Bring Your Garden to Life This Fall
Summer Has Taken A Toll
August is often our least favorite month when it comes to inviting people to visit the garden. Late summer is a time when the life in the garden has been depleted from months of heat and lack of rainfall. Brutal temperatures cause earthworms to wither, and the hot sun has dried up and hardened the exposed soil. Plant roots unshielded from heat and foot traffic result in weakened shrubs or yellow veins and spots on leaves that reveal disease.
Summer has given the garden a beating, but it is not yet time to plant for spring. What can we do during the month of August to bring our garden to life in the fall? How can we bring balance to an ecosystem that is sweltering from summer heat?
Our mission statement says it all:
We envision a non-toxic future where adding life to our gardens will be the norm, and harmful toxins can be reduced or eliminated from the food we eat and the beautiful gardens we enjoy.
Always Begin With The Soil
So what does it look like to add life to a fall garden? August is the time to turn this bleak garden-scape around! Always start with the soil. Now is a great time to apply copious amounts of organic garden soil, compost or manures – even raw horse manure will begin to rebuild life in the soil. Turning this organic matter into the top layers of your garden allows the multitude of organisms in the soil to awaken and help to convert the amendments into humus and humic substances, ready to feed and protect plant roots.
Beneficial Insects Add Life To Gardens (…and, bring death to harmful insects!)
The coup de gras is drenching your soil with a preparation of beneficial nematodes to seek out and destroy any beetle larvae, fungus gnats, or grubs lurking under your plants. The one-two punch of a well-amended soil, beneficial nematodes will help your garden thrive. This is also a great time to introduce earthworms to your soil, which will burrow and multiply, leaving their castings and worm holes ready for spring planting. The earlier you introduce the beneficial soil-based insects, the more vibrant your plants will appear in the coming months.
Don’t Forget to Mulch!
Organic mulches have been used for centuries to reduce the hot, baking effects of the summer sun. They act like a protective, insulating blanket, minimizing soil radiation, decreasing water evaporation, and reducing the need for water by over 30% (Cuyamaca College Mulch Study, 1999). Mulch protects the soil surface from compaction and keeps soil pores open to receive water. By shading the soil surface, annual weeds have a tough time becoming established and are much easier to pull. Finally, as the mulch breaks down, it adds to the organic content of the soil resulting in what we call “healthy soil”.
Don’t Wait for an Infestation – Beneficial Insects Add Protection
Turning our attention to above-ground: we believe in releasing beneficial insects before we spot a problem that requires them. Planning ahead helps to enable an ecosystem in balance. Give the lacewings or ladybugs a chance to lay their eggs in preparation for new spring growth and the emergence of the tender shoots that are a favorite attraction for aphids. Why not have these Guardians of the Garden already on the leaves, ready to go to battle to protect the precious and tender spring growth?
When you place the praying mantis ootheca in your garden, over 100 praying mantis nymphs will emerge and grow right before your eyes – that is, if you are around to witness this special event. The praying mantis often go into hiding immediately to better their chances of reaching adulthood. Waiting in the “wings” – literally – are multitudes of birds who find the tender mantis an enticing meal. Better than a bird feeder, praying mantises make an excellent meal for your local bird population.
Another creature to release in fall is the trichogramma wasp, which is harmless to humans but a parasite to the crafty caterpillars that seem to chew plants down to the nub overnight. Head to your garden center or nursery today and ask them if they carry beneficial insects. Also ask if they have a Bug Master available to answer any questions. Bug Masters are certified to provide the answers to your most important questions about beneficial insects.
Invite Beneficial Insects to Your Garden
Overall, gardening with beneficial insects can have a number of positive effects on the ecosystem in your yard. By attracting these beneficial creatures to your garden, and caring for them once they are here, you can help to create an inviting, healthier, and more hospitable environment.
Here are some helpful tips:
- In case it goes without saying, avoid using pesticides – duh! Pesticides can kill beneficial insects as well as pests, so it’s best to stay away from them whenever possible.
- Provide water and shelter. Beneficial insects need these to survive, so make sure to provide water and shelter in your garden. You can do this by adding a birdbath, pollinator fountain, water feature, or a thick layer of mulch, leaves or straw (rather than having a gardener blow it all into bags!).
- Be patient. It takes time to attract a healthy population of beneficial insects to your garden. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately. Just keep providing the right conditions, and the beneficial insects will eventually come and with it a renewed vibrancy to your garden.
- Plan ahead – plant bulbs! Beneficial insects need pollen and nectar to survive, so planting a variety of flowering plants will attract a wider variety of beneficial insects.
A healthy garden that is brimming with life is possible. Even in the late summer. Following these tips will help you get into the year-round practice of working with Mother Nature to add life to your garden. Beneficial insects can also attract other wildlife to your garden, such as birds, butterflies, and frogs.
This abundance of life will add to the beauty and sound of your garden – a paradise that you helped to create, right outside your window.
