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Fall into GreenScapes
Should new lawns be planted in cold weather? Do plants require less watering in autumn? And what about flower beds—when should they be prepared? Our GreenScapes Seasonal Calendar offers fall tips for both residential and commercial landscape maintenance. As the leaves start to turn and the temperature drops:
- Pull emerging weeds in garden beds when the ground is moist and before deep roots are developed.
- Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials in early fall to give them a good start.
- Plant new lawns or seed established lawns to give them the best start before next summer.
- Reduce watering-time during cooler weather.
- Clear unwanted garden growth and fallen leaves to collect for spring compost. Keep the compost pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge.
In addition, a new pamphlet, GreenScaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard (PDF) (16 pp, 2.1MB, about PDF), answers your lawn care questions and describes everyday landscaping activities that not only save money and time, but also help the environment. Intended for homeowners, the pamphlet stresses the importance of working with nature and seasonal change by eliminating unnecessary water and chemical use, reducing yard waste, and following the four Rs—reduce, reuse, recycle, and rebuy—when making yard care and landscaping decisions. You can download the pamphlet for free from the Homeowners' GreenScapes Web page.
The new pamphlet was developed by the GreenScapes Initiative, which provides cost-efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for landscaping to companies, government agencies, homeowners, and other entities. The program helps preserve natural resources and prevent waste and pollution. The pamphlet, which was a joint project with the Office of Pesticides, Office of Water, and Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC), has expanded the program to include home yard care.
GreenScapes and the program’s new brochure and seasonal tips exemplify the types of projects encouraged by RCC that promote organic materials recycling.
For More Information:
- GreenScaping: The Easy Way to a Greener, Healthier Yard | PDF Version (16 pp, 2.1MB, about PDF)
- GreenScapes
- GreenScapes: Environmentally Beneficial Landscaping | PDF Version (8 pp, 757K, about PDF)
- GreenScaping Your Lawn and Garden (PDF) (8 pp, 1.6MB, about PDF) | en Español (PDF) (8 pp, 313K, about PDF)
- Resource Conservation Challenge National Priority Area: Municipal Solid Waste Recycling