Gardening News: Fall gardening, landscaping tips offered at Sept. 18 event

Staff Report

When is the right time to prune my hydrangea? Is it too late to divide my perennials? Can I still plant trees in the fall?

“These are just a few of the common questions that come up every fall from gardeners,” said University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator Candice Miller.

Fall is a great time to catch up on the gardening and landscaping activities you’ve been putting off during this hot, dry summer. Many gardeners still wonder, though, whether it is the right time of year to do certain activities.

Fall is a great time for planting perennials and trees, for instance, as long as it’s done by about mid- to late September. This will allow enough time for plants to establish a good root system before winter arrives.

Many gardeners also wonder when to prune their hydrangea, which varies depending on the species of hydrangea you have planted.

University of Illinois Extension in Ogle County will be offering a one-hour program about “When to Divide, Plant and Prune” this fall. Miller will discuss the proper time to divide and prune our most common landscape plants, and outline what plants are still suitable for planting in the fall.

The most up-to-date information about what to do to prepare your landscape for the winter after this drought will also be provided.

The program will be from 6 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 18. Cost is $5, and everyone is welcome. Pre-registration is required.

Call the Ogle County Extension Office at (815) 732-2191 to register or register online at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/bdo/. You may also post your questions on the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture-Northwest Illinois Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/northwestillinoishorticulture.

From the Sept. 12-18, 2012, issue

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PLANTING FOR DIFFICULT PLACES

There are many difficult planting conditions we face when gardening.  In general, plants will grow best in their favorite conditions.   Amounts of light, soil quality, and water in your planting area define which plants will work.  Planting on a slope can be hard because in heavy rains runoff can be very strong.  Water flows rapidly down, not soaking into the ground.  Often, slopes have only shallow levels of soil.

A slope is the amount of rise or fall of the land over a distance.  Rise divided by length times 100 is the percent of slope.

The slope in this photo is more than we would want in a garden.  Water and erosion issues need to be considered when planting on a slope.  Plant roots hold the soil in place, and foliage covers the soils and reduces the impact of rain.  A variety of plants works best rather than a mass planting of one thing.  First choose plants for the amount of light you have.

Plants get less water on a slope.  Eliminate plants that need a lot of water.  You are using the tough plant roots to help lessen erosion.  Cut the bottom of a plant pot off and push it down around the plant into the dirt a few inches.  Choose a pot that is at least as wide as the plant drip line.  This will hold some water at the plant feeding area to drain into the roots.

The best plants to choose for a slope can live without deep, rich soil (erosion).  For ease of maintenance, plants on a slope should not need extra watering or much weeding after they are established.  You can also cut out slightly to make a terrace effect which makes the actual planting area more flat.  This allows for some soil amending.  Keep in mind that cold air sinks and water seeks the lowest level.  Avoid planting in straight rows, which more easily erode from heavy rains.

Start with the area in small segments that can be cleared and planted at the same time (if you clear a large area and do not plant it, a heavy rain can wash out a lot of soil).  If using an herbicide, leave the dead roots in place until ready to plant.  They will hold the soil in place.

South and west facing slopes are hot and dry out quicker.  For any of you who travel regularly along the Canal Road in Bourne you may have noticed the fine job that the Army Corps of Engineers has done choosing plants for that slope.  The hill is planted with lupine, black-eyed Susans, daisies, kerria, and Russian sage.  In January our program will be presented by a Cape Cod Canal Ranger with a film on the hillside plantings.

Aggressive spreaders have the tenacity for flourishing on a slope (please stick to vigorous growers, not invasive plants).  Other plants which can be successful can be obtained on line from www.wmassmastergardeners.org Western Mass Master Gardeners.  Note the additional plant info, i.e. berberis, notes it should not be planted because it is invasive.

Photographing flowers is an art form unto itself.

And to do it well, tips from a professional — such as Steve Silk, managing editor of Fine Gardening magazine — can be indispensable.

A former newspaper photographer and travel writer, Silk will talk about composing and shooting garden photography on Thursday, Sept. 13, at 1 p.m. in the Westport Library’s McManus Room, The event, co-sponsored by the Westport Garden Club and Westport Library, is free.

Silk — who designs, writes about and photographs gardens — will cover such basics as film, lenses and lighting, but his emphasis will be on “seeing” the picture, recognizing the elements of a strong composition and portraying the subject in a visually pleasing way.

Although geared for serious photographers, even beginners using point-and-shoot cameras will leave with tips to improve their photos, the library says.

Silk became interested in plants more than 20 years ago during extended travels in South America and Southeast Asia. He grows some of the tropical plants seen during his journeys, as well as hundreds of other plants from around the world, in his Farmington garden.

After 15 years as an award-winning photographer and travel writer at The Hartford Courant, Silk moved in 1996 to Fine Gardening magazine. He now spends most of his time writing about, photographing and re-inventing his own backyard.

