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September 26, 2001

Falling In Love... 
I would hate to speak too hastily but I am beginning to think that we may get a shot at enjoying some fall-like weather this year.  The mornings (a bit nippy for me) have been quite chilly and the days have been filled with the fabulous fall sun.  Bright, warm, filling the landscape with beautiful shades.  The leaves are slowly beginning their change making the fall palette complete.  What a special time of year!  A time for summer plants to be put to bed and a time for fall plants to awaken to fill the garden with their short-lived lives.  How I enjoy watching the garden transition. 

Kevin and I ventured over to The Sweet Onion recently and WOW, what a change!  For those of you who do not know, The Sweet Onion is in the final stages of a complete renovation and looks fantastic!  Proprietor Andrea Neumann is exhausted but says "The work has been well worth it".  If you have not had a chance to get over there do so now while they still have a supply of mums.  You should see the Helen red mums that I purchased.  Simply put they are magnificent!  Several colors to choose from, however red is my favorite. 

The outlook for this weekend's weather sounds perfect for planting.  So venture out to our sponsors and finish that fall buying and get busy planting!

~ Shelly  

Make Green Tomatoes See Red...
When it gets as cool as it has been lately the green tomatoes still on your vines just aren't going to ripen there.  And what's worse, if a rogue frost descends on them it's game over.  Here are two approaches to getting them to ripen out of harms way:

  • Remove the whole plant, roots and all, and hang it upside-down in a cool, dark area indoors or in a garage.  At temperatures in the 60's those tomatoes should ripen nicely.  Just pull them off the vine as they are individually ready.
  • If the above method is a bit messy for you try picking the green tomatoes and individually wrapping them in newspaper.  Place them in a paper bag or cardboard box and store in a cool, dark place.  Keep an eye on them periodically.  When they start to redden up unwrap them and let them finish ripening at room temperature.  Hint - If you're in a hurry place an apple in the bag with the wrapped tomatoes.

Tasty red tomatoes won't be far away!

Chilly Change In The Air...
This time of year it's not unusual for overnight temperatures to dip into the 40's.  Brrr!  There's no frost on the horizon yet but keep in mind that our first frost is due in mid-October.  Remember that Mother Nature has her own agenda and doesn't have much time for statistics and averages.  Surprise early frosts can be a problem if you're not prepared.

For those of you new to Savvygardener.com we hope you will enjoy our timely frost alerts.  We send these e-mail alerts to all subscribers when we believe an untimely frost is likely.  Hopefully we are still several weeks from our first frosty scare.  Cross your fingers!

Dig This...
Fall is the preferred time to plant many trees and shrubs.  Warm soil, moderate air temperatures and autumn rains all help a tree adjust to its new environment and set down roots with a minimum of stress and shock.  If you are transplanting deciduous trees and shrubs, wait until their leaves have dropped or at least changed color.  Evergreens and conifers, however, benefit from early planting in fall.  In either case watering (1 inch weekly until the ground is frozen) and mulching the root zone are crucial to success.

Source

 


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Spaced Out Bulbs...
As you plan your bulb planting it's important to know how many bulbs to use in each area or garden bed you are planning.  In many ways the number of bulbs is determined by the gardener's preferences but there are also requirements related to the particular bulb species. Some gardeners like to plant bulbs closer together, while others prefer to spread them out.  One should always keep in mind, however, that there is a limit to the number of bulbs that can be planted per square foot, and that this varies from one species to another.  To make it easy to estimate here's a table indicating the number of bulbs you should plan on planting per square foot of garden space:

Bulb Type Number of Bulbs
per sq. ft.
Tulips 8-10
Hyacinths 5
Daffodils & Narcissi 5
Crocus and Minor bulbs 10-15
Allium Globemaster/Giganteum 1
Allium Purple Sensation 5
Allium Christophii 1
Other Alliums 10-15
Fritillaria Imperialis (Crown Imperial) 3
Camassia 5

Source

Only 90 Shopping Days Until Christmas...
Christmas is still a way off but if you are planning on displaying home-grown poinsettias it's time to start planning.  Poinsettias are short-day plants and must be tricked into blooming for Christmas.  Follow these steps:

  • Find a dark, cool (around 55 degrees) place where the plant will be kept at "night".  It must be absolutely dark as even short exposure to a light bulb will throw the process out of kilter.
  • Place the poinsettia in this dark place at 5 Pm and leave it there until 8 AM the following day.
  • Between 8 AM and 5 PM place it in a sunny window where temperatures will remain near 70 degrees.  
  • Do this for 11 weeks, watering and fertilizing as usual.

With care and patience you should have healthy, blooming poinsettias for the holidays.

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
As promised in last week's hotline article, we'll wrap up the information on bulbs by discussing those suitable for forcing and growing indoors during the winter months.  This is a terrific exercise that will reward you with a colorful treat in the dead of winter.  Learn how in this week's What's Hot on the Hotline... 

Wet Or Dry?  Here's Why...
Even Savvygardeners sometimes wonder which is more effective: liquid or dry lawn products?  Both have their place in turf management, and either can be used interchangeably depending on the product, equipment, and expertise.  Broadleaf herbicides, for instance, are often more effective and less expensive when applied in a spray vs. those that are applied in a "weed and feed" granular formulation.  But to increase the efficacy of the "weed and feed", be sure to follow label instructions which generally states that it must be applied to wet or dew-covered turf.  Also, most gardeners prefer to spray fungicides for best coverage.  

However, the opposite is true with fertilizers.  Nitrogen sprayed to turf can cause burn at higher rates or during warm weather, may volatilize before the turf can use it, and only one form of water soluble fertilizer (urea, 46-0-0) is widely available.  Granular fertilizer products are often superior because they are available in a wide variety of formulations of N-P-K and in many slow release forms, both of which are untrue for soluble or sprayable fertilizers.  

There are few general differences between dry vs. liquid applications of preemergence herbicides or insecticides.  So the bottom line is if we had to choose, we’d spray broadleaf herbicides and fungicides, while using granular-style fertilizers.

Source

Finally...
"Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

~ George Eliot, Author, 1857-1876

 

 

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