by Lis Friemoth
Up, down, forget about it
All landscape options on the table
Guess what — it’s the fall season once again. With all of the hot weather we’ve had, it’s hard to believe that frost is a potential reality anytime now. Generally, hard freeze occurs around the second or third week of October. Don’t know about you, but this gardening nut has fallen behind in all landscape tasks. Take your pick for the reason: rain, heat, humidity, mosquitoes.
Choices need to be made or not made, depending on your outlook. Don’t overwhelm yourself. Look at those things that really need to be done for the good health of the plants and betterment of the landscape. To make this easy, it essentially comes down to three choices: Put it down, pick it up, or leave it alone.
Put it down
In this category, the planting of spring bulbs is an important task to get done (the in-your-face tenacity of spring bulbs just speaks to me). When choosing and planning for a bulb purchase, foresight and preparation are important. Be sure to choose bulbs that are cold-hardy for this climate zone, and be sure that the supplier has high-quality and healthy bulbs. The most desirable bulb size (measured in centimeters) depends on the species. Choose the largest size available.
Always check for firmness, a healthy, creamy-white coloring under a brownish, papery skin; avoid moldy and rotting bulbs.
Planting requires very little special work. There are some rules to follow. Planting depth should be at least three times the diameter of the bulb. Spraying the bulb prior to planting with some rodent repellent may deter rodent damage for a little while, but don’t bank on it.
Bulb fertilizer is a good idea at planting time. Buy a good product and follow the label to the letter. Whether you are planting three or 3,000 bulbs, grouping them will always give the blooming period a more solid appearance. Don’t plant bulbs in soil that is too warm. Using a soil thermometer, monitor at a depth of about 4 inches, and plant when the soil temperature lowers to at least 60 F. Be sure to water well because they are just starting to come out of dormancy and need the moisture to get those roots developed.
Now is an excellent time to put down many trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials. When planting is completed and after the ground freezes, a nice 3- to 4-inch layer of high-quality mulch should be added to the areas around tender perennials and newly planted shrubs and trees. To do so before the ground freezes will invite rodents to stay, bed-and-breakfast style, over winter. Not the best idea.
Lawns need a bit of attention in the fall to look their best in the spring. If lawn fertility is a high priority, the most important application time is the end of October. Plan and purchase now, before products are off the shelves for the winter season. If you have some lawn areas that are looking a bit sparse, get the seeding or over-seeding done before the end of September to get the seedlings mature enough to handle the upcoming cold weather.
And don’t forget a very important thing to put down in the fall — water. Until hard ground freeze, plants will continue the growth process, needing one to two inches per week of moisture for that daily functioning.
Pick it up
If you have any tropical plants or houseplants, now is the time to get them up and out of their summer locations. Start acclimating them to indoor conditions and get them moved inside before temperatures get consistently below 50 F. Check plants for insect infestations and disease problems and treat accordingly. Repot any that have outgrown their containers.
Harvest seeds, where applicable, and store for the next growing season.
If you have annuals or tender summer-flowering bulbs that you want to keep, dig them up and get them ready for winter dormancy. For the annuals, find a cool, dark place, cut them back and start cutting back on moisture and light to force dormancy. Check bulbs for disease and insect infestations before over-wintering.
Check all perennial plants (herbaceous, shrubs, and trees) in the landscape for insects and diseases and get them out of the landscape if they are beyond help. Seek professional advice if you are unable to determine the distress extent. It is not too late, to treat some problems, and it is certainly a good time to plan for needed treatments for next year.
Any plant debris that has, thus far, escaped the old heave-ho should be gotten rid of it. Rodents, of all makes and models, love brush piles as cushy winter retreats. Don’t give them a place to live.
Leave it alone
A do-nothing approach is a valid decision (just remember that you have to live with it.) The trick is to know the difference between important and unimportant tasks. Keep in mind that, if choosing to do nothing, you may have landscape issues compounding into huge tasks for next year.
Choose wisely, especially when unsure of the potential results.
— Lis Friemoth is a horticulture diagnostician. Contact her at (262) 745-2904, P.O. Box 58, Springfield, WI 53176, visit online at www.thegardenhoe.com or e-mail her at gardenhoe@tds.net. Listen to Liz from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. every third Saturday on WISN AM1130 radio. |
