Plant Gardens 101

Many gardeners do not even consider fall gardening because of the winter frosts that might make an early appearance. On the contrary, fall gardening will result in excellent vegetables and will extend crops long after spring planted plants are finished. Vegetables produced from fall gardening are sometimes sweeter and milder than those grow in the summer and offer a brand new taste to the same old veggies.

What you choose to grow during you fall gardening will depend on your available space and what you like to eat, just like spring plants. Even the crops that enjoy the heat, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and peppers, will produce until frosts hit, which can be pretty late in the year in southern areas. However, there are some plants that will quit towards the end of summer like snap-beans, summer squash, and cucumbers. If these vegetables are planted around the middle of the summer they can be harvested until the first frosts as well. Hardy, tough vegetables will grow until the temperature is as low as 20 degrees, but those that aren’t as strong will only be able to grow through light frosts. Remember that if you have root and tuber plants and the tops are killed by a freeze the edible part can be saved if a large amount of mulch is used. (more…)

As the days get shorter and weather becomes cooler, gardeners are aware that their summer pastime will soon be coming to an end. For gardeners with tropical or exotic plants outdoors that they don’t want to lose to an early fall frost, transporting plants into a greenhouse is a good alternative. Greenhouses come in a variety of sizes and styles to accommodate almost any gardener’s needs. In this article, we’ll explore a few of the common types of greenhouse that might work for you.

Portable or temporary use greenhouse structures work well for the homeowner who is not ready to commit to a permanent structure. Most temporary use greenhouses are designed with a polyethylene vinyl cover that fits over a steel or aluminum frame. Depending on the size and shape of the structure, it will probably be necessary to do some kind of staking or anchoring to the ground so that it doesn’t blow away; however, if you don’t set the stakes in cement, you should be able to easily pull them up and move the greenhouse to another location or pack it away in storage, as needed. (more…)

We’ve been trained to believe that certain gardening chores must happen in the fall, or face the risk of an unproductive garden next in the following year. Indeed, some tasks are better taken on in the fall, but contrary to common belief, others can be put off or left out altogether.

Here is a list of some of the fall season do’s and don’ts to help your garden thrive in the coming year.

DO clean out any annuals or dead plants in the fall if you don’t want to face them in the spring.

DON’T remove dead plants if you want to maintain some vegetation in your garden over the winter. Keep in mind that they will break down over the winter providing compost for your garden. In the spring, simply turn the soil over and they will magically disappear. (more…)

Just like caring for your fall flowers it is just as important to beware of what the needs are of your garden pond. Most garden ponds are built to give additional beauty to the area. Yes, these are becoming more common.

Some of these have fish which adds another dimension They are relatively easy to care for. In the colder climates there are some important tips I have for you. If you are susceptible to the water freezing you need to read on.

The debris that collects in the garden ponds can give off toxic waste including gases. Like fall flowers these toxic chemicals need a place to go. This is into the atmosphere. (more…)

Taking advantage of the fall as soon as the weather becomes cool is the perfect time to plant a perennial garden or some cool weather vegetables. Short season lettuces, quick maturing Kales and some fast maturing mild flavored onions, a home gardener favorite such as yellow, sweet Spanish or white also now is also a good time to sow some garlic for next spring’s garden. Plant the garlic in individual cloves so that when it comes up in the spring you will have fresh home grown garlic to enjoy.

Fall is a very under-used season that many people don not take the advantage to enjoy when it comes to gardening. Many novice gardeners don’t realize what crops can be planted late in the season because of their climate zones and miss taking advantage of the cooler temperatures and consistent rains which provide plenty of moisture to the plants. By planting as soon as you have cool nights and frequent rains you can start a perennial garden for the next spring. (more…)

With fall fast approaching, it’s that time of year when we begin cleaning up our yards and preparing for the upcoming winter. To make fall cleanup work as fast and easy as possible, it can be helpful to break the work down into the different areas of your yard. The areas that most commonly need attention are trees and shrubs, the lawn, and vegetable or flower gardens.

Trees and shrubs often need to be trimmed back in the fall, though this will vary, depending on the type of plant. If you’re unsure when to trim your trees or bushes, consult a gardening book or online resource. When doing any kind of trimming or pruning, basic safety precautions are of primary importance. If your trees are taller than 10 or 15 feet, it’s best not to take the risk of doing the job yourself. Look for a qualified arborist who can do the work for you, and be sure to check out some references before hiring anyone to do the work. This can also be a good time to remove any old or dying trees, as well. (more…)

Many gardeners do not even consider fall gardening because of the winter frosts that might make an early appearance. On the contrary, fall gardening will result in excellent vegetables and will extend crops long after spring planted plants are finished. Vegetables produced from fall gardening are sometimes sweeter and milder than those grow in the summer and offer a brand new taste to the same old veggies.

What you choose to grow during you fall gardening will depend on your available space and what you like to eat, just like spring plants. Even the crops that enjoy the heat, such as tomatoes, sweet potatoes, okra, and peppers, will produce until frosts hit, which can be pretty late in the year in southern areas. However, there are some plants that will quit towards the end of summer like snap-beans, summer squash, and cucumbers. If these vegetables are planted around the middle of the summer they can be harvested until the first frosts as well. Hardy, tough vegetables will grow until the temperature is as low as 20 degrees, but those that aren’t as strong will only be able to grow through light frosts. Remember that if you have root and tuber plants and the tops are killed by a freeze the edible part can be saved if a large amount of mulch is used. (more…)

For me, rose gardening in the fall is a little bitter-sweet!

