What a summer, first drought and recent rains have made gardening a challenge. Fall has arrived. Communities in Bloom will be planting more daffodil bulbs in the traffic circles and fall clean up is underway.
Thanksgiving is around the corner, Monday, Oct. 11. Time to put our gardens to bed and get ready for the winter storms. Enjoy and give thanks.
What are your plans for saving rain water to help counter the possibility of another drought next summer.
DO IT NOW TIPS
• Clean, repair and sharpen all tools before hanging them up for the winter
• Turn off water to the outside taps and open taps to drain remaining water in the pipes
• Give roses a final dead heading and prune lightly
• Dig up gladiolas
• A good time to transplant shrubs, plant new trees and plant tulip bulbs using a bone meal fertilizer
• Running a mower over dried leaves to chop them up hastens their decomposition in compost piles
• Apply lime to next year’s vegetable garden, excluding the potato patch, and lime lawns to prevent moss growth
• Mulch asparagus beds
• Tie up shrubs and vines against wind or wet snow damage
• Prune raspberry canes, cutting out the old and tying the new
• Plant garlic and overwintering onions
• Plant paper white narcissus in pots for indoor Christmas flowers
DID YOU KNOW?
… the first frost signals that it is time to harvest kiwis?
… Thanksgiving has been a holiday on the second Monday of October since 1957?
… grapes explode in the microwave?
… that we have lost four hours and 44 minutes of daylight since the Summer Solstice?
PICK OF THE MONTH – SPRING BULBS
Plant fall bulbs for spring flowers now, approximately six weeks before a serious frost. Good bulbs will produce good flowers. The bulbs should be fresh and firm, with intact husks, not brittle. Daffodils are the most popular as they are deer and squirrel resistant.
AND … What did momma tomato say to baby tomato when he lagged behind? Ketchup !!
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