Flower and Vegetable Gardens
• Prepare new planting beds and garden by mixing in 1-3 inches of compost.
• Pull weeds when they first start growing, while soil is moist and roots are short, before the go to seed.
• Buy plants that resist disease and use less water.
Tree and shrub beds
• Prepare new tree and shrub beds by mixing compost into the entire bed (not just planting plant holes) or plant trees in native soil and mulch well.
Lawns
• Start mowing, about 2 inches high for most lawns, or 1 inch for bentgrass lawns
Grasscycle-leave the clipping for free fertilizer.
• For lawns in poor condition: aerate, overseed, and top-dress with ½ inch of compost.
• Fertilize lawns if needed in May with “natural organic” or “slow release” fertilizer
Watering
• Prepare sprinkler systems by testing, adjusting, and repairing leaks
• Lay out soaker hose in beds, and cover with mulch.
• Check soil moisture at plant roots before watering-don’t water until they need it.
Composting
• Harvest compost from your bin. Throw any uncomposted sticks or stalks back in for another cycle.
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
• Mulch flower and vegetable beds with compost or grass clippings to conserve water and control weeds.
• Use fabric row covers to keep pest off sensitive vegetables.
• Identify bugs before you spray, squash or stomp-they may be “good bugs” that eat pest.
Tree and Shrub beds
Mulch shrub and tree beds with wood chips, leaves, or bark once a year to conserve water, reduce weeds and feed the soil.
Lawns
• Mow regularly, and leave the clippings on the lawn.
• Keep the mower blade sharp to reduce lawn damage and brown tips.
• Consider saving water be letting some lawn areas (ones that don’t get heavy traffic) go brown and dormant until fall.
Watering
• Start and re-check watering systems, and adjust for weather.
• Water lawns 1 inch per week, or let go brown and dormant (but water enough to moisten root zone once a month).
• Water at dawn or in the evening to reduce evaporation.
Composting
• Add yard debris to compost pile; water pile to keep it moist. Place pile in shade or cover to hold moisture.
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
• Pull emerging weeds in beds when ground is moist and before they develop deep roots.
• Mulch gardens beds with leaves or compost to reduce winter weeds and feed the soil. Or plant winter cover crops in open beds.
• Prepare new planting areas by digging in compost.
Tree and Shrub beds
• Mulch tree and shrub beds with leaves, wood chips or bark.
• Plant trees, scrubs and many perennials in early fall to give them a good start
Lawns
• Improve thin areas of lawn in September-October by aerating, overseeding, and top-dressing with compost.
• Fertilize lawns with “natural Organic” or “slow release” fertilizer in September to develop healthy roots and crowd out weeds.
• Plant new lawns September 1-October 15, to give them the best start before next summer.
Watering
• Reduce watering for cooler weather ion September.
• When rains come, shut off and drain watering systems.
• Put away exposed soaker hoses, or recover with mulch if left out.
Composting
• Clear out any annual garden growth and compost it for spring. Keep pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge.
Flower and Vegetable Gardens
• Rake winter leaf mulch back onto beds if winds blow off.
• Weed beds once during winter to prevent weed going to seed.
Tree and Shrub beds
Prune fruit trees and other woody trees and shrubs while they’re dormant (December-February).
Winter is the time to plan for spring
• Tune up yard equipment; sharpen mower blades.
• Plan drip irrigation or soaker hoses for beds and containers to conserve water.
• Check storage area for unwanted chemicals, and dispose safely. Call the King County Hazard Line at 206-296-4692 for disposal information.
• Plan to replace plants that have disease or pest problems.
