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Your Garden Guy: Tips for early fall plants, yards

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• Are you looking for a tough, hardy fall perennial? Try Montauk daisy. This classic white daisy flower perennial is blooming now in Middle Georgia gardens. Plant in mass groups of seven or more in full sun.

• Fall is show time for ornamental grasses. So if you see a variety you like, plant it in your landscape. I love pink Muhly grass. It’s low care, 24 inches tall, and very easy to grow in full sun.

• Yellow jacket nests are at their most populous point during autumn.

These aggressive wasps build nests underground and are often undetected until disturbed by humans, when they will quickly swarm and sting.

Use an appropriate insecticide to destroy the nest. Don’t pour gasoline down the nest opening!

• Now is a good time to buy mums. Pick plants with the buds closed to extend the bloom time.

• Watch for seasonal sales on lawn equipment, plants and outdoor furniture.

• It’s time to spray plants to repel the deer and rabbits.

Todd Goulding provides landscape design consultations and can be reached at fernvalley.com.

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Your Garden Guy: Tips for early fall plants, yards

by Leave a Comment

• Are you looking for a tough, hardy fall perennial? Try Montauk daisy. This classic white daisy flower perennial is blooming now in Middle Georgia gardens. Plant in mass groups of seven or more in full sun.

• Fall is show time for ornamental grasses. So if you see a variety you like, plant it in your landscape. I love pink Muhly grass. It’s low care, 24 inches tall, and very easy to grow in full sun.

• Yellow jacket nests are at their most populous point during autumn.

These aggressive wasps build nests underground and are often undetected until disturbed by humans, when they will quickly swarm and sting.

Use an appropriate insecticide to destroy the nest. Don’t pour gasoline down the nest opening!

• Now is a good time to buy mums. Pick plants with the buds closed to extend the bloom time.

• Watch for seasonal sales on lawn equipment, plants and outdoor furniture.

• It’s time to spray plants to repel the deer and rabbits.

Todd Goulding provides landscape design consultations and can be reached at fernvalley.com.

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Garden Tips: Gadgets help make planting bulbs easier

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Last year, I pointed out that tulips don’t “perennialize” well. Even tulips sold as perennials only bloom for a couple of years before declining.

That’s why I wasn’t too upset when one-third of the allegedly pink tulips we planted last year turned out to be dark purple. If I want a pink tulip display next spring, this time I should buy more bulbs from a reputable nursery for planting this fall.

This isn’t good news for my husband, who did the work of planting. I did buy a hand bulb planter, but even in our sandy soil, it was a difficult job cutting the holes for the bulbs.

To make the job easier, I’m thinking about buying a different bulb planter. A.M. Leonard company (www.amleo.com) offers a bulb planter with a 36-inch handle. The planter allows gardeners to pull out a 6-inch-deep, 2.75-inch-round core of soil, creating a hole for a bulb. It also has a plunger that pushes the core of soil back into the hole on top of the bulb. No bending or kneeling is needed.

Similar to this is the Badger Semi-Automatic Planter (bulb-planter.com). It removes a plug of soil to a depth of 3 to 6 inches. Their other planters make holes the size of 3-inch and 5-inch pots. They are designed to dig holes for transplanting flowers or vegetables.

The DeWit Double-Handle Bulb Planter is another type of long-handled planter from Lee Valley (leevalley.com). It is a smaller version of a post-hole digger, with two 30-inch-long wooden handles, each with a blade at their base and attached together with a hinge. When the blades are plunged into the soil, the hinge can be used as a step for pushing down on the blades. When pulled up, the blades remove a core of soil.

Power tool enthusiasts should find power augers a handy tool for making the needed holes. Garden auger.com sells bulb and garden augers for use with everyday household drills. They offer 1.75-, 2- or 2.75-inch-diameter augers, each with a 24-inch long, 3/8-inch-diameter steel shaft. The company points out that their augers can be used for digging holes for transplants, deep root watering, aerating and turning compost piles.

There’s also the Bulb Bopper by the Garden Supply Company (gardeners.com). It attaches to your power drill. This is a steel auger cylinder that can make holes 9 inches deep and 2 inches in diameter, but does not have a long shaft.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

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6 Tips for Gardening in the Fall

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Photo: Flickr/Salvadonica, Chianti, Tuscany

Fall vegetables are some of the year’s tastiest. Photo: Flickr/Salvadonica, Chianti, Tuscany

Gardening may seem like more of a spring and summer hobby, but the mild autumn months are a great time to spend outdoors in your yard. Check out our top tips for reducing waste, saving water and having loads of fun in the garden this fall.

