Fresno Gardening Green

The weather profile remains dry and drought conditions may continue through the fall. Tasks Monitor rainfall and adjust water accordingly to keep soil moist for new plantings. Put organic mulch around permanent plants to conserve water and prevent weeds.

October and November are ideal months to plant new trees in Fresno County landscapes. The soil is still warm and the weather cools, perfect conditions for pushing root growth that will give the new tree a running start in the spring. Planting a new tree does require thoughtful planning.

Tasks Top dress warm-season lawns with well-composted manure. Sharpen and clean tools for fall pruning. Adjust watering schedules to reflect cooler temperatures and shorter days. Pruning Leaf-fall is the time to start pruning - except for apricots and olives, which should have been done in August.

Well, we normally start to cool off somewhat in October, but Mother Nature seems to have other ideas in mind for the first few days of this month. So, when the weather is cooler, you can fertilize your roses with a good organic fertilizer and compost.

Fall has arrived on the calendar but the summer heat continues. October is the best month to plant and transplant here in the Central Valley but once again this year we're having to postpone fall planting until daytime temperatures are consistently in the 80s.