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Sunny skies. High 89F. WSW winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph..

Clear. Low 57F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Sunny skies. High 89F. WSW winds at less than 5 mph, increasing to 10 to 20 mph..

Clear. Low 57F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

In the next few weeks we will be starting one of the prime gardening times in the Antelope Valley.

Once the nighttime temperatures have consistently dropped into the 50s and 60s, we have the best weather for your vegetable gardens and most of your landscape plants. It is also the best time to plant a landscape, especially drought-tolerant and native plants.

The air temperatures are starting to cool, and the soil is warm. The warm soil helps the roots to grow quickly. At the same time, the cooler air temperatures slow down the leaf and branch growth. This combination allows the plants to become established quickly in your landscape.

The daytime temperatures are still on the hot side, which means the next few weeks, it is time to plan and prepare your garden and landscape, before actually attempting one or more of the following fall gardening practices. Most gardens, especially vegetable gardens fail due to poor planning.

In a couple weeks, it is time to plant your cool season annual flowers like pansies and stock. If you plant in mid-October, the weather is perfect for the plants to grow. They will flower for winter and next spring you will have a great flower show. If you wait too long, the cold temperatures will not allow the plants to establish and bloom for late fall through winter.

If you get bulb catalogs in the mail, now is the time to order your spring bulbs to be planted out, in late October through early November. If you buy your bulbs from local nurseries, buy them as soon as possible for the best selection and the freshest bulbs.

Remove the bulbs from their packaging and place in moist peat moss, sawdust or potting soil and store in a cool location, like a refrigerator. Then plant out the bulbs, in late October or early November. If you place out bulbs too early, they might overheat and die. However, it would be better to plant them immediately, than to store them in a dry, warm area.

On the fruit tree side, nurseries are preparing their bareroot fruit tree order now, so if you have a special tree you need, now is the time to ask. Your summer vegetables will continue to grow and produce up to the first frost.

Your vegetables may respond to a little fertilizer. Fertilize your vegetables with triple 15 (15-15-15) or a similar fertilizer. But not too much — you do not want the plants to grow, you want to produce the last crop of the season.

If you want your tomatoes and peppers to last longer into the winter, remove any organic mulch from around the roots, and lay down black plastic. This will help keep the soil warm, which keeps your summer vegetables producing.

You may consider removing some of the tomatoes or squash plants to make room for a fall and winter garden. Root crops like carrots and beets do great in the fall and early winter. Crops that take longer and may require some protection from early cold temperatures, include broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Other vegetables that will do well as a fall garden include mustard, spinach, kale, rhubarb, kohlrabi, turnips and parsnips.

Most of us try to grow some of these vegetables as a summer vegetable, but they like the cooler temperatures of fall and spring. A rule of thumb is if you eat the seed or fruit, it’s a summer vegetable. If you eat the root or leaves, it is a spring or fall vegetable.

It may seem way too early, but it is time to wrap or rewrap all of your sprinkler valves, hose bibs and other outdoor water fixtures. It is a long way from freezing temperatures; however, it is better to be prepared. We normally consider the first frost to be Oct. 30 and the first hard freeze in the middle of November.

It is time to reduce nitrogen fertilizer on your roses, fruit trees, lilacs and any other plant that loses their leaves in winter. They will respond to the nitrogen fertilizer, but we want them to slow down their growth and get ready for winter. You can also prune off suckers, dead branches and diseased branches on your trees, but you need to wait until late winter to prune your fruit trees and roses.

Fall is a busy time and starting early is a good idea. If you wait too long, it can be a little cool to work outside. Then you and your garden will not be ready for winter.

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