Tips for September:
“I didn’t get to sow grass seed at the beginning of September. Is it too late now?� Nope! Have at it! The sooner the better, but you still have time. Make sure to add a starter fertilizer, and keep the soil evenly moist for those new seeds (not soggy wet).
“Should I apply a crabgrass killer now and seed later?� NO! Frost will take out the annual crabgrass. Slice seed right thru it and get that new grass growing. A thicker lawn, plus the crab grass pre emergent applied next spring are your two best defenses against crabgrass (and most other weeds).
“When can I start digging and dividing my perennials this fall?� Late September thru October is a wonderful time to dig and divide perennials. And for those ‘woody’ plants (trees and shrubs), if transplanting is needed, starting in October thru early November works great. Remember, FALL IS FOR PLANTING, so get out and plant those new trees, shrubs, evergreens, perennials, roses, grasses, etc.
“What are the large shrubs I’m seeing around town, that look like crepe myrtle, that are in flower? I don’t thing they’re crepe myrtle, because they’re not hardy here, are they?� -Well, those are crepe myrtles, and you’re seeing more and more being planted in our landscapes. Many are hardy to zone 6, we’re Zone 6, so they’re doing quite well! And now’s a great time to plant them if you would like one or two in your yard! And yes, Natorp’s has them! (Even if they did die back in the winter, they’ll come right back up from the roots, and flower on the new growth.)
“This year, my junipers have developed berries. I have kids and pets and was wondering if those berries were poisonous?� -Well, let’s just say it’s probably best if the kids and pets don’t eat them. They are bitter and not very palatable, but never the less, shouldn’t be eaten. Now, juniper berries are actually used for many things, and have been for centuries, including aromatherapy, soaps, food flavoring, and of course, the flavoring for Gin. But it’s also used as a diuretic, and eating the berries will cause severe increases in urinating, diarrhea, and intestinal pain. So, show the kids what they are, and tell them to look but don’t eat. On that same token, some Taxus (Japanese yews) will also produce berries that are a bright red and very fleshy. Do not eat these berries. The fleshy fruit on the outside actually is edible, but the seed on the inside is highly poisonous. Birds can eat them and be okay, as they do not crush the seed and it passes through them. But, it’s not the same story for others. Do not eat the berries from Japanese yews!
“I have ornamental sweet potato vines, and want to know, are the potatoes in the ground edible?� -As long as they haven’t been treated with non edible pesticides, have at them! Not much flavor, but highly edible. Handle them carefully – they are very thin skinned.
“Should I be adjusting my mower heights in the fall?� -Nope, keep mowing as you normally would. Do be sure to have those mower blades sharpened as we move into the fall mowing season.
“Should I pinch off the blossoms now appearing on my tomato plants?� -Yes, you can. It’s too late for those to produce tomatoes, so pinching them off sends more nutrients to the existing plant and remaining fruits. Or should I say vegetables? Remember, botanically they’re fruits, but by lawn they’re vegetables.
“This year we had serious issues with boxwood leafminers and boxwood psyllids. When did you say apply the systemic soil drench to help control them?� -Mid October. Use either Bonides Tree and Shrub Insect Control or Optrol. This helps control the 3’rd and 4th instar larvae stages of the leafminers, as well as the psyllids next spring.
“When did you say is the best time to spot treat for broadleaf weeds in our lawn? We’re trying to get rid of Creeping Charlie.� -Mid to late October. At this time, the weeds are still active, yet are beginning to shut down for the winter – and they’re pushing all the foods down into the roots. So when you spot treat in October, you’ll get better action from the weed killer as more of it is taken right down to the roots and wipes out the weed, roots and all. You may have to spot treat a little for Charlie in the spring, but October treatments are the best. Bonide’s Weed Beater Ultra works nicely. Remember – a thicker lawn means less Creeping Charlie and those other pesky weeds, so work to keep that lawn thicker and fuller. Weeds don’t choke out the grass – weeds move in where the grass is thinning out.
“We bought a few container grown trees from your outlet sale and when I pulled one out of the pot, I noticed the roots are thick on the outside of the root ball. Did I understand we need to loosen those up somehow? If so, how?� -Yes, if the roots are thick along the inside of the pot and growing in a circle, it’s important to massage those roots loose so they will grow outward rather than in a circle. And this goes for any container grown plant! Sometimes you can massage them loose, but sometimes you have to use a soil knife or sharp spade and cut them a bit to loosen them up.
“Does deadheading my mums as the flowers become spent help to produce more flowers for the fall?� -Unfortunately it won’t increase flowers for the fall, as the flower buds are all set at the same time. But, it does clear the way for the flower buds to have more sunlight and more room to open up fully – and deadheading mums keeps them looking a little nicer as well. By the way, to be more successful in getting your mums to come back next year, 1.) Get them planted as soon as you can to give them time to get rooted in before winter, and keep them watered as needed 2.) Deadhead the spent flowers so the plant will concentrate on putting energy into the roots rather than those old flowers 3.) Don’t cut them back at the end of the season. Studies in colder temperatures have found that leaving your mum’s dead foliage alone over the winter, and then cutting it back in the early spring, may actually help to improve its winter hardiness. 4.) Do a light winter mulching after the ground freezes. 5.) Make sure they’re watered as needed until the end of the year.
“We’re planting new trees in our yard, and we do have deer in the area. Anything we should to help protect these trees?� -YES! A newly planted tree becomes a scratching post to those bucks rubbing their antlers. Protect your new investments with tree guards, tree wrap, bark shields, plastic sleeves, as well as the additional use of deer repellents such as Liquid Fence, DeerScram, Repels All, or Milorganite. Keep those protectors on the new tree trunks over the entire winter, and remove them late next spring.
“Hey Buggy Joe (Joe Boggs / OSU Extension), what ‘cha seeing this week?� This week we’re seeing an unexplained leaf scorch on Red Oaks, more and more oak galls showing up (very common), moth and butterfly caterpillars seem to be everywhere right now including Tussock moths, Wooly Bears (always seen crossing the road), Hickory Horn devils, Cecropia moths, hornworns, Spicebush Swallowtail, Skiff moth, and many more (let them be, by the way), annual Dog Day Cicadas continue to sing and hang around, bagworms have stopped feeding and are now mating and laying eggs for next year, yellowjackets becoming more of a nuisance, home invaders starting to make their moves for warmer over wintering spots, and damages from grubs in the lawns are starting to show now.
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