YOUR OFFICIAL END-OF-SUMMER HOME CHECKLIST
As the summer sun dips over the horizon a bit earlier each evening, the distinctive signs of fall readily approach. But before you pack up your garden tools for winter, take advantage of the current season to clean up your garden and prepare for spring, which will be here again before you know it.
Deadheading Early fall is the perfect time to clean up your plants. Cutting off dead branches and removing spent blooms redirects the plants’ energy to targeted spots while they prepare for the colder weather ahead. However, for some plants, it’s best to wait until later in the fall. If cut back too soon, they may start to regrow rather than harden up against winter protection. Don’t prune plants like azaleas, rhododendrons and forsythia, for example, that begin developing buds in the fall that bloom in the spring.
Look for the highest five-leaf grouping and trim directly above that spot. This often results in one more bloom before the end of the season.
However, you can remove dead wood from any plant any time of year. Late summer is a good time to thin out your deciduous and evergreen trees. It’s also the ideal time to trim back the rose bushes.
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