1. Keep your veggie garden growing

You’ve likely already harvested the bounty of your summer vegetable garden, but that doesn’t mean the growing season has to end. No matter which area of the country you live in, you can find plenty of fruits and veggies that would be happy to call your garden home.

In most chilly regions — such as the Northeast and Midwest — crops like arugula, collard greens and spinach are ideal for September plantings. In warmer areas like the Southeast and Southwest, you can plant more diverse crops, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale.

Gardeners in most states should have success with members of the cabbage family, as well as root vegetables like beets, carrots and radishes. Brussels sprouts and fennel also do well in the colder months, and fall is the perfect time to plant garlic and shallots for harvest next summer.

While most of these hardy vegetables can withstand a light frost, check with your local nursery to see which varieties work best in your region. Also, find out the average date of your region’s first killing frost, and plan to plant your crops early enough to let them reach full maturity before that date. Seedlings may be an option if it’s too late to plant from seeds.

Photo: Flickr/kennymatic

Leaves are just what your compost pile needs. Photo: Flickr/kennymatic

2. Add fall leaves to your compost pile

All those fallen leaves make ideal carbon-rich additions to your backyard compost pile and can help you strike the proper balance between green and brown waste.

While you’re at it, set aside time to do some pruning after your bushes, trees and shrubs shed their leaves for the season. You’ll avoid laboring in the yard during the cooler months, and your compost pile will reap the benefits of additional brown waste to counterbalance food scraps you’ll add throughout the winter.

Smaller twigs and trimmings can be tossed on your compost pile as is, but you may want to run larger branches through a wood chipper first to help them decompose faster.

Next page: Container gardens and clearing your fields

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Master gardener offers tips to get your garden ready for the fall

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Master Gardener Gordon Kenneson offered his fall tips to gardeners in Windsor. Photos by Lisa Stone.

Gardeners dug into the process of preparing their gardens and other outdoor spaces for the fall at the Wilson Public Library on Sept. 14, when Master Gardener Gordon Kenneson was on hand to offer his advice.

Kenneson, a resident of West Hartford, knows what types of insects and other garden problems this area is experiencing. “I have been a master gardener for over 25 years,” said Kenneson. “I do understand the problems that local resident gardeners can experience and I am happy to help them fix the problems.”

“On the Grow” is Kenneson’s local cable show in the Windsor area. He has taken some time off to give lectures, but he intends to resume his show in the near future. He lectures at several libraries, garden club meetings, garden centers and he also works along with historical societies when they need his help.

“Some insects get a bad rap,” said Kenneson. “You may see ants on your plants, but they do not want to eat your plants. They are just sucking the glucose out of the plant, much like we milk cows. Carpenter ants are a complete other story.  They will not eat your plants, but they will eat your house. But, on the upside, if we didn’t have ants, we wouldn’t have formica, since that product is made of crushed ants. Often times, there are other reasons for the plant not doing well.  You really have to be diligent in looking for the main cause. One woman said she had a woodchuck problem in her garden. Several people offered up suggestions to her. She claimed she was able to get rid of the woodchucks by posting a sign that said “No Woodchucks Allowed.” I guess she felt that did the trick,” Kenneson jested.

According to Kenneson, the typical nemeses for gardens are rabbits, chipmunks and moles. One trick he recommended to keep these pests away from your labor of love would be to use dried blood. It comes in a powder form and should be applied a foot or two away from the vegetation. The animals will get the scent and leave the area. “Planting marigolds around your garden to keep these animals away is a myth,” said Kenneson. “Many of these pests actually like marigolds.”

Barbara Zawrothy of Windsor has been gardening since her husband passed away. “I find gardening to be very therapeutic,” said Zawrothy. “My husband was always the one that did the gardening, so I am just starting to learn how to do it. I have only been gardening for three years or so. I certainly learned a lot today.”

