Late summer is the time to reduce your fertilizing habits; it is no longer necessary to feed to encourage extreme growth and prolific bloom. In fact you should be reducing your nitrogen and concentrating on adding trace elements, phosphorus and potassium. This will help your plants to slow down excessive growth, harden up and settle in for the winter. The extra phosphorus will help your plant to resist cold and disease while the potassium will makes plants more winter hardy and less likely to be injured by late fall or early spring frosts. Some few plants to make sure get a fall fertilizer containing these elements include early bloomers, such as Camellias or Lilacs, or heavy feeders including roses, clematis and wisteria. Broad leaved or coniferous evergreens should also get fed so that their foliage will withstand those cold, drying winter winds. Fruit trees and small berries will also benefit.

A simple way to add these elements is to apply a natural product such as glacial rock dust. Readily available this natural mineral supplies a broad spectrum of minerals plus phosphorous. Rock dust will improve soil structure, moisture holding properties and nutrient availability. It can be used any time, but is of particular benefit in the fall. For adding the necessary potassium your plants need try adding fish bone meal. A high available phosphorus fertilizer it also contains trace minerals. It is an excellent alternative to regular bone meal; it is perfect in helping the roots develop for the long winter!

Now what about that lawn? If you want to have a lush green lawn next spring, now is the time to prepare. It is important to feed our lawns in the fall to allow the roots to develop and the grass to store up energy. Using a slow release organic lawn food will not only feed your grass, but will also feed the soil. A well-fed soil is the key to a green, weed free lawn. Look for a slow release fall lawn food and apply early, one of the benefits of a slow release as compared to a fast acting chemical is that it reduces all that mowing. A lawn that feeds slowly grows stronger and slower.