Give them a boost!

Reading time: 3.5 min.

Just like us, our garden has been waiting through the long sweltering months for the reprieve of autumn breeze and rain. This is the time to get our hands all muddy with good earth and welcome the shifting of seasons by getting our yard ready for winter.
Here are a few simple tips to get you started – your future self will thank you!

As the first rain comes down, so anticipated and still surprising, filling our senses with that smell of good soil and hints of hope and renewal.

Just as we are so eager for these raindrops at the end of the arid summer so are the earth and the reservoir of seeds just waiting with thirst for this shift in seasons.

The month of ‘Tishrei’, the ‘Yoreh’, the blooming Squills (‘Hatsavim’), and the gentle drop in temperatures – remind us that this is the time to get our potted plants and flower beds ready for sprouting leaves and the heavy work of a new growth cycle come winter.

We asked for professional tips from agronomist Lior Hershkovitz, Ramat Hanadiv’s gardening advisor.
So roll up your sleeves and let’s get to work! You know it’s gonna be worth it…

Flowers

Start by clearing your beds of those seasonal flowers past their bloom and get about planting autumn flowers such as – Petunias, Verbena, and other winter seasonals you will find in your local plant nursery.
You might also find some bargain sale summer flowers there – resist temptation! Tagetes and Vinkas are lovely but will not last long once temperatures drop.

Soil

Take a good look at your yard and clear up drain points and ditches from leaves or dirt. This practice helps avoid floods and puddles later in the season.
Open up your soil and give it a light toss. We recommend “breaking” the topsoil gently to allow the water to easily seep through.

Grass and Fertilizer

In autumn we fertilize only lawns (our flowers, vegetables, and trees prefer their compost at the end of winter and springtime). If you have a grass lawn we recommend fertilizing it now with a potassium-rich slow-releasing fertilizer.
Shift your lawn mower’s settings to a higher mowing height to accommodate the slowdown in growth during the winter.

Vegetables

Vegetables from the cruciferous family like the colder days – lettuce and other such leafy greens. This is the time to plant cabbage, broccoli, rocket, and more. You can give a nice border to your raised beds to avoid soil loss and maybe even replace your bed with good new soil to reduce the amount of winter weed seeds.

Weeds – best to nip them in the bud, pull them out – roots and all, right after the first rain when they’re smallest. Your chosen plants will appreciate the cleared space.

Trees and shrubs

Shrubs are not seasonal like flowers. We can spruce them up by clearing them from summer blooms that have dried out. Planting new shrubs? No need for irrigation, at this time of year the shrubs will prosper from the rain. Note that shrubs with red foliage (such as Purple Alternanthera and Acalypha) are likely to slow down their growth in the winter.
Another option is to plant your shrub in a large pot, this allows you to move it around and even indoors for colder days if it’s sensitive to lower temperatures.
Now is a good time to plant trees. No need to water them, winter rains will give them what they need.
We recommend pruning deciduous trees at this time once they lose their summer foliage – less dry matter to throw out, and a chance to orient your future tree growth.

Citrus trees should best be trimmed before they bloom. Please be sure to prune branches that have reached your gutters and any growth that might be hazardous like splintered branches.

Herbs

Garden to table. For easier gathering, it’s best to plant them in a pot or a raised bed, this also limits plants like mint that tend to spread out. Sage and Lavender could be a great addition as they are known to relieve winter flu.

You are most welcome, as always, to come and explore Ramat Hanadiv and see the gardens in their autumn bloom.

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Any question? We will be glad to help