It’s finally starting to feel like fall. The weather is cooling off and there’s even a little fall color in some trees. Now if we could just get some of the promised El Nino rains, things would really be looking up. Unfortunately, our lawns and landscapes have taken a beating this summer with the drought and high temperatures and that can leave our plants more susceptible to winter damage. 

What can we do to help our landscapes survive and maybe even thrive this winter? For lawns, it’s a good idea to raise your mowing height about an inch in the fall. Having a little more top growth will help insulate the roots and may prevent some weed seeds from germinating. Fall is also a great time to do a soil test (see soil testing info below) and apply lime if recommended on the test results. Another thing that could really help lawns right now is to apply a wetting agent. Soils that are very dry can become resistant to wetting. Water then will just bead up and run off the soil instead of soaking in. Lawn wetting agents break the surface tension of water so that it will actually soak into soil. Water in the soil insulates the roots of plants and can help prevent winter cold injury. There are many different lawn wetting agents on the market for homeowner use. Some commercial lawn care services may also provide this service.

Fall is also a great time to add mulch around trees, shrubs, and flowers. The mulch will keep plant roots warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and help hold moisture in the soil around plants. Leaves, straw, bark mulches, and shredded wood all work well for mulching plants. Mulch should only be about two to four inches deep and should not touch the trunks of trees or cover the crowns of shrubs and flowers.

A little fall landscape maintenance now can help your plants better tolerate the cold this winter and start out the spring growth cycle with more energy reserves.    

Krista Quinn

Faulkner County Extension Agent- Horticulture

How to Test Your Soil for

Fertility & Lime Needs

Soil testing can be done anytime, but the best time is in the fall or in the spring before the lawn greens up. Soil testing is free in Arkansas for residents and it usually takes 2 or 3 weeks to get your soil test results.

How to Gather Your Soil Sample

 1. Rake aside mulch or surface litter like leaves.

 2. Collect soil with a trowel or small shovel from several spots in each area to obtain a representative sample (we recommend collecting soil from about 12 different areas in a lawn and combining them to make one sample that represents the whole lawn). A zigzag sampling pattern is preferred. Fertilizer and lime recommendations are no better than the sample taken.

 3. Take samples in gardens, lawns, and around shrubs to a depth of about 4 inches and for mature fruit trees at a depth of 6 inches.

 4. Mix soil thoroughly from a sample area. Keep different areas separate. Discard rocks, sticks, and roots.

 5. Allow the soil sample to air dry. Spread the sample on newspapers or in a cardboard box for a couple of days. Do not heat the sample in an oven to speed drying.

 6. Remove one pint for the laboratory sample and place in a clean container or quart size zip top bag. Give each sample a name to indicate where it is from (examples: front, west, flowers, veggie) that you would recognize.

7. Bring sample(s) to your local County Extension office. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Faulkner County Extension Office is located at 844 Faulkner St. in Conway.

Tips include:

• Sample areas around shrubs separately from turf.
• Sample vegetable gardens seperately.
• If you have a large lawn or garden, sample areas separately that have been managed differently or will be managed differently. 

Conway Arbor Day Festival

Join the Faulkner County Master Gardeners and others at the Conway Arbor Day festival on November 7, 11am-1pm, at Laurel Park. There will be free shade and fruit trees to adopt, lots of educational information about trees, and fun educational activities for the kids.

This event is sponsored by the Conway Tree Board and Conway Corporation.

Management of Common Diseases and Pests of Landscape Trees

Your trees can’t tell you when something’s wrong, but the signs are there if you know where to look.

Join Dr. Taylor Klass, plant pathologist with the UAEX Plant Health Clinic, for a free virtual training on the diseases and pests most commonly found on landscape trees in Arkansas. You’ll learn how to identify these issues and the best ways to prevent and treat them.

When: Tuesday, November 10, 12–1:30 p.m. CT

Where: Virtual presenation on Zoom

Cost: Free

Join the Master Gardeners at the

Teaching Garden!

Join the Faulkner County Master Gardeners at their demonstration vegetable garden to learn about home vegetable gardening. You'll have the opportunity to talk with Master Gardeners and participate in some gardening activities. Each week's activities will vary depending on what is being planted, cared for, and harvested at that time.

Where: The garden is located behind the Conway Public Library at 1900 Tyler St. in Conway.

When: Saturdays at 9:00 am

What you'll learn: What vegetables you can plant in central AR. When and how to plant various vegetables. How to care for vegetable plants. When and how to harvest various vegetables. How to deal with gardening challenges. What types of raised beds can work in home gardens.

Register Now for this Free, Virtual Seminar

Did you know you can grow fresh herbs year-round in home hydroponic systems? Join us Monday, November 9, at noon (Central) on Zoom to learn how to grow herbs in small-scale home hydroponic growing systems and get some tips for preserving herbs.

Save the Date

We'll have more info soon about these upcoming events!

March 16, 2027- Grow Your Own Groceries Conference at the Conway Expo Center

May 8, 2027- Faulkner County Master Gardener Plant Sale at the Conway Expo Center

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the Faulkner County Extension Office at 501-329-8344 as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.