The autumn season often seems like the most leisurely period of the year, especially with its mellowed fruitfulness. But it’s actually quite a hectic time, particularly for property owners that maintain a lawn or garden. There are so many tasks to stay on top of – leaves need to be raked, perennials need to be tidied up, and it’s a must to keep an eye out for diseased branches and leave.

All these tasks for autumn gardening can be quite overwhelming. Before tackling them, it’s good to work out an “attack plan.” This will streamline the process and ascertain that you’re able to cover everything in a much easier manner.

For your attack plan, one of the things you need to prepare is a checklist. Having a list will allow you to group tasks together properly so you can create a schedule that’s thoroughly efficient.

To help you streamline your autumn gardening, here are the tasks that your autumn gardening checklist should include:

Tidy all the beds.

• Cut back all spent perennials.
• Boost plants with beautiful seed heads.
• Get rid of weeds by removing them from the root to have a head start on spring when weeds are most aggressive and harmful.
• Throw away dead wood and leaves. You don’t want them to become matted lest they suffocate the beds or even your lawn.
• Control vine growth.

Mow the lawn.

• Give your lawn the final buzz before the winter.

Check the pH level of your lawn.

• If pH level is below 5.5, apply chalk or powdered limestone.
• The right pH will support healthy growth in the spring. Grass colour will be more vibrant and it’ll be less susceptible to diseases.

Spread organic fertiliser and compost.

• Give plants food in late autumn so they will be well nourished in the spring after the winter frost has thawed (like what usually happens in many parts of Western Australia).
• Spreading fertiliser will also help control weeds.

Plant perennials and bulbs.

• Autumn is ideal for placing spring bulbs in the ground and planting everything from deciduous trees, shrubs and evergreens.
• Bulbs are easy to grow but make sure to place them where they’ll get loads of sunshine.

Save seeds.

• This is a smart way to get a head start in the warm seasons’ garden.
• It is also important in preserving cherished heirloom varieties.

Clean gardening containers and tools.

• Make sure to disinfect pots to remove all traces of soil that could contain bacteria and disease-causing organisms.
• Clean and sharpen tools to prolong good performance and at the same time prevent potential contamination.