As summer turns to fall, the garden may seem to fade into the background. But there’s still plenty of action going on underground, so this is no time to rest.

For starters, your plants still need water. Although their thirst will wane as temperatures cool, perennials, trees and shrubs in colder regions actually require extra water in early autumn to help them prepare for (and successfully emerge from) dormancy.

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Jessica Damiano writes regular gardening columns for The Associated Press. Her Gardening Calendar was named a winner in the 2021 Garden Communicators International Media Awards. Her Weekly Dirt Newsletter won a Society of Professional Journalists PCLI 2021 Media Award. Sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

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