Fall

Learn the individual horticultural requirements for each tree in your collection.
Be aware of your yard's microclimate and alter this guide accordingly.
There are no hard and fast rules for all trees of a species.

September

• Temperatures can fluctuate now so watch watering carefully.
• Feed all non-flowering trees with slow release food. Foliar feed all conifers every two weeks with soluble fertilizer.
• Feed flowering trees once with soluble fertilizer followed two weeks later with 0-10-10. Azaleas that need more growth may be given a final feeding of an acidic soluble fertilizer.
• This is a good time for wiring most trees.
• On black pines remove the strongest of the three new buds from each branch that was left earlier.
• Most deciduous fruiting and flowering trees can now be repotted. DO NOT repot trees such as crabapple of persimmon if you want to retain fruit.

October

• THIS IS THE SECOND BEST SEASON FOR REPOTTING, but disturb or trim roots little as possible.
• Watch for pests, especially if weather is warm, and spray with insecticide when necessary.
• Feed conifers with slow release food.
• Apply 0-10-10 or bone meal to azaleas and deciduous trees to slow down growth, encourage good fall color, and store nutrients for spring.
• This is a good time for wiring conifers and azaleas.
• Remove old wore that is cutting in.
• Photograph trees that have fall color.

November

• Water cautiously because water requirements are decreasing as growth slows, but DO NOT let plants dry out.
• Move trees into full sun.
• Apply slow release fertilizer at 1/2 strength to evergreens.
• Remove all old needles from black pines, leaving only those that emerged this year.
• Do detail wiring on secondary and smaller branches. Do not wire or bend very heavy branches now as healing is very slow in cold weather, but if you damage a branch now it might die.
• Apply dormant spray(after trees are dormant). Ortho Dormant Disease Control(Lime-sulfur) works well. Be careful not to the soak soil. Shake trees after thoroughly spraying to remove accumulation from small twigs. Repeat every 4-5 weeks through the first week in February.