A:     You can relax, Don, and enjoy the change of light and colors now taking place in your garden. For the next few months, put your spraying and feeding schedule on hold and enjoy your garden at rest. Many plants become dormant and others rest in the fall and do not benefit from feeding with either a chemical fertilizer or an organic fertilizer. In fact, feeding them at this time can interrupt their natural sleep cycle and cause premature growth. Young sprouts can be damaged by frost and winds that are sure to come. Except for a layer of mulch, which breaks down slowly over the winter, many plants are best left unfed.

Insects are usually hibernating or in a stage of development that causes little harm in the winter. No spraying is recommended this time of year for controlling pests. Exceptions such as roses and fruit trees may benefit from dormant spraying later in the winter. Be sure to follow directions carefully. Spraying and feeding gardens in the fall, before the rainy season, can be damaging to the environment. Runoff during winter rains can carry pesticides, nitrogen, and phosphates from lawns and beds to storm drains and nearby creeks. Excess nitrogen in water causes overgrowth of certain plants, depleting oxygen in the water. Pesticides used before the rainy season are often washed into nearby waterways, harming wildlife.

Knowing when and how to spray and fertilize will benefit you, your garden, and the environment.