October
17, 2001
The Sky
Is Falling...
What a crazy week! Kevin has been out on the road so I
have been manning the house by myself. I have been trying
to find time to plant more bulbs. The ground has been
either too wet or I have just not been able to find the
time. After putting the kids to bed at night, my only free
time seems to be from 9:00 to 10:00 PM. I am not quite sure
(especially these last two nights) that gardening in the dark and
cold would be either good for me or my garden.
Procrastination set in last year and I am really trying to fight
it off this year. It sounds like we might have a few mild
days ahead so this is the week to finish planting bulbs. I
know, maybe you could e-mail me a reminder!
The leaves
are falling like crazy in our neck of the woods. It is this
time of the year that I wish I lived in a new sub-division out
south. For those of us who live in neighborhoods with more
mature trees you know exactly what I am talking about. Leaf
gathering is a constant project. Just when you think all of
the leaves are out of the yard, along comes a gust of wind and
blows a few hundred more out of the trees. Funny how this
part of fall clean-up becomes excitement for everyone in the
family. The kids cannot resist the thought of running and
jumping through piles of leaves that I have worked so hard to
rake together. Even the dog is against me. He has
been watching the kids so he now knows to wait until I have shut
off the blower to scatter the leaves about. I have to admit
that they are all so cute and it is hard to be upset with
everyone enjoying themselves. The raking of leaves is a
hard and laborious job but what a great way to spend some time
with the family!
~
Shelly
Moving
The Mums...
Your potted mums can be transplanted into the garden for many
years of enjoyment. For best results, transplant them into well-drained
soil as winter injury is most common when mums are planted in
poorly-drained soils. Potted mums are often grown in a mix that
is very high in organic matter. If these are planted in very
heavy clay soil without first amending it, the difference between
the two soil situations often prevents good root establishment
and increases the chance of winter kill.
After the leaves have turned brown, cut back the tops
and apply a loose airy mulch several inches thick allowing light
to get to the small basal shoots during the winter. The purpose
of this mulch is to provide wind protection and keep the soil
shaded and frozen so that frost heaving is minimized. This
protective
mulch may be removed or pulled away from the crown by early to
mid-April after danger of severe cold is past.
Source
Chemical
Container Care...
Temperatures have been mild lately but they will be dropping
again before too long. When they do be sure to check for
any lawn and garden chemicals that might freeze in their
containers. Frozen liquids can break jars and split plastic
containers, spreading concentrated chemicals within reach of
children or pets. Move them to a safe storage place where
temperatures will not reach freezing.
Deer Deterrents...
To protect your young trees from deer damage, there are a
number of deterrents you can try. Hang bars of
strong-scented soap, mesh bags filled with human hair, paper bags
of dried blood (bloodmeal), or strips cut from white plastic bags
on trees that are likely to be attacked. Remember, deer
will become accustomed to most any deterrent, so alternating items will
help.
Source
Squash
Storage...
Pumpkins, butternut, and Hubbard squash need curing after
harvest. Cure them at temperatures
between 70° to 80°F for two to three weeks immediately after
harvest. After curing, store them in a dry place at 55° to
60°F. If
stored at 50°F or below, pumpkins and squashes are subject to
damage by chilling. At temperatures above 60F, they gradually
lose moisture and become stringy.
Source
Readying
The Water Garden...
Fall means extra work for Savvygardeners with water gardens.
Falling leaves and falling temperatures should be met with the
following actions:
- Try to
keep falling leaves and twigs out of the pond to prevent
injury to the fish.
- Be sure
to feed fish extra food when temperatures cool and continue
until the water temperature drops below 45°F. This
allows the fish to build up additional fat stores for winter
survival.
- Stop
fertilizing water garden plants when the daytime water
temperature drops below 60°F. This will give plants the
opportunity to go dormant.
- Tropical
water lilies and other non-hardy water plants can be
over-wintered in various ways. The goal is to keep the
plant alive, but not growing vigorously. Plants can be
kept in a washtub, tank or even in an aquarium in a greenhouse
or under artificial lights. Light the plants for 12 to
18 hours each day. Water temperature should be
maintained around 70°F.
Source
Now Through
October 31st Wild Bird Centers Will Donate 10% of
All On-Line Purchases to Red Cross Relief Efforts in New
York City and Washington, DC
Click
Here Now!
|
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
The fall is widely recognized as the time of the year for
rebuilding lawns, and a well-planned program of fertilizing plays
an important role in the process. Hotline callers are
asking for details on this very important procedure. Read
about it in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
If It's
Growing We're Mowing...
When do Savvygardeners stop mowing their lawns? When the
grass stops growing of course. As long as it continues to grow
keep bluegrass cut to 2 inches and tall fescue to 2½ inches.
Don't
forget to keep the leaves from piling up and smothering the grass
below!
Finally... "The
milkweed pods are breaking,
And the bits of silken down
Float off upon the autumn breeze
Across the meadows brown." ~
Cecil Cavendish, Poet, The Milkweed |