One tip Kenneson had for the class was to get the outdoor spaces as clean as possible. If a few leaves are in the garden, that is fine, as domestic lady bugs need a place to hibernate.  According to Kenneson, the domestic lady bug does a great deal of good for the garden. Allowing them a space to hide for the winter will ensure they are protecting your garden in the spring.

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How to make your garden a hedgehog haven

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For the last two nights I have sat in my mum’s garden, wrapped in a blanket, waiting for a hedgehog. It comes at around 10.30, snuffling through the border to eat the leftover cat food my mum puts out.

It’s a tiny little thing. I want to weigh it to see if it will survive hibernation but, so far, I’ve failed. The first night it came and ran away as soon as I dashed inside to get the scales, and the second night it didn’t show up – perhaps because it was raining, or maybe because there was a strange figure sitting on the garden bench in the rain, wrapped in a blanket.

Recently voted Britain’s national species in a BBC Wildlife poll, the hedgehog is declining rapidly (a 2011 report suggested a decline of 25% in 10 years). There are numerous factors linked to its demise, including a loss of habitat in the countryside and use of pesticides. Many are killed by motorists each year, and others drown in ponds, burn in bonfires, are injured by strimmers or poisoned by slug pellets in our gardens.

Yet, with a little effort, our gardens can be real refuges for hedgehogs. As long as there are holes under fences for them to travel through, and ponds are made safe, bonfires are checked before lighting and long grass is checked before strimming, they have every chance of survival. A leaf pile, log pile or compost heap can make the perfect nest site or hibernaculum, and wildlife-friendly slug pellets (or, preferably, no slug pellets at all), can ensure hedgehogs aren’t poisoned while they eat our slugs.

It’s also worth keeping an eye out for small ones in the run-up to winter, especially if you see any outside during the day. Hedgehogs typically hibernate between October and March, and before entering hibernation they build up their fat stores so they have enough reserves to keep them going without food until spring. Sometimes they have difficulty putting on enough fat in time – there can be many reasons for this, including bad weather – but a few are born so late in the year that by the time they leave the nest there is no natural food available for them to eat.

I don’t think the one visiting my mum’s garden is a baby, but I’ll weigh it anyway and then if it still looks small in a month I’ll weigh it again and check in with the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) to see if it needs help. It’s only September, so in the meantime I’ll make sure mum keeps leaving food out until it’s no longer taken, but if it’s injured or looks unwell then I’ll call the BHPS for advice.

If hedgehogs visit your garden regularly, now is the time to give them an extra helping hand. Providing supplementary food and water can dramatically increase their chances of surviving hibernation, especially if you feed them again in spring, when their fat reserves are low and they have little energy to find food.

Meaty dog or cat food is readily taken (apparently hedgehogs prefer chicken or turkey flavour), and don’t forget a dish of water. Never give them bread and milk as this can make them ill.

Why not team up with your neighbours and become a Hedgehog Champion as part of the Hedgehog Street campaign? And if you do see a hedgehog out in the day, or find one that appears injured or is still very small, then call the BHPS for advice. You could save its life.

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Lauterbach: Help your tomatoes ripen by following these tips

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Are your tomatoes ripening? Many are not, even though they’re at a mature size.

The blame may lie with the heat we’ve experienced most of the summer. It seems to have moderated now, so ripening should proceed. Ripening or color change depends on temperature and naturally-occurring ethylene gas. You could put a tomato in a sack with an apple (which emits a lot of ethylene gas) to hasten ripening. Supermarket produce suppliers routinely expose green tomatoes to ethylene gas to promote ripe colors.

You will get a tastier tomato, though, if you let it ripen by itself in its own time either on its vine or indoors. In the house, store tomatoes out of direct sun.

The most effective temperature window for tomato ripening is 68 to 77 degrees F. We all know our daytime temperatures have been far above and below that, but as it rises or falls, there are times when the temperature is within those numbers.

Some folks think that wrapping green tomatoes in newspaper hastens or promotes ripening. If it does, the tomato is likely to ripen and then rot before you discover the outcome of that extra labor. Don’t bother with that, but prior to hard frost put those that are near mature size (I keep all tomatoes larger than about two inches in diameter) in shallow boxes, no more than two deep, so you can easily see color changes.

If you’re sold on newsprint’s aid in ripening, lay newspaper over the top of the box. You’ll only have to lift it to see what’s ripening instead of unwrapping each fruit.

