Needle leaf or cone-bearing evergreens can be moved now if you want to transplant. Generally, it is best not to move deciduous trees before their leaves fall. Typically mid-October will meet most deciduous tree requirements.
If moving deciduous trees early, spray them a few days beforehand with an anti-desiccant to reduce stress.
Fall planting of trees gives you a head start on Spring and allows for sturdy root growth.
Look for spider mites on ornamental and fruit trees. Leaves have a sickly color and undersides look as if they had been dusted with a fine white powder. Mites overwinter in protected spots.
October
Water evergreens thoroughly; roots still need moisture throughout the winter months to support the slower metabolism of the plant.
Apply broadleaf weed control now to insure a more weed-free lawn in the spring. Turf grasses tend to spread out especially in the cooler season.With the weeds eliminated, your turf will fill-in to become a thick, lush and more resistant lawn to new weed seed in the spring.
When leaves fall, start a compost pile. Pile leaves, add a balanced fertilizer to hasten decomposition and then cover the pile with a screen or branches to allow air and water to enter and complete the decomposition process.
November
Stir up and loosen old mulch. This will allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate into the soil and root zone regions. Finish winter mulching tender perennials and roses before foul weather sets in. Be sure to allow a few hard freezes prior to mulching-up roses or hardy perennials. This will allow them to harden-off sufficiently to tolerate the cold temperatures to come.
Late November is a great time to apply a good, complete slow release fertilizer to your trees and shrubs. Although plants are mostly dormant during the winter months, plants still slowly assimilate nutrients. Fertilize now and your plants will show increased vigor, color and health next spring.
Wide windows in modern homes put more of the garden into view. Trees with distinctive branch and twig patterns enforce the scene in winter when most plants are without leaves.
