Tips on Gardening and Environmental Sustainability as Fall Comes to Lethbridge – Lethbridge | The Canadian News

Summer, a favorite season for many Southern Albertans, has officially come to an end.

Wednesday marked the fall equinox, and many trees in the city have already turned yellow to mark the occasion.

To read more about how to care for your garden in fall, click here, and for more tips from Environment Lethbridge as the weather cools, click here.

Kyle Fougere, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada, said June to August experienced very dry and hot conditions in the Lethbridge region.

“In a typical summer we would see 162 millimeters of precipitation in the Lethbridge area,” he explained. “This year, we were 100 short, receiving only 62 millimeters, which made it the seventh driest summer on record.

“It was the fourth warmest summer on record, because we had this high pressure ridge that was over the province.”

During the first part of September, those trends have continued, but Fougere explained that there is good news when it comes to humidity.

“We have seen this trend continue above normal, we have not seen these extreme temperatures as (we saw) in June and July,” he added.

“For precipitation, we expect it to be more normal for this time of year.”

Green Haven Garden Center, located on the outskirts of town, is transitioning into the fall and winter months.

Karen Barby, co-owner and manager, encourages people to change their tactics while caring for their lawns and gardens, including less watering and fertilizing, while pruning trees and other plants when needed.

“If you still have the underground sprinklers on, cut them to 50 percent,” he said. “You don’t want to water the same way you do in the summer.”

He adds that now is the right time to plant bulbs.

“In the spring we have a lot of people looking for tulips, but the tulips need to be planted in September, October,” he said. “They need winter.”

When it comes to fertilizing, Barby said encouraging growth this time of year is not a good move, but using a fall fertilizer on your lawn can help strengthen the roots.

the three-yard city waste sites They are open until Nov. 14 and accept items such as twigs, grass, leaves, yard clippings, clean pumpkins, and fallen fruit.

“One of the most important things is keeping all yard waste out of the landfill,” said Kathleen Sheppard.

Sheppard, CEO of Environment Lethbridge, said it is a mistake to think that all debris from the garden needs to be cleaned up.

“(We) encourage people to leave some of that material over for the winter, it’s a great habitat for some of the little insects and things that we want to encourage in our garden year-round, and it also provides nutrients (for your lawn). .

“You don’t have to rake all the leaves, you can leave some.”

Sheppard said protecting local bird species from disease is also an important element to consider.

“A lot of people have bird feeders and a lot of people take them in the summer because the birds can find their own food,” Sheppard explained.

“When you put them back in, make sure you bleach them well and clean them well before you put them back in, and try to do that all winter long as well.”

He also suggests taking steps to protect homes before the weather turns bad.

“Now is a good time to think about things like sealing drafts around your windows and doors,” he said. “The same goes for things like changing the filter in your furnace, preparing that kind of energy efficient stuff for cold weather.”