It is official. As of Sept. 23, the days are now shorter than the nights and will continue to be so for the next six months. While that might sound depressing, the fact is that Mother Nature doesn’t seem to be bothered by it at all. In fact, there are actually plants that seem to wake up in the winter, bloom and set fruit while the rest of us are hunkered down in our homes.
Go figure.
Last year the fall season was dry and warm, with the exception of that nasty week in early November. The same is forecast for this fall, which means that we should be able to get everything done before winter sets in for good and have a jump on spring 2016. Here are the high points to consider:
Watering. Despite the scattered rains we have received, the ground is still very dry. Get out the hose and soak the beds and lawn at least one time this month. Just trust me on this, it’s worth the effort and expense.
Lawns. This is the last month to overhaul or plant a new lawn. Applying an organic fertilizer like EB Stone Organic’s Nature’s Green Lawn Food 10-1-4 will help keep your lawn green all winter and into early spring. Red thread can sometimes be a problem in the fall and Bonide’s Infuse will help control it in one easy application.
Roses. Stop fertilizing and leave a few finished blooms to form hips. Don’t do any hard pruning, just a little sniping to tidy them up. Once the nights get into the 30s we can do some serious mulching and pruning.
Perennials. There are still some late bloomers that look great: asters, mums, Japanese anemones, cone flowers, Russian sage, sedum and toad lilies. Ornamental grasses are just spectacular right now. Enjoy the last blooms of the season and don’t rush to tidy things up. There are a lot of seeds in those old flower heads that the birds will enjoy. Wait until the first frost to really start cleaning up the perennial beds. In fact, you can even wait until mid- to late February to do it.
Containers. It’s time to clean out your containers of summer color and replant with hardy perennials, ground covers and even shrubs for the winter. For color, of course, nothing beats pansies and violas. Try some E.B. Stone Organic’s Pansy and Fall Flower Food, which contains seabird guano, a more readily soluble form of organic nitrogen.
Bulbs. This is the month to get serious about planting bulbs. With some careful planning, you can have blooming bulbs from January until June, sometimes all in the same pot. Don’t forget to add some E.B. Stone Organic’s Bone Meal, which contains 15 percent phosphorus, an ingredient that bulbs love.
Vegetables. Plant fall crops now and control winter weeds by either laying a 1-inch layer of compost or planting a cover crop. Building a cloche (a temporary greenhouse-type structure) will also help to produce a successful winter crop. Root and leaf crops can both be planted this month. Garlic must be planted in the fall.
Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.
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