Garden jobs to finish before the first frost

October 25, 12:53 PMSeattle Garden & Kitchen ExaminerJerry & Kristy

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                     Gathering leaves by hand!

The cold weather is setting in here in the Seattle area and that means the first frost is just around the corner. Luckily we have been given a forecast of a few beautiful (rain-free) days, which allows us to tackle some Fall gardening. Here are five garden and landscaping chores that should be finished before that first frost hits.

1.    Collect and Cut
 Gather up all of the seeds (poppy, nasturtiums etc) for next year’s plantings. You can now take plant cuttings, place them in water (change every few days) until they grow a strong root base and can be planted for indoor enjoyment. Coleuses for example, are extremely easy to grow from cuttings.

2.    Plant
 This is the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs as well as transplanting ones you already have to better locations. Fertilize trees that you transplant or have been transplanted this year.
 Spending a few hours planting mixture of bulbs (in both pots and the ground) now, will let you enjoy an array of color and beauty in the Spring.

3.    Rake
 While we love the Fall colors, the leaves do end up all over our lawns. Getting them off the green lawns allows them to continue to absorb light. There is a way to leave them on the lawn (see number 4) but not as whole, fallen leave. Rake up the leaves and used them as mulch or compost.

4.    Mow
 Yep, you need to do one more mowing. You can mow right over those fallen leaves a couple of times and leave the small pieces where they fall to aid your lawn. If you have a bad catcher, you can add them straight to the compost.
Note: You should try to empty the gas tank before you store the mower. You can leave them on the lawns if you first mow

5.    Weed
 By taking advantage of this nice break in the weather and weeding now, you will save yourself time and effort in the Spring. The soil is easy to work right now and can easily be weeded and turned. This will not only allow you to “jump right in” come Spring, it will stop weeds from seeding and popping up all around your bulbs!