The tawney hues of autumn and the cooler days entice us to spend more time outside. Examine chrysanthemum stakes to make certain branches are securely fastened to withstand damaging winds and rains. Several gardeners attach a covering to stakes driven around the flower bed. This covering protects flowers from hard rains and early frosts and … Read more
Here are the things you need to do gardening in October: Plant tulips before frost sets in. Select early to late blooming varieties for a long span of bloom. Buy only quality bulbs and check for signs of disease before planting. Prevent a build-up of soil-borne diseases by setting the bulbs where tulips have not … Read more
We must realize that many of the perennial plants we grow in our gardens need special protection to live from year to year. Some bulbs, corms, and tubers need to be dug and placed in storage for winter because they do not survive the temperatures out of doors. Those needing such treatment include gladiolus, cannas, … Read more
This is an interesting month for gardeners everywhere but particularly so for gardeners here. October is one of the best planting months of the entire year. Careful soil preparation is essential for all bulb plantings, especially for bulbs that bloom for several years before being replanted. Loosen the soil deeply and incorporate liberal amounts of … Read more
October’s beauty is so brief… and if spring gardens are to be beautiful, much work must be done now. It is moving time this month or next for plants that are placed wrong. Look at the garden with a critical eye. Are clumps of daylilies too close to walks? Do shrubs need moving? Are there … Read more
Although many of us paid dearly for fall planting this past year, fall is still one of the best times, if not the best, to plant in many areas. Unless there is a bad wind problem or a very early winter, fall-planted plants have a chance to get started next spring and maybe even this … Read more
Autumn color Sometimes, trees in the Southwest lack fall color, but this is only true where no provision is made in the garden for plants with bright autumn hues. Sweet gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, is a blaze of color every year. Leaves turn a mottled red-yellow, and orange color that puts a maple to shame. Ginkgo, … Read more
Fall Lawns This is a good time to kill next year’s crop of common chickweed, Poa annua, and crabgrass. First, apply a pre-emergence crabgrass control after October 15. This will kill tiny seedlings of winter annuals like Poa annua and common chickweed (now germinating), and next spring will work equally well on crabgrass. Fall-seeded lawns … Read more
Northeast includes: Pennsylvania Tomatoes Keep your eye on the frost reports; the first one will kill the vines and spoil the fruit. If frost threatens, pick all tomatoes; every green one showing the slightest tinge of white at the end will ripen indoors. If you have space, uproot the plants and hang them in an … Read more