When the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves start to change here in the Long Branch, New Jersey area, you might think your time in the garden is over. But not so fast, you’re just getting started. Don’t let your green thumb go to waste in the fall. There are plenty of plants you can still grow in your garden through autumn and others that you can bring indoors to care for the rest of the year. Stick with me, Michele Irizarry, CEO and broker of Shore Prime Properties. As this month’s video series will focus on home maintenance and upgrades that are sure to bring you top dollar when it comes time to sell.
While you should spend a portion of your fall cleaning up from summer and preparing for spring, there are plenty of flowers you can plant now to bring some liveliness to your landscape. Just be sure to wait to plant new blooms until the average temperature falls below 80 degrees.
If you’re looking to rejuvenate your garden, an array of annuals can add color to your fall landscaping. Pansies and violas can bloom through November and sometimes even longer. Violas are a hardy option able to withstand colder temperatures, while pansies will do better in mild temperatures. Chrysanthemums, AKA mums are another great option for their hardiness. While technically a perennial, many people treat mums as an annual plant when they use them in autumn. Make sure to plant your mums well ahead of the first frost to give them time to establish themselves.
Other annuals that fare well during the fall include marigolds, dianthus, helenium and sweet asylum. Make sure to plant your annuals in an area where they receive the right amount of sun and water regularly. Adding a layer of mulch helps some annuals return in the spring and warmer climates. If you’re thinking about adding a tree or a shrub to your yard, consider planting it at least four weeks before the ground freezes. Warmer ground temperatures allow the roots to grow before winter sets in and the tree or shrub goes dormant. Make sure to get it plenty of space and water it until the ground freezes.
Finally, divide or move perennials a few weeks before the average first frost state, which in the Long Branch area is typically around the end of October to give plants time to grow new roots and recover from the transplant. Moving perennials can give these flowers more room to grow, improve access to light or shade and provide better soil conditions as well as giving your landscape a refresh. Some varieties to consider replanting include bearded iris, daylily, veronica, peony and bleeding heart. Make sure to give your perennials plenty of water and a layer of mulch in their new home. If temperatures are falling, it might be time to move some of your plants indoors. Whether tropical plants, annuals or both, many plants need warmth to survive.
If you are considering bringing some of your plants indoors, you might want to take a few things into account. If temperatures fall below 50 degrees overnight, you should bring the plants indoors. However, the process isn’t just as simple as bringing them into your house. You’ll need to take time to make sure that they acclimate to their new environment. Before bringing plants in, make sure they don’t have pests tagging along on the leaves or moss and mold growing on the pots. And check your soil for pests too. Many of these insects will be near the surface so do a little digging to make sure the soil is free of tag alongs.
If a plant has grown over the warmer months, you may also need to prune or replant it in a larger pot. To prepare your plants for the move, bring them in on cool nights for a few days. Return the plants outside during the daylight hours so they receive plenty of sun. Gradually decrease the time they spend outdoors over two weeks. Many of us don’t have greenhouses available for our plants. However, there are plenty of spaces in your home that should work. Try to maintain an indoor temperature between 55 and 70 degrees, and be sure to keep plants away from drafty areas and heat sources. Provide the plants with sunlight by placing them next to a window. Remember to clean the window you choose. This will help to provide adequate lighting all winter. The direction your window faces will also make an impact on the light plants receive. South facing windows tend to be a good spot for plants that need full sun. Windows facing east or west are better for partial sun plants. You can also use an indoor light when there is limited sunlight during the day in the winter time.
You also want to offer your indoor plants plenty of humidity. A good way to do this is by setting up the humidity tray, by doing these five simple steps. Number one, find a shallow tray that is large enough to hold your plants and their pots. Number two, fill the tray with pebbles or small rocks. Number three, add water to just below the top part of the pebbles and set the plants on the pebbles. Number four, avoid letting the bottom of the plant touch the water, since this can lead to unwanted root rot. And number five, the tray will eventually evaporate and provide the humidity your plants need. Avoid overwatering your plants by only watering when the soil surface is dry to the touch. Overwatering can be as deadly to plants as under watering it.
Although fall has arrived here in the Long Branch, New Jersey area, you can still spend plenty of time enjoying your garden, both inside and outside. So throw on your gardening gloves and grab your watering can, it’s time to get to work. If you need any advice about how to spruce up your home’s curb appeal, feel free to reach out to us here at Shore Prime Properties. I’m Michele Irizarry, selling prime real estate at the Jersey Shore.
