Tasks that you should not neglect in the autumn in the garden

Is there anything else on the long to-do list?

Autumn is the period in which the roots of our plants grow the most. Roots that will stop growing only with the intense cold of the harshest winter. Therefore, it is a wonderful time for plants and is the best time to plant a garden. Closely related to this is the season ticket holder, and this season is the ideal time to do so. The plants will appreciate it during the autumn, they will rest well nourished in the winter and, as spring arrives, that extra vigor will be very evident.

Recovery of plants after a hot summer

In some countries, this year’s summer was the hottest since measurements began, and during it there were four heat waves, something outdoor plants suffer from. The best advice we can give to combat heat waves is to choose native vegetation, which is the most resistant.

Regarding the work of recovering plants in autumn, which become very dehydrated due to these heat waves, the expert warns that “the apparent solution, watering more, can cause the opposite effect, death or diseases due to the proliferation of fungi: the high humidity and the high heat are an ideal terrain for them. For this reason, I insist on the fact that autumn is the time to fertilize, and never better to say, the future of the plant. Knowing that the heat waves will put a strain on the plants, it is necessary to strengthen their roots and protect the soil from heat and drying: we must therefore opt for fertilizer (poor in nitrogen) and mulch. It seems like it is the solution to everything, but in reality plants depend on the soil for everything, which is why investing in the substrate is the best recommendation.”

It’s time for cleaning and weeding

Autumn is a time that invites us to tidy up the garden, to remove plants that have not survived the summer, to keep weeds away… but, on the other hand, it is a period in which a lot of organic matter is generated: fallen leaves. , dry stems… and it is not always advisable to remove it. “Personally I use cut grass and dry leaves as mulch in the garden. It seems to me to be the most ecological and simple way to practice the circular economy. By conserving the grass and dry leaves and using them as cover for other plantings, we offer them protection from the cold (which significantly dehydrates the soil) and return organic matter to the soil”, underlines the landscape designer.

Adapt watering to this rainy season

Autumn can be as rainy as spring, although with an irregularity that in many cases can prove dangerous (the cold or the Danish drops remind us of this). This means that, if we take precipitation in the abstract, without looking at the daily/weekly/monthly distribution, we may think that it rains enough, but this is not the case. If it rains heavily one day and doesn’t rain for a month, we are faced with a problem.

“Hence the attention that must be paid to irrigation, checking whether the plants need it, and occasionally helping those who do not have irrigation with a watering can. Naturally, drainage will have its main role in this season, so subject to rains and premature rains. It is advisable to check whether there are obstacles in the pipes, gutters or drainage wells”, underlines Fernando.

In this era, these are the best fertilizers

It is important to pay attention to the type of fertilizer we are going to offer to the plants, opting for an organic one, low in nitrogen, which we are not particularly interested in at the moment. “The reason is that nitrogen plays a decisive role in the production of chlorophyll and in the growth of stems and leaves, things that are not vital in autumn, as we have already seen,” insists the landscape designer. On the contrary, we want to stimulate the roots and provide future nutrients to the plant, and for this we have pieces of earthworm, mulch, manure or compost at our disposal. These slow-release fertilizers will provide extra phosphorus and potassium, both of which are vital for root growth.

Autumn, cutting time…

For deciduous plants, autumn pruning is maintenance, i.e. cleaning dead branches in poor condition. Fruit trees are a bit fickle, because they depend a lot on the flowering and ripening of the fruit, but in general light cuts for cleaning and sanitizing can be done perfectly.

Aromatic plants and plants with vigorous development in spring and summer, such as lavender, sage, verbena, herbs… are cut back intensively in autumn, reducing them to 1/3 of their size, or even more in some cases. This will encourage healthy, vigorous growth in the spring. Otherwise, they will age and become very woody.

… And plantation!

“Autumn is my favorite season for planting, without major distinctions or exclusions, planting everything in the garden, flowers, bushes, trees…”: specifies Fernando.

Of course, some species we will only see in spring or summer (like bulbs), while others we will see just planted in autumn and they will lose their leaves until next spring. In other words, fall planting is good for the plant, but it leaves a trace of bitterness because it seems like the garden is wilting. But in reality it grows underground and prepares for the new year.

On the other hand, there are plants and flowers that offer all their potential in autumn and winter, and planting them will be a great joy for the garden in the cold months. We are talking about cabbages, pansies, cyclamens, asters or heathers.

A season that invites you to enjoy it calmly

Autumn is, together with spring, the period of greatest work in the garden, but not the most tiring. The trend is towards cooler rather than hotter days, the atmosphere is more humid and there can be a bit of nostalgia in the air, so keeping active is very beneficial, even appreciated. “Many times spring, which is beautiful, still overtakes us. So many stimuli at the same time, so much grass growing uncontrollably… you can feel overwhelmed. Autumn work can be postponed even more, put off until tomorrow; and resting on a bench is part of every gardener’s routine in autumn”, reflects Fernando.