I’ve never experienced a tomato that did not ripen, but it is possible that the trigger to produce lycopene and carotene, those pigments that produce ripe color, can be permanently disabled. They are not active when the temperature is above 85 degrees, but permanent damage would be evidenced by a sickly orange color of the fruit.

How about those “long keeping” tomatoes? They’re said to last six to 12 weeks after picking, but some of my regular open pollinated tomatoes have lasted that long after being picked green to avoid frost damage. The yellow stuffer tomatoes are the longest lasting I’ve ever grown.

I’ve never liked the taste of some of the long-keepers either. One variety tasted like hot dogs.

GOOD GARDENING RESOURCES

Since our soil, climate, and/or prevalent diseases and insects are different from those in other parts of the U.S., nationally-published garden information must be taken with our own needs in mind.

Some garden references advise liberal use of lime and/or fireplace ashes, either of which will boost our already-alkaline soil to a pH that will not allow plants to thrive. Nevertheless, there are some garden references that can be useful if you keep our own needs in mind.

Sunset magazine’s advice and Garden Book are pretty good resources, but it’s important to remember their hardiness zones bear no relevance to those of the USDA.

One of my favorite magazines is Mother Earth News (MEN). That magazine does a very good job with all-round information on small farm livestock raising, energy independence, and gardening. Garden information spans the gamut from sowing seeds to post-harvest treatment, containers to greenhouses, raised beds to structures.

Barbara Pleasant writes most of the garden articles in MEN in down-to-earth practical useful language. The magazine also often features articles by William Woys Weaver, a food historian who entices us to grow exotic or historically significant foods.

Another excellent resource, more specially about gardening, is the quarterly “The Heirloom Gardener,” published by Jere and Emilee Gettle (owners of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds). Weaver is a contributing editor to this publication too.

Fine Gardening, from Taunton Press, is excellent for ornamental gardening.

Send garden questions to melauter@earthlink.net or Gardening, The Statesman, P.O. Box 40, Boise, ID 83707.

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Tips for planting and caring for a healthy fall garden

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Balcony Gardening Tips For Couples

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If you are staying in an apartment and love to get your hands dirty with fresh soil and fragrant flowers, then you need to make sure that your balcony is decked with your favourite flowers. Balcony gardens is one of the latest trends which young couples are opting for. The main reason why many couples are turning to balcony gardens is because it is the only space you get in this concrete world. If you are one of those couples who want to grow a balcony garden, take a look at some of these gardening tips we have listed below.

Balcony gardens are best preferred over backyard gardens since you have only a small occupation which you need to look after. It is surely an advantage for working couples who love small gardens. These gardening tips for your balcony is unique and if followed you will see a lot of beautiful flowers booming right through the year.

Balcony Gardening Tips For Couples

Take a look at some of these gardening tips for your balcony garden:

Place the correct plant

For a balcony garden, you can only keep plants that are small in size. Herbs and shrubs are some of the best plants to grow in your balcony garden.

Watering

When it comes to watering your balcony garden, you need to make sure that the water does not stand in your balcony. Water the plants according to the size of the pots and the requirement of the type of plant it is.

Plates

When you have a balcony garden, the first thing you should do is to place pot plates below the pot. Placing pot plates will help to keep the water in one place and prevent it from flooding the area.

Sunlight

There are certain types of plants which need a lot of sunlight. Place the flower pots or the plants in a specific area where it receives ample amount of sunlight. If your balcony garden lacks sunlight in a certain spot, shift your plants to where the rays shine.

Insects

One of the main gardening tips to keep in mind when you have a balcony garden is to see that there is no stagnation of water. When water stagnates, there is a higher chance for insects to thrive on your plants. Spray natural insect solution on your plants.

These are some of the gardening tips for you to follow when you have a balcony garden. Follow these gardening tips in order to look after your small garden.

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Florida gardeners share tips for fall vegetable gardens ? what are yours?

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I’ve been looking on the sunny side this summer, which hasn’t been hard. Plenty of sunny.

Plenty of rainy, too.

Whacking and weeding weekly through the hottest months of the year is great exercise, right? (Don’t answer that.)

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No hurricanes, no drought — really, I’m not complaining. But, come Sunday . . . hello, autumn!

