Now that we have made it past the heat of summer and are starting to enter into the cool seasons of autumn and winter, there are some important things to do to take advantage of the cooling weather.
We hope that after learning these few tips it will enhance your knowledge of the garden and best tree care practices.
If you need help with any of these items or have questions our team is ready to be of help.
Best Time To Plant
Planting now will require less water vs planting in the summer. Plants and trees will adapt much easier to site and require less maintenance. The soil will be moist soon with the coming rains and by spring and summer the plants will have established well. Overall there is a higher success rate and better site adaptability at this time of the year.
Best Time To Prune Pines
In California there has been a high volume of Pine trees dying from bark beetle attacks. They tend to attack trees that are in a stressed condition. Pruning Pines when it causes the least amount of stress is during the colder winter months. Ideally from late October – January.
The bark beetles are less active in the winter and the Pine trees have time to heal and focus on growth in the spring. For that reason pruning susceptible evergreens like Monterey pine, Italian stone pine, and Some Fir trees is best done in the fall and winter. However, safety pruning and minor pruning can be done at any time of the year.
Best Time To Prune Trees And Plants
Contrary to popular belief, the best time to prune trees is when the leaves fall. This is when the trees go dormant and are not actively growing. Most of our requests come in the spring and summer to prune trees when the leaves emerge and branches are heavy as a result. But if you can plan ahead, the best time to prune is between October – January.
When trees and plants go dormant, they can tolerate pruning without it impacting its health as much as it would in the growing season.
This is the best time to perform the needed structural pruning and light pruning can occur any time of the year.
Check Drainage
October is a great time to start prepping for heavy rains. Preparing ahead of time will provide better success and avoid flooding or damage to your property. If your gutters are clogged, the water could sit and rot out the material. Cleaning these will help solve that problem. It will also ensure the water flows properly without hindrance. If you had flooding in your yard now is the time to install drainage. This can be accomplished by grading, installing sump pumps, or underground drains.
Turn Down Watering Schedules
During the spring and summer months the irrigation systems are needed at their full potential. Towards the end of October, and as the weather starts to cool, the systems can begin to be dialed down. When it’s cooler the precipitation rate is lower and when the rains begin there will be water available for all the plants. Leaving the systems on at the same frequency as summer is not necessary and could potentially waste much water. If you have a Rachio timer it may change this for you on its own or send a reminder. If you are part of our gardening program, then our team will be handling this for you. Water frequency can be reduced starting in October and last through February. Work with your gardener to adjust best based on the vegetation you have on site.