eGarden © 2006 Ed Mues

From The Garden of Ed. Submitted for publication in The Towne Crier on September 20, 2006

The Garden: Bidding Farewell Reluctantly.

I noted a low of 39 degrees F two nights ago, and, I heard from a few acquaintances that scattered frosts in the higher elevations occurred that same night. Pretty much on time as most seasons go.

This year, most of Labor Day weekend was a wash out. I suppose this seems appropriate for what usually signals the new school year, the buttoning up of the weekend place, the somewhat gloomy movement into fall. (Summer has ended, eh?) I know many people who prefer fall to the other seasons. The gardening season has not nearly come to a close, however, unless you want to face early spring with chores so chock-a-block you won't know where to begin. Here are some starters to keep you ahead of a spring frenzy.

If you have a lawn and haven't fertilized it, do it ASAP. If the soil has been pH tested and you know it needs lime or sulfur and how much, do it now. If it needs de-thatching, now is the time. Bare spots need over-seeding? Get to it and make sure the seeds are tamped down so they can germinate into soil. It's a perfect time to core aerate your lawn if it's moist and not too wet. If the daytime temperatures are above fifty, know that your grass will continue to grow and needs to be cut until the ground is frozen.

Leave the beets, carrots, turnips and potatoes in the garden. These can be harvested until the ground freezes, free storage courtesy of the earth. Cauliflower, cabbage, collards, broccoli and Brussels sprouts enjoy the colder temperatures, even a light frost. Continue to harvest as long as possible and don't overlook covering a few things with a blanket at night for frost protection, as long as days warm up and are nice.

As days become shorter and temperatures cool, there is less demand on plants for above ground production. Because the soil temperature is still relatively warm, now is an optimum time to plant. "To plant what?" you ask. The answer is anything you wish, so the roots can get established before the onset of winter. Think spring flowering bulbs, garlic and shallots, perennials (both new purchases and divisions from what you have), new trees and shrubs, too. Did I mention it's a great time to divide perennials? We have entered the season that favors root growth over all else.

This latter applies to weeds, too. Never stop weeding. While weed seeds are not germinating now, they are still being dispersed. Cut seed heads and throw in the trash. The perennial ones are storing up energy for next year. If you can wrest them from their spot, you'll have made a major contribution to next years gardens by reducing next years weed seed dispersal.

And you thought it was all downhill after Labor Day. No matter what you grew this past year, maybe it was an annual border, maybe a perennial bed, maybe a vegetable or herb garden, maybe all of the aforementioned. The fact of the matter is that each of these ought to be put to rest. As plants begin to die back, clean up the garden, remove spent vegetation, don't leave havens behind for slugs and other pests to nestle into and hibernate.

This is a great time to create a compost pile. Use the leaves and grass clippings from around the property to make one or feed one that already exist.

New plantings should be mulched with two to three inches of organic matter out to the drip line, but, a couple of inches from the trunk or main stem. This can be done in early November keeping the soil temperature a little higher to promote root growth and establishment. Everything in this column does not need to be done immediately. Mulching established plants, trees and shrubs should wait until the ground is frozen.

Irrigation, especially for newly planted specimens, is a must. If there is no rainfall, (ha!) apply one gallon of water a week to perennials, and 5 gallons to trees and shrubs. Continue this until the ground is frozen.

Protect the trunks of thin barked trees from gnawing and nibbling voles and rabbits with tree wraps or hardware cloth. Go up a couple of feet or more if possible, because if there is a lot of snowfall, the rabbits will be on top of it and can still damage important branches. Strong winter sun can also cause bark splitting from the warming effects of the direct rays and then the sudden freezes at night. South and west sunlight can bounce off the snow, too. To prevent sunscald injury, paint trunks with a white water base paint that will reflect the sunlight and prevent the large swings in bark temperature.

The above are just some of the things to keep you garden lovers occupied. I repeat that not everything needs to be done in a single week, but isn't the weather more pleasant tackling some of these tasks at this time of the year. Your beds and plants will be healthier and more inviting in the spring by taking some of these steps now instead of waiting.

When I return, I'll suggest even more for you to contemplate doing this growing season. Some necessary, and all in the interest of getting ahead of next springs demands. On a positive note, my next column will appear in a period of lengthening daylight. The equinox will be behind us. Happy fall.

From The Garden of Ed. Submitted for publication in The Towne Crier on September 20, 2006

Page Up