead or dying tree limbs threaten our homes, vehicles and even people. If you have large limbs or whole trees that are rotted or dying, it’s best to call in the professionals. But you can probably tackle your smaller, ornamental trees by cutting diseased, rotted, or cracked limbs close to the trunk.

2. Cut Back Perennials
Remove the dead or dying annuals along with the slugs that feed on them and breed in fall. The foliage on your perennials is likely dead or starting to die, so trim them down to the ground which will sends nutrients the roots for next season. Putting in this bit of effort now will result in a healthier spring garden.

3. Plant New Shrubs
Planting shrubs in early fall is great in New England’s climate. The soil is cool and moist which provides the plants an ideal start to establish roots. Dig a hole for your new shrub that’s about twice the diameter and just an inch or two less deep than the full height of the root ball. Position the shrub in the hole ensuring the top of the root ball does not go below ground level (it should be level or just an inch above the ground). Fill in any spaces of the whole with soil and water thoroughly. Add more soil to top of root ball followed by mulch.