Fall is in the air

Fall is definitely in the air here at the Urban Garden. There are a ton of Fall garden chores to take care off. This week we will be planting the tulip bulbs and getting the beds mulched down for winter. It is usually hectic for us because this is the one season when we transition to a whole new routine. We must take care of all the horticultural needs on the campus while we are readying the specialized equipment for snow and ice management.

The snow and ice equipment must all be checked over and maintenance such as hose and fluid replacement must be done so that at 2 am with 4 inches of snow on the ground we are not out fighting to get something started. Even with brand new equipment it is always possible for something to break down and that is never a good thing. I really do not like snow removal it is a long process and there is a lot of pressure to get it done and by the time a storm is over you are drained physically and emotionally. Here at the urban garden cleanup may take two to three days before it is complete because we have a limited amount of parking and we are a 24 x7 operation so we must go back each time a car moves to clean the area.

Back to fall. The leaves will be hitting the ground shortly and with close to 700 trees on campus most in the parking lots we will spend a lot of time getting those up. They will not only harm grass area but can clog the sewers as well causing flooding or ice damns in the winter so we must get them up.

We also must be sure the tender perennials are mulched well so that they can survive the winter. The lawn areas will receive a winter fertilizer application by the 15th of the month so it can help get the root system nice ad strong for next spring. All the perennials that have not been cut back yet will also need to be taken care of. As an additional job we must blow out and winterize the irrigation system no small task when you are looking art almost 60 zones.

All in all fall is a busy time here at the urban garden and definitely not a time to rest on your laurels.