It's not too late! I'm in your zone but in North Georgia. I've just started winter sowing this past week. I also have red clay. Red clay is usually high in nutrients but lacking in organic matter. You should be able to drastically improve your soil with adding organic matter. I've found the best way to improve my clay soil is laying down builders paper and or cardboard and then covering with a thick mulch of things like straw, hay, leaves etc. The worms will show up under the paper and start breaking it all down and aerating the hard clay underneath and bringing organic matter into it. I also do raised beds but I don't want my whole yard raised beds iykwim. With my raised beds I've just had truckloads of landscapers mix brought in. The clay will take some time to improve though. I'm working on improving most of my yard and it's an acre. The soil was worse than average with all the topsoil having been scraped off and not even grass would grow in most places. :/ I've ordered from Diane's, Swallowtail Seed's and Fedco Seeds this winter. Fedco sells more vegetable seeds but I really like their flower and herb selection because they do have some good things and they offer a LOT of seed for far less than the average asking price. So I buy flower seed from them every year when I order my vegetable garden seeds. My plan this year is to start focusing on seed saving though so I don't have to buy so darn much! Good luck with your new yard!

Can somebody please suggest what is the best time to prune so I get more flowers next summer. The best time is NO time :-)) I don't mean to be facetious but hydrangeas that produce colored flowers (blue, purple, pink, white or mixed) in the mophead or lacecap form, bloom primarily on growth that was produced the previous growing season. It is my suggestion that these types of hydrangeas should be sited where they can be allowed to grow to size without the need for regular pruning. If you prune in late summer through spring, you risk removing most of the flowering potential. Deadheading or just removing spent flowerheads can be done whenever, provided you only remove down to the next set of buds below the flower. Removing dead growth stems can be done whenever you want - the suggestion of waiting until Memorial Day is that any healthy stems with new bud growth should be readily visible by then so it is easy to make the distinction. If your hydrangeas bud out earlier than that date, you can certainly remove the dead stems at that time. But neither of these practices are pruning for size. If you DO need to prune the hydrangea due to size, etc., there are a couple of suggested methods. The first is rejuvenation pruning or the removal of upto 1/3 of the plant - typically the oldest stems - to the ground in spring. While this is an extended project, it does serve to reduce the overall size of the plant for a period of time while maintainting a decent bloom. It also serves to encourage new, vigorous growth from the root crown. The second method is a one time reduction in the total shrub to the height you desire - i.e., cutting back a 5' tall shrub to a uniform 2'. You will sacrifice most, if not all, of the flowers but only for a single season. You should also be aware that the latent flower buds produced by these types of hydrangeas can be damaged by winter cold or late spring frosts, which can also negatively impact flowering. Employing some sort of winter protection can avoid this. There are a number of new cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla on the market that have been bred to bloom on both old and new growth. These were developed specifically for cold weather gardeners to enjoy the flowers despite any winter damage mentioned above. Theoretically, these types can be pruned back as well and still flower, however again, you will get the best flower display if you can avoid annual pruning (and any winter damage). Here is a link that might be useful: pruning Hydrangea macrophylla

Yes, we can and do have fall gardens. We plant fall beans in early Aug. Sounds late for zone 6, but I am in a microclimate next to a large body of water that holds off frost until very late in the fall, unless we have one of those real severe cold fronts blow in from Canada in October. Kale will winter over in the open garden. The usual turnips, spinach, and lettuce. Somewhere I have a chart of what can be planted and when... by seed and another for putting out plants. Also keep a chart of when to start flats of seed for planting in spring and fall. I have pulled suckers off of tomatoes in late June/early July to root for a later crop that runs into fall. Any of the coles can be started from seed in a flat and planted out, but I would have to look for the chart to tell you when. I prefer fall beans to those that get caught by bugs and warm weather. Many crops we don't mess with because we have plenty from the spring garden. We have a good 1/2 acre in gardens, plus fruit trees, blueberries, and 93 asparagus plants. (don't ask how they ended up uneven numbered) I started them from seed about 19 years ago and I guess my measurer was off when I transplanted to the permanent plot...it sure won't divide by 5 rows. Actually, I am starting to drag my feet over all this gardening...back hurts too much to want to keep it up.

I have a Hustler X-One zero turn and that's what I use to pull mine. With a ZTR it is easy to turn too sharp and jack knife it so you just have to be careful there. Otherwise it's really easy once you get used to it. While using the pull behind you will be going pretty slow anyway. There's an on/off switch on the power wire that connects to the battery. I zip tie that to the roll bar so it's easily accessible and you can turn the pump on and off as needed.. You may find a spot that works better for you. Again, practice with plain water until you feel comfortable with it. 1- I prefer to get mine down a little early if possible. I can't remember the exact numbers but I plan mine to run out about August. The label lists the different rates and how long it will typically last. Just plan accordingly so it will run out just prior to seeding. 2- If you are overseeding then no, DO NOT put out prodiamine. 3- Read the label to double check but I believe it's either 60 days or after the new grass has been cut 4 times. Again, don't take my word on this because I'm going off of memory. 4- I do a pre-m every year. Around here we get a lot of rain during the spring when temps are ideal for weed seeds to germinate. Last year spring came way early and I didn't get my pre-m down and weeds were a problem. This year I got it down mid February and weeds so far have not been an issue. I wish a fall app would work for me but having to overseed every fall kills that. My main problem is winter annuals like chickweed and henbit but spot spraying those is pretty easy and has worked for me.