Westport Public Library, 20 Jesup Road. Thursday, Sept. 13, 1 p.m. Free. 203-291-4800, www.westportlibrary.org.

TYNGSBORO (CBS) – One of the most beautiful times in New England is during fall season.

Crisp air, bright blue skies, and colorful foliage. And one of the greatest family traditions in New England is apple picking. The apple season is well underway and with the warm temperatures that we experienced in March, the season is about 10 days ahead of a ‘normal’ schedule.

At Parlee Farms in Tyngsboro, our apple orchard covers over 14 acres.

It is comprised of more than 12,000 dwarf apple trees, which, although small in stature, produce large, delicious apples.

We grow more than 20 different varieties of apples including traditional favorites such as MacIntosh, Gala, and Cortland and many new varieties such as Early Fuji, Decoster Jonagold, and Cameo.

Even with all these wonderful varieties, our most popular apple is Honey Crisp.  It is a cross between Macoun and Honeygold apples.

With explosive crispness, Honey Crisp is a large, tangy-sweet apple that is extremely juicy. It is excellent for all uses – eating, baking, and sauce. If you like a sweet apple, you will love Honey Crisp!

At Parlee Farms, we celebrate the apple picking season with Apple Cider Donuts, Warm Apple Crisp, and Hot Apple Cider.

You can never have enough apples!

Before you leave home, check the farm website for picking conditions and varieties available for picking that day.

With the season ending early, I know that I speak for the farmers of New England that we all hope you visit us early this fall for apples and other great fall activities. Let us help you create those family memories!

It’s no secret that the US is facing a serious drought. Nearly 57 percent of the country fell into moderate to extreme drought in July. With that in mind, managing your home water use is more important than ever – especially with more than 30 percent of household water being used outside.

Luckily, the fall is a great time to reassess your lawn and garden to make sure you’re making the most of the water you use in your yard. As the weather cools and plants get ready for winter temperatures, they’ll require less water and a little less maintenance. However, it’s important to know how water will affect your lawn during the fall and to conserve water effectively. Here are a few ways to ensure you do your part to conserve water without sacrificing the health of your lawn.

Reset Your Sprinklers
Over-irrigation is common in the early fall, especially September. The water needs of plants and grass decrease significantly in the fall, so now is the perfect time to reset your sprinklers from their summer schedule. Excessive watering can lead to plant disease by flooding the root system and choking off their oxygen. Try to water before 10 a.m., when temperatures and wind are low, and avoid watering in the evening as the season progresses: cold, damp plants can easily attract fungus.

Prioritize Your Watering Needs
Generally speaking, most lawns will require about an inch of water each week. With the cooler temperatures of fall and increased storms, many homeowners will be able to drastically reduce their watering. However, it’s a good idea to assess your lawn and garden watering needs and determine which plants, if any, need extra attention. Newly planted or young trees and grass will need the most attention, since they are still developing a root system, but your lawn can be surprisingly hardy without much water. It can be tough to watch your lawn turn brown, but it will cope well without the extra irrigation and bounce back quickly in springtime.

Farmer D

Once you start gardening, it won’t take long for you to see everything that happens in your garden as a lesson for life. As an entrepreneur, seed-sowing particularly hits home for me. As with each new business venture, I try to give every seed the best conditions, use the highest-quality supplies, and provide it with proper care. I pay attention to what happens, measure my results, and learn from each experience to continually improve my outcomes.

Through the years, I’ve discovered some ways to help seeds grow, both in the garden and in life. Here are some tips:

1. Pick the right time. The ideal time for planting fall seeds depends on the crop choice and your specific climate. Most seed packages recommend when to plant specific seeds in relation to your area’s first frost date; but with weather fluctuating so much lately, you may want to consider soil temperature instead. You can find charts online that let you know the optimal soil temperature for maximum seed germination for a wide range of crops. A simple soil thermometer can tell you the exact soil temperature in your garden so you can ensure your timing is perfect. Doesn’t this sound a little like taking the temperature of your target market through data analysis and then choosing the optimal time for new product releases or other business decisions? Isn’t it like gauging the receptiveness of your boss or investors to know when to ask for something?

2. Clear and prepare a space. This may seem obvious, but if you want to plant fall seeds, you need to make room for them and prepare some space. That means removing summer plants that are done for the season, loosening up the soil a bit, and adding some compost and organic fertilizer to the cleared space. Why not use this same principle at work when you are starting on a new project? Before digging into something new, take the time to file away old projects, organize your workspace, nourish yourself with some healthy food (fresh from your garden), and even loosen up your muscles a bit by doing some quick stretches or a moving meditation.

