We’re quickly closing on what has been a challenging growing season. As fall arrives it’s important to clean up your garden beds and foundation plantings. Good garden sanitation will help decrease over-wintering insect pests and many plant diseases next year. If you didn’t get a chance to add mulch to your ornamental beds earlier this year you still have time to get it done before winter. A 2-3 “layer of mulch will help moderate soil temperatures and decrease weed germination (and your weeding) next spring.
Our vegetable team reports that Late blight (LB) has been confirmed in Wayne County (tomato) and in more fields in Allegany (potato) and Onondaga (tomato) counties in the past week. It is likely present in many other locations. LB spores can be carried by winds up to 30 miles, and can destroy a tomato or potato crop in just 2-3 weeks!
I have been growing Plum Regal Tomato for canning for 3 years now and it seems to have very good LB resistance and the plants still look great. They produce a fairly heavy crop although they are later to ripen than some other varieties.
If you think your tomatoes or potatoes may have LB or need more information, contact our Master Gardeners at (315)331-8415. If you’re plants become infected don’t compost them.
Upcoming events
Gardening Hotline: Our Master Gardeners are in the office on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to noon to answer your home garden and landscape questions 331-8415 ext. 107. Master Gardeners are a great resource for new gardeners and for troubleshooting home garden and landscape problems including weeds, lawn issues, wildlife, insect pests and plant diseases along with control recommendations. Plant and insect samples can be brought to the office for identification or diagnostic work. During non-hotline hours you can leave your sample with our secretary or in the drop box at the end of the building. Please put insects in a sealed plastic container (so they won’t get crushed) and plant samples in sealed plastic bags. Remember to label them with your name and daytime phone number where we can reach you. We also offer soil pH testing (cost is $3 per sample) and can help you with soil test interpretation.
Holiday greens workshop: What could be better than spending a Saturday morning creating wonderful holiday decorations out of evergreen boughs? Start the holiday season off with our workshop on selection and use of holiday greens to decorate your home. This year’s workshop will be on Saturday, Nov. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Casey Park Lodge in Ontario. During the 3-hour session, participants can make a fresh wreath, an evergreen swag, and a 15-inch tall tabletop tree to take home and enjoy through the holiday season. Bring your small pruners, wire cutters, and an old pair of gloves and try to arrive around 8:30 a.m. The cost of this workshop is $30 per participant. To register send your check to: Cornell Cooperative Extension of Wayne County, 1581 Rte. 88 N. Newark, NY 14513-9739. Please memo Greens Workshop on your check. Registration will open Oct. 1 and close when we receive 45 paid registrations.
Info for woodlot owners: For information and webinars on forest health visit www.cornellforestconnect.ning.com/
Game of Logging 2012 sessions at the Arnot Forest this fall: Level I on Saturday, Sept. 29; Level II on Sunday, Sept. 30; Level III on Friday, Oct. 12. For more information go to: www.cornellforestconnect.ning.com and scroll down the left side.
Federal Income Tax on Timber: For a key to your most frequently asked questions go to: www.fs.fed.us/spf/coop/library/taxpubfaqs.pdf.
Monthly garden and home grounds tips
• Fall is an excellent time to have your soil tested. Call our office for more information.
• As the weather becomes cooler ladybeetles, box elder bugs, and flies look for warm locations to spend the winter and often become a nuisance to homeowners especially during early spring. Take time now to exclude these unwanted pests by sealing up cracks and spaces where they gain access into your home.
• If you still have fresh herbs, either in containers or in a protected area of your garden it’s not too late to preserve them. Harvest herbs in the morning and use a rubber band to hold small bunches (8-10 stems) together. Then hang them in a well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight to dry. Drying can take one to two weeks depending on the plant and its moisture content. Remove crisp-dry leaves from stems before storing them.
• Clean up dead asparagus stalks to reduce cover where asparagus beetles can overwinter.
• Soon it will be time to plant Garlic. Garlic should be planted 4-6 weeks before the ground freezes. Separate cloves and plant them 4-6 inches apart in the row tip side up and 1-2 inches below the soil surface. As a general rule, the larger the clove, the larger the bulb will be at harvest so pick the largest cloves to plant. Only plant disease free cloves (avoid cloves with brown spots) and don’t plant them where they were planted last year. After the ground freezes mulch the planting area to help reduce heaving of bulbs. In clay soils remove or rake back straw/mulch once growth resumes in the spring to reduce excess moisture around developing bulbs. It’s also important to keep the garlic weed free as the weeds will compete with the garlic for nutrients.
• Mow newly established or renovated lawns when seedlings are 2.5 inches tall. Make sure your mower blades are sharp so you don’t pull the seedlings out of the soil.
• Avoid applications of broadleaf weed control when temps fall below 50 degrees or before expected rainfall.
• Bring houseplants in before the end of the month. Check them regularly for insect pests.
• If you’re planning a new garden next year prepare the soil now. Add amendments this fall provided a soil test indicates that you need them.
• When planting new trees make sure there aren’t any encircling roots and keep trees well watered until the ground freezes. After the ground freezes you can add a layer of mulch. Make sure you keep it a couple of inches away from the trunk.
• Are you a home canner? Are you following the new canning guidelines? If you would like information about canning, call 331-8415.
Good Gardening!
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