September

• Spray Bonide All-Season Spray on hemlock to control woolly adelgid.
  
  
• Spruce up the landscape by planting Fall Pansies, Flowering Cabbage & Kale, Garden Mums, Fall-Blooming Perennials as well as Trees and Shrubs.
  
  
• Test your lawn pH to determine if you need to apply lime this season. A 50 lb. bag of Lime will raise the pH about .5 per 1000 square feet of turf.
  
  
• Pick up your Spring Flowering Bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, snowdrops and more! An Auger for the drill will also help make planting easier.
  
  
• Plant cool-season salad greens (arugula, corn salad, lettuce, radishes and spinach) in cold frames.
  
  
• Apply Hi-Yield Superphosphate now to coax stubborn plants into bloom next year.
  
  
• Aerate, re-seed and apply Fall Lawn Food to the lawn. Keep grass seed damp; water every day if necessary. You will also want to check for grubs. Increased activities of skunks, raccoons and moles as well as brown patches that peel back easily are an indication of grub activity.
  
  
• Fall is an excellent time to apply Milky Spore for the control of Japanese beetle as the grubs are close to the surface of the warm soil, feeding on roots. Milky Spore Spreader Mix in bags is applied with a drop spreader over every square foot of grass. Milky Spore is safe for the environment and is not affected by pesticides, fungicides or herbicides. They may be applied at the same time.
  Note:: Apply Spring, Summer and Fall for two years to build the most effective concentration of spores in any one area to millions of spores.
  
  
• Treat houseplants with Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control Granules and Safer Insecticidal Soap now to get rid of any insects before bringing them into the house prior to the first frost.
  
  
• Clean out garden ponds and pools. Cover with Pond Netting before the leaves start falling.

October

• Plant bulbs. Fertilize with Scotts Bulb Food and water in well.
  
  
• Divide daylilies and spring-blooming perennials, including iris and peonies. Don’t be tempted to prune your spring flowering shrubs like forsythia, azaleas, camellia, holly, lilac, rhododendron, spiraea or viburnum - you’ll destroy next year’s buds.
  
  
• Rake leaves from the lawn and lower the mower blade. Check your compost pile. Now is a good time to add Hi-Yield Compost Maker to help break down brown leaves and lawn clippings.
  
  
• Dig up summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlias, cannas, tuberous begonias, caladiums and gladiolus after the frost kills the top growth. Treat them with Hi-Yield Captan 50W Fungicide, pack them in Peat Moss, and store them in a ventilated area 45-50 degrees (never freezing) for winter.
  
  
• Fertilize your trees with Jobes Tree Spikes after the leaves fall. Fertilize azaleas, rhododendron, and evergreens with Espoma Holly-Tone and other shrubs with Espoma Plant-Tone. Spray hemlock again with Bonide All-Season Spray Oil.
  
  
• Set up bird feeders and stock up on birdfeed. Be sure to join Dammann's Birdfeed Club and get a free bag of seed after the purchase of 10.
  
  
• Clean up and destroy diseased rose leaves and debris surrounding shrubs and perennials. Mound 10 - 12 inches of dirt around roses to protect from winter damage. After the ground freezes, cover roses with mulch or straw.
  
  
• Remove annuals, roots and all, and add to your compost pile, but do not add any diseased material to it.
  
  
• Cut back perennials unless they feature ornamental seed heads and Anderson's Fortify Garden Fertilize with 5-10-5. Prune long raspberry and rose canes back to a height of three feet. Clean up your beds and gardens to avoid harboring insects and diseases over the winter.
  
  
• Pot hardy spring bulbs (anemone, crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, ranunculus and tulip) and place in a cold frame or cool garage (40 degrees) or sink into the ground and mulch. Keep evenly moist.
  
  
• Update garden records, noting successes and failures, gaps in planting, future planting and landscape changes.
  
  
• Water all landscape plants well and mulch before the winter cold sets in.
  
  
• Spray evergreens, azaleas, rhododendron, boxwood and rose canes with Wilt Pruf for protection against wind and cold weather.