Be Inspired Blog - Arizona
Fall Garden Prep: End of Summer Cleanup & Fertilizing
Fertilize Now for a Healthy Fall
Fertilizing your garden in the Valley at the end of August, as nighttime temperatures begin to cool, is important for several reasons:
1. Preparation for the Fall Growing Season:
- Timing: The end of August usually marks the transition from our intense summer heat to the beginning of cooler fall months. Fertilizing when nighttime temperatures are in the lower 80°s F prepares your plants for the upcoming fall growing season, which is one of the best times for gardening in the Valley of the Sun.
- New Growth: Fertilization encourages new growth just as temperatures begin to cool down, allowing plants to take advantage of the more favorable weather conditions.
2. Recovery from Summer Stress:
- Extreme Heat: The summer months in Phoenix can be incredibly harsh on plants, leading to stress and nutrient depletion. Fertilizing helps replenish essential nutrients that may have been depleted during the summer, aiding in recovery and revitalization of your garden.
- Improved Resilience: A nutrient boost at the end of August strengthens plants, making them more resilient to any lingering heat and potential pest problems.
3. Summer Garden Cleanup:
- Remove Dead and Damaged Plants: After the summer's extreme heat, some plants may be dead or damaged. Cleaning up these plants not only improves the appearance of your garden but also reduces the risk of pests and diseases that can thrive in decaying plant material.
- Weed Control: Late summer is also an excellent time to remove weeds that may have taken hold during the summer. Weeding before fertilizing ensures that the nutrients go to your desired plants rather than to the weeds.
- Pruning: Pruning back overgrown or leggy plants during your summer cleanup helps stimulate new growth and ensures that the plants will have a healthy structure going into the fall.
4. Soil Health:
- Nutrient Depletion: The high temperatures and intense sun can cause rapid nutrient depletion in the soil. Fertilizing helps restore the balance of nutrients, improving soil health and ensuring that plants have what they need to thrive.
- Organic Matter: Incorporating organic fertilizers can also add organic matter to the soil, which improves soil structure, moisture retention, and overall soil fertility.
5. Boost for Perennials and Lawns:
- Perennials: Fertilizing perennials at the end of August helps them store energy for the winter months and encourages strong growth in the following spring.
- Lawns: For lawns, especially warm-season grasses like Bermuda grass, fertilizing in late August can promote thick, healthy growth and help prepare the lawn for the transition into cooler weather and to your Ryegrass winter lawn.
6. Pest and Disease Management:
- Healthier Plants: Well-fertilized plants are generally healthier and more resistant to pests and diseases, which can be more active during the cooler, more humid fall months.
7. Maximizing Water Use Efficiency:
- Water Retention: Fertilizing with organic matter, by amending the soil, can improve the soil’s ability to retain water, which is crucial in the desert climate of Phoenix where water conservation is important. Your local SummerWinds Nursery also offers a variety of mulches that can help reduce water evaportation and protect plants' roots.
8. Enhancing Garden Aesthetics:
- Post-Summer Tidy Up: Along with fertilizing, cleaning up your garden at the end of August enhances its aesthetic appeal. Removing spent flowers, trimming hedges, and ensuring that all areas are well-tended will leave your garden looking refreshed, ready for fall, and make it more difficult for common garden pests to make themselves at home.
In the Valley of the Sun, late August is the ideal time to cleanup from your summer garden cleanup and fertilize your plants and lawn in preparation for the fall. This process not only helps your garden recover from the summer heat but also prepares it for a thriving fall season by improving soil health, boosting plant resilience, and enhancing your garden's overall aesthetics.
