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Fall Earth Kind practicesBy Tara McKnight CEA- Hort. Texas Cooperative Extension Wichita County Fall is here, and with fall comes chores that need to be done around the house and garden to prepare yourself for winter and eventually for next spring. Fall is an excellent time of the year for a variety of Earth Kind landscaping activities. Before beginning your fall projects, take a moment to review these suggestions to ensure that you are contributing to a healthy and sustainable landscape environment. Take the Earth Kind Challenge Participating in this on-line exercise is a great way to get started. It only takes a few minutes and will assist in determining the types of changes in landscape practices that can be made to help preserve and protect the environment in which we live. See the Earth Kind website to take the challenge. Fall Planting Fall is an excellent time to establish new plants in the landscape. Cooler temperatures and occasional rainfall create ideal growth conditions for a variety of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials. The Earth Kind Plant Selector is an excellent tool for identifying highly adapted plants for specific gardening areas throughout the state. This searchable database provides information on over 1,000 commonly used landscape plants. Those with an Earth Kind Index value of 8 or above will significantly contribute towards creating a healthy and sustainable landscape. Visit the Earth Kind website for more information and access to the Earth Kind Plant Selector. Fertilization Fall fertilizer applications are very common and typically recommended to prepare plants for winter. The type and amount of fertilizer to apply should be based on the results of a soil test. In the absence of this information, 1 to 2 pounds of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet, from a no/low phosphorus fertilizer material, generally meets the needs of most plants. Fertilizer applications should be directed toward landscape beds and turf areas and away from streets, walks, drives and other hardscape areas. Remember--misapplication (not type or amount of fertilizer used) is the most frequent cause of surface and groundwater contamination. Mulching A 2 to 4 inch layer of mulch is an excellent means of holding in valuable soil moisture, suppressing weed growth, moderating soil temperature and providing winter protection for tender plants. Since organic mulches break down over time, a re-application in the fall is generally required/recommended. It's usually a good idea to mulch after planting fall annuals and perennials. Mulching is a valuable Earth Kind practice that can preserve valuable natural resources and contribute to the aesthetic appearance of the landscape. Your garden and landscape questions are always welcome. You may either contact me at our County Extension office, 716-8610, or by e-mail, tcmcknight@ag.tamu.edu. You are always encouraged to visit the Wichita County Master Gardner website at www.overthegardengate.org. Another great website to visit for very useful garden hints and answers is http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/. This article, along with every article, will also be featured on www.joetomwhite.com 24 hours a day under county agents. Date: 10/16/07
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