I look forward to the end of steamy days and the beginning of my favorite time of year for growing vegetables. I plant lettuce (so easy and SUCH a money saver), beans and a few tomatoes. This year, I’m also looking for katuk, a leafy shrub with delicious, protein-rich leaves. I discovered it in Tanja Vidovic’s North Tampa garden back in February and it has been on my mind ever since.

I learn so much from gardeners like Tanja that I asked them to share their favorite fall veggie-growing tips. They had lots, so expect another batch next month.

I was touched by all the people who took time to write down and email me their best advice. When I said as much to Joe Parr, director of horticulture at Busch Gardens, he answered, “Gardeners ARE the best! Tell everyone!”

So I am. And you are.

Let’s start at the beginning

This early in the season, keep a close eye on seedlings. If they don’t come up, you have time to plant more! This is also a great time to root plants from cuttings.

Good plants to start now: broccoli, green beans, strawberries, tomatoes.

Tanja Vidovic, urban farmer, North Tampa (Tanja can introduce you to tasty, Florida-friendly perennial vegetables you’ve never heard of. She’ll host a garden tour and plant exchange at 10 a.m. Oct. 4. For details, email tanjarose26@yahoo.com or visit the Tampa Gardening Swap group on Facebook.)

Grow easy, grow collards

Plant a few collards among your full-sun flowers. They don’t need fertilizer and they grow for months. If they get bugs, sprinkle flour on the leaves and the bugs will take off!

Peggy Sherman, Forest Hills, Tampa

Dig in to good dirt with raised beds

Healthy soil is absolutely essential! Start now. Pick a sunny spot. Cover it with a sheet of black plastic to smother existing weeds and cook weed seeds. Wait a couple of months, then pile on 4 inches of compost or composted manure and work it into the soil.

In the meantime, use raised beds to start a garden now. Use 10-inch-wide planks or bricks to form the frame. Cover the existing dirt with a few layers of newspaper as a barrier against weeds and fill with healthy soil or a soilless mixture.

Joe Parr, director of horticulture for Busch Gardens and Adventure Island, Temple Terrace gardener

Now read this: no weeds with a layer of newspaper

I haven’t pulled a weed in 20 years. Here’s my secret: A single layer of newspaper.

Lay strips of newspaper between rows of seedlings so no soil can be seen. Pile organic material, such as coastal hay, on top of the paper to weigh it down. Your plants grow; weed seeds die.

Fun tip: Balance a broom straw perpendicular to your watermelon stem. When the straw turns and points to the stem, the watermelon is ripe. (A partial turn means it’s not quite ready.)

Robert Bowden, executive director of Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens, Orlando; author of Guide to Florida Fruit and Vegetable Gardening

Know before you grow

Don’t trust the planting guides on the backs of packaged seeds. They’re usually not accurate for us. Instead, consult the Extension Service Almanac. (In the Tampa Bay area, do a Google search for “Hillsborough extension almanac” (or other such regional search) and the month you’re interested in.)

Plant above-ground crops now and root crops and greens last. You’ll be surprised by the veggies that can take cold weather — even a freeze. Those include lettuce, collards, carrots, radishes and onions.

Add dolomite, also known as “agricultural limestone,” to your soil. It provides calcium and magnesium, which are essential to a healthy garden.

Always water in the morning, NEVER in the evening. This will help prevent fungus.

Greg Shell, owner of Shell’s Feed Garden Supply Inc., Tampa, Odessa gardener

Sow your own way

Start your own seedlings. Plant large seeds like corn, squash and beans directly in the soil. Start smaller seeds in little pots and transplant when they’re 3 inches tall.

Using seeds allows you to choose from countless varieties: spicy carrots, oak leaf-shaped lettuce or squash that looks like a UFO. Find them in printed or online seed catalogs.

Brittany Hickman, urban farmer who blogs at SunnySpotGardens.com, Forest Hills, Tampa

UF/IFAS proves invaluable

If you’re not sure what to plant, or how to grow vegetables in Florida, the University of Florida/IFAS provides lots of free information in a searchable database at edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

Lynn Barber, UF/IFAS extension agent, Lithia gardener

If you’ve got fall veggie-growing tips to share, email pcarnathan49@gmail.com. Join the chat at Diggin Florida Dirt on Facebook. Follow @DigginPenny on Twitter and more local gardening stories at digginfladirt.com.

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