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Gardening Calendar
Fall clean-up is here. It has been a challenging year to say the least. If
your plants struggled with insects and diseases, rake up the spent debris now
and dispose of it. Don’t add it to your compost pile or you may add more
problems next season. The leaves have been falling for months now, but some
continue to fall. A light layer on your lawn or garden is not an issue, but
don’t let them accumulate for too long. Heavy piles of leaves can cut down on
air circulation, oxygen and sunlight. Leaves are a great raw commodity for
compost - one of the best things to enrich your soils.
Perennials
Clean up the perennial garden as the plants decline, or after a killing
frost. Pay particular attention to your cannas, as the leaf roller insect seems
to be getting worse each year. This insect over-winters in the spent debris of
the plants and can come back to haunt you next season. Think about even
replacing the old mulch. You can still plant new perennials if you have time
this season. Perennials planted in the fall give you a stronger plant the
following growing season - just make sure you have good soil drainage, or the
root system can rot in the ground.
Bulbs
November is the ideal month to plant spring blooming bulbs. Whether you are
adding to your collection or planting new beds, concentrate your bulb planting
in blocks rather than single lines. Grouping plants together makes a stronger
statement than a few plants here and there. Look at some of the new varieties
that are on the market, but don’t overlook the tried and true. The general rule
of thumb when planting bulbs is to plant them at a depth equivalent to 2-3 times
the size of the bulb. You can layer your bulbs, putting the larger daffodils and
tulips down deep, then the next layer can be hyacinths, and then topped off with
crocus and grape hyacinths. This can give you layers of color and textures, and
with proper selection can give you color from late January through April.
Annuals
Some of our summer annuals may still be hanging on, and it has been somewhat
amazing at how many have over-wintered - from petunias and callibrachoa to
begonias and lantana. Don’t count on that every year, but don’t be too quick to
throw these plants away in the fall either. You still have time to plant
pansies, violas and snapdragons, but flowering kale and cabbage need some time
to get established before hard frost hits. If you are planting winter annuals
this late in the season, look for larger, flowering plants to ensure color this
winter. These plants can be planted in the ground or in containers, but don’t
forget to water - especially the containers. Consider using spring bulbs in the
base of your containers to pop up amidst your winter annuals.
Tropicals & Houseplants
By now, all of your houseplants should have been in residence inside for a
month or more. If you still have tropicals outside, be prepared to move them
under the house or into your garage at the first sign of frost. If they get
exposed to a killing frost, most of them are history. Moving them into a heated
house this late is also not ideal. They have gotten used to the cool nights and
warm days, and you will be moving them into an environment with constant warm
temperatures, no humidity and lower light and they are going to shed a lot of
leaves. Storing them simply to prevent freezing won’t give you a lush plant next
spring, but they will be alive. Cut them back severely next spring when you move
them back outside and they should recover.
Trees
Now is the ideal time to plant large shrubs and trees. Planting in the fall
allows the roots to become established while the tops are dormant. If you need a
large shade tree consider lacebark elm, willow oak, little leaf linden or a
fruitless Kentucky Coffee tree. For smaller or mid size trees, try the Paperbark
maple, Oklahoma redbud, kousa dogwood or one of the disease resistant
crabapples. Hardy shrubs such as hollies, boxwoods, elaeagnus and more can also
be planted in the fall and early winter. Avoid planting shrubs that can suffer
winter damage such as hydrangeas, gardenias, crape myrtles and azaleas. Wait for
an early spring planting of those.
Happy Thanksgiving! |
