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~ September 23, 2009 ~
Casting Call...
Fall is here! The weather is perfect. The leaves are turning and falling from the trees. The burning
bushes are a color of red so beautiful that you can't take your eyes off of them. Garden centers and
nurseries are bustling with gardeners buying mums, pansies, pumpkins and gourds. The excitement is in
the air. Can you feel it? I am so excited! Gardening life is good!
I was so glad to see a day of rain on Monday. It was a nice, slow soaking, gonna' take a nap kind of
rain - my favorite! We were in need of the precipitation and I am sure that all of you who have just
put down seed on your lawns were thrilled to see the rain. One of the many keys to rejuvenating your
lawn is water. Make sure you water 2-3 times a day to keep the seed wet. Not soaked, just moist. Many
people will seed their lawns and then forget to water. Fall is the best time to re-seed lawns so make
the most of the weather and keep an eye on those seeds. Nice weather, good seed and water are a good
recipe for a healthy lawn.
I have been contacted by a casting company from Los Angeles, looking for gardeners or farmers
who use John Deere equipment. They are looking for someone who uses their John Deere mower to make a creative statement in their lawn or field. If you
are interested and feel as if you might be qualified please contact Marlene Katz with DSC
Casting @ markatz44@@gmail.com. Don't forget to tell them you read about it here :)
~ Shelly
Moisture Minders...
One problem with fall is that it makes us forgetful. Even Savvygardeners
sometimes cut back on watering too much this time of year. Your perennials,
trees, shrubs, and lawn need that moisture - not like they did in mid-summer
but about an inch a week or so. Watering now and through November helps
ensure your plants have a healthy root structure going into our often harsh winters.
Plants That Came In From The Cold...
Once chilly overnight temperatures become the norm you will need to bring your
winter houseplants back inside. When you do, make sure to check them for pests.
Simply rinsing the plants' leaves, and soaking the pots in water for 15 to 20
minutes will drown most soil-dwelling pests. Also, clean the windows where plants
will be placed. It can dramatically increase available sunlight and make for a
much healthier plant!
Tidy Up Around Fruit Trees...
No one likes worms and other pests in their fruit trees. A simple clean up now
can dramatically reduce the number of pests that return next year. Just pick up
and destroy any fallen fruit, branches, and leaves. Worms and other pests feed
on this fruit and debris, overwinter in the soil, and emerge in the spring to
lay eggs and start the cycle all over again.
Garlic Lovers Get Ready!
Garlic needs to be in the ground at least one month before
the soil freezes so now through mid-October is the ideal time for
planting. Start by planting the small cloves that are divisions
of the large bulb. The larger the clove, the larger the size of
the mature bulb at harvest. Do not divide the bulb until
immediately before planting. Although some people have had good
luck planting the garlic from the grocery store, seedstock from a
nursery or via mail-order is recommended.
Garlic needs a full-sun site with loose soil rich in organic matter.
Adding compost to the bed is usually a good idea. Plant the
cloves (with their pointy sides up) three to five inches apart at
a depth of two to three inches. Add a light layer of mulch.
Allow 18 to 30 inches between rows or plant five inches apart in
all directions if you're using raised beds. Next spring the
garlic will push through the soil and mulch. We'll wait until
then to complete the directions through harvest.
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 and
Twitter 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!
The Gardener's Workout...
Have you ever noticed how fit Savvygardeners look? It's because gardening
is such great exercise! Need proof? Well, Dr. Mark Kantor at the University
of Maryland College of Agriculture & Natural Resources has published an article
that defines the amount of calories burned doing various activities. It turns
out that gardening (see below) can really burn the calories.
|
Calories
burned during each 10 minutes
of various gardening activities |
 |
Body Weight
|
|
Activity |
125
Pounds |
175
Pounds |
250
Pounds |
| Light gardening |
30 |
42 |
59 |
| Weeding garden |
49 |
68 |
98 |
| Mowing grass (power) |
34 |
47 |
67 |
| Mowing grass (manual) |
38 |
52 |
74 |
Source
Oh Say Can You Seed?
It's not too late to overseed your lawn - but it's getting close. You should be able
to successfully overseed for the next week to 10 days. After that your success will
depend on how quickly winter arrives. Two quick tips to increase your success:
- Keep
your new turf well watered through the rest of fall.
-
Read our very popular
article,
Overseeding A Lawn.
The great thing about seeding and overseeding is the low cost and high
return. Relatively speaking, grass seed is cheap. If your seeding is successful you
wind up with a priceless lawn next spring. If it's not 100%
successful you haven't lost much.
Finally...
""A few days ago I walked along the edge of the lake and was treated to the crunch and rustle
of leaves with each step I made. The acoustics of this season are different and all sounds,
no matter how hushed, are as crisp as autumn air.""
~ Eric Sloane
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