My blooms are smaller, leaves are showing signs of wear and tear and yet the rose gardening I do now will be crucial to the success of next years growth. Lets call it rose gardening insurance.

The last rose show is over, the days start getting shorter and the children are back in school but as rose growers we still have work to do—the four most important tasks of fall.

PICK AND CLEAN

Stop fertilizing and start your clean up. From the beginning of September on, there is no need to fertilize your rose beds and pots because you do not want to encourage new shoots to develop as winter approaches. This is also the period of the highest incidence of mildew problems such as black-spot so it is time to pull away all leaves that show signs of disease and to rake the beds below to remove all traces of the black-spot or mildew spores. Yes, they overwinter so get rid of them with your garbage. Deadhead, keep the beds scrupulously clean and pick away at the damaged leaves. (more…)

Some people are under the impression that once they’ve planted their gardens, apart from watering and weeding, the work is done until next spring. That couldn’t be further from the truth. There are so many things you can do to ensure a successful lawn and garden for the following year. Besides, it’s just plain fun to get back digging in those beds again.

Clean-Up

Now is the time to rake up any leaves or mulch them with your mower. Your grass requires sunlight to thrive, even when it appears dormant. Collect up all your old planters, wash them out well and stack them in a wooden crate or similar container. Set them safely on a shelf until next spring. (more…)

Gardening in the fall can be one of the most rewarding times to be outside. The weather is cooler and all of the end of season flowers and plants being to bloom. One thing to remember is that when you winterize your garden you need to take care of your hose. Many landscapers are so busy winterizing their lawns, gardens, shrubs and trees that they quite forget about a piece of equipment that has served them well on all those areas of the landscape during the spring, summer and fall — the garden hose. Our garden hoses lie around on their garden hose reels for so many months consecutively that they become a landscaping fixture that we take for granted. But northern gardeners pay a great price for this oversight when winter arrives, bringing temps in the teens. Bring garden hoses in for storage prior to winter! Also bring their reels in for storage, especially if the reels have any metal components. And more important than a garden hose being ruptured through freezing is what the garden hose is connected to — your water pipes. Ruptured pipes are costly and inconvenient to replace. So what is the answer? The easiest and best solution is get a garden hose reel. Retrieval of hose or cable is accomplished by several types of rewind: manual, spring, and powered. Manual rewinds are popular where there is no convenient power source. Four methods of manual rewind are available: disk, direct drive, gear-driven crank, and chain-driven crank. Spring-rewind garden hose reels are ideal when a power rewind is required, but there is no available power source. Reels are installed in virtually any position. Spring-rewind reels have less torque than other types of rewinds and are best suited for hose lengths from 50 to 90 ft. (more…)

November is a busy month in the garden. Time spent now in pruning, tidying and protecting your plants and trees will pay dividends in the spring.

Weeding in November prevents roots thickening and spreading over the winter months, making them a nuisance when the temperature warms up in March. So as soon as ground becomes clear, dig over the soil and spread manure. This is also a good time to double dig areas of ground where total replanting or a new vegetable garden is being planned or poor/heavy soil is preventing growth.

Just remove the top layer to form a shallow trench and then dig over the soil at the bottom of the trench adding compost. Then repeat, filling the first trench with the top soil from the second; the soil from the first trench then fills in the last trench. (more…)

One of the most essential jobs come fall when it comes to cleaning up and out your garden is the removal of any and all damaged or diseased materials. When plants have had a fungus or bacteria over the summer growing season they can over winter on the roots and stems that have been contaminated.

When removed properly it will reduce the chances of diseases in your next year’s garden. How much of the plant you should remove depends upon your garden type, so naturally anything that was infected with a disease should be completely removed.

If you brought your house-plants outside for the summer, now is the time to start bringing them in. Some will more than likely need to be re-potted and or cut-back if the grew well during the summer growing season.

Be sure to check them for insects and diseases that may be on them so as not to contaminate any other houseplants. Bring them indoors in plenty of time to re-adjust to their indoor environment.

Now is the time also to lift and harvest your young bulbs from plants such as Dahlias, Gladiolus and Begonias, three of my favorites. After lifting them and leaving the foliage around the roots intact, the proper storage of them is equally important. (more…)

The drooping lower petal of the flowers of irises and related plants.

Preparing for the Winter Months: Gardening in October

When you feel that first solid bite in the breeze and you see the songbirds winging their way south, and the trees are bursting with fire-laden hues, you know you can’t be spending the weekend curled up by the fireplace with a good book. Not for long.

While the weather is still gardener-friendly, you must shorten your “to-do” lists for the coming of late fall and early winter. Now is the time to attack your lawn and garden by planting your spring bulbs, buying and maintaining your trees and shrubs, doing your late autumn lawn care, using common-sense watering strategies, building a compost bin and making your own compost, controlling the many common garden pests, and winning at the weed-whacking war before the sudden onset of the fickle, cold and all-enveloping winter season.  (more…)