t is time to get busy doing yard work if you have held off doing any until the 100 degree temperatures were gone for good. October is a great time to over seed your lawn, plant most trees and shrubs, and get your garden and flower beds started.

Lawns

Mid-October and into mid-November is a great time to over seed in the Phoenix area, if you have not done so already. First, mow your lawn at the lowest setting on your mower. Next, spread the seed evenly over the lawn. We recommend a rate of 1 pound per 50 to 75 square feet. Right after spreading the seed, apply Fertilome™ New Lawn Starter on top of the seed to increase the germination rate and provide the seed with a strong root base. Once the seed and starter fertilizer are down, the final step is covering with a mulch or manure top dressing. The top dressing is necessary to hold heat overnight when the nighttime temperatures are cooler. Start watering the seed immediately 3 to 5 times a day for a few minutes at a time. Once the seed germinates cut back the watering to once a day. After 3 to 4 weeks you should be able to mow. Just be sure to set your mower back to your normal mowing height.

When choosing a grass to over seed with in the fall you will find there are mainly two options available. The most common options are Annual and Perennial Ryegrass. Annual rye grass is a coarse, wide bladed grass. It is less expensive to buy but you get what you pay for. Annual rye grass is not heat tolerant, often dying out before your summer lawn comes out of dormancy in the spring. Annual is very wet, sticks to mower blades, and will stain easily. Perennial rye grass has great color, a much finer blade than annual, and is heat tolerant. We carry a mixed blend of three Perennial varieties. By blending varieties we are able to take advantage of the best characteristics of each. If you have always planted Annual and never tried perennial, we urge you to give it a try; you will never go back.

Vegetables & Fruits

It is time to get the garden started if you have not done so yet!

The following fruits and vegetables can be transplanted: strawberries, celery, chard, lettuce, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, cauliflower, and early producing tomatoes.

The following seeds can be planted: broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, celery, chard, carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks, turnips, radishes, mustard, peas, green onions, parsnips, bok choy, spinach, and radishes.

We are currently receiving bi-weekly shipments of fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs from Bonnie Plants™.

Flowers

The fall season provides a great opportunity to plant annual flowers, giving your yard plenty of color through the winter into spring of next year.

The following flowers will grow through the winter: Lobelia, Alyssum, Petunias, Pansies, Geraniums, Snapdragons, Dianthus, and they all come in many different colors.

Also, now is a great time to fertilize roses to encourage even more fall bloom.

Watering

As the temperatures continue to cool down, it is crucial to cut back how often you water your trees and shrubs. Still continue to water deeply, but do it less often. For example, a citrus tree normally watered once a week can now be watered once every two weeks deeply.

Weeds

Apply pre-emergent herbicides from October into early December to control winter weeds. We recommend Hi-Yield® Turf & Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper which is effective at controlling and preventing many tough to kill weeds such as Crabgrass and Spurge. It can also be applied to established Ryegrass to prevent cool weather weeds all winter long.