3. Plant and water. The general rule of thumb for seed planting is to plant each seed as deeply as the seed is big. Tiny seeds like lettuce seeds can just be scattered on top of the soil (or gently raked in). Seeds need to stay moist until they germinate, which usually takes about seven to 10 days, so plan on watering them daily. You can do this by hand or with a soaker hose or another irrigation method on a timer if you travel or have an erratic schedule. New projects at work usually need some extra daily attention until they get off the ground as well, and you will most likely find that the bigger the project, the deeper your involvement. Be sure to clear some time on your calendar to give your “seedling” projects the appropriate amount of care and attention they need.

Pick the right time to plant for new growth in both your garden and your life, clear and prepare a space to plant seeds of success, and give your seedling ample attention to reap the rewards of what you’ve sown.

Tap in next week and I’ll share some tips for passing gardening know-how to the next generation.

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns, and feedback.

 

Daron Joffe is a 30-something eco-entrepreneur who lives to make a difference in the world one homegrown organic fruit and vegetable at a time. Known as “Farmer D,” Joffe has grown food for celebrities, private communities, and elementary schools in his “town-by-town mission to re-energize the food culture.” His products are sold at select Whole Foods and Williams-Sonoma stores. Born in South Africa and based in Atlanta, Farmer D is online at www.farmerD.com.

Fall is in the air making it the perfect time to set up your garden for a long successful season. Brian Minter, founder of the renowned Minter Gardens, shows some unusual flowers and foliage and shares tips for making the perfect transition into fall and winter.

www.mintergardens.com

Alzainah Albabtain, a 22 year old student, is growing her own food in the scorching heat of Kuwait and wants others to give it go too

A green fingered student from Kuwait is taking the blogosphere by storm with her ‘It All Grows’ blog. Filled to the rafters with gorgeous photos of lovely fruit and veg, recipes, and gardening tips, Alzainah wants to prove that “good fruits and vegetables don’t have to travel across the world to make it to your plate.” I caught up with her to find out how she got hooked on gardening and her insider tips for growers in the Middle East.

What inspired you to get your garden started?

I’ve always been fascinated by nature and wildlife, but never by gardening and how food is produced because, just like most people in Kuwait, the idea of growing food was quite foreign. I used to think that it took large expensive greenhouses a hundred kilometres away in Wafra with countless staff and complicated fertilizers to produce vegetables in Kuwait, until one of my relatives mentioned her 10 year old grandson’s cherry tomatoes, I was baffled! He grew cherry tomatoes in a container – I followed with questions like “outdoors? In our weather?” “Is it possible?”

I was completely shocked, and thought to myself, if a 10 year old can do it, I can at least try. The next day I went and bought seeds of whatever I found. I planted them in my back yard, under some palm trees, and with skepticism, I checked on them every other day. Once the seeds sprouted I started taking beautiful Micro photos, to show to my family. In a short time with a lot of research, I managed to turn my entire indoor pool into a greenhouse of cherry tomatoes. After this gratifying experience, I was hooked, I found myself extremely passionate about gardening in Kuwait.

What have been the biggest barriers you have faced in getting your garden to bloom?

First, it was figuring out what grows when. All the research I was doing left me hungry to learn more, but I was having trouble relating general gardening principles to our desert conditions. Plant care is so different, and the seasons are the complete opposite.
It took me a while to figure out the seasons here, its like this; a short warm season, a long cool season, then short warm again, and then summer during which gardeners take a break.

Another issue was organic pest control. There is so little offered in Kuwait when it comes to organic products, so it took me a while to find what I use now, which is organic insecticidal soap. I would go to plant nurseries and for any problem there was always a chemical solution, whether for fertilizing or pest control and I refused to use any of their recommendations on my plants. To me, it just didn’t make sense to spray something which you need to wear a gas mask to handle, on the plants I wanted to eat.

You’ve been gardening for over a year now. What tips would you give people want to grow their own food in the scorching heat of the Middle East?

It’s the blog I’ve started last year, I’ve actually been gardening for much longer.
The tips would be, to start with something easy, to do your basic research on what plant you’re growing, and to make your own compost, because its the best fertilizer there is.
You cant go wrong by starting with basil and arugula, grow them in simple potting mix in a sunny spot, any time from October to January or from February to May as they don’t like it too cold. Both plants are fast growing, easy, and delicious.

You’re right that you can’t grow in the scorching heat but you also can’t grow in the frost which other climates have to deal with. In our case we have three really hot months, (even if things did grow, I wouldn’t want to stand over or take care of them in the heat) but people look past the 9 months of good weather! And you also cant grow anything in the sand, who says you have to? Good soil is so easy to find and make, so we really have no excuse to why we think it’s so crazy to grow fresh food.

Why do you think it’s important to encourage your readers to use organic products?

It’s organic practices that make your greens superior to those at the supermarket. The joy of picking something and eating it right away without worrying about insecticides or preservative sprays is unbelievable. A big part of organic gardening is using compost, and making your own is the best thing to do, homemade compost recycles garden and kitchen scraps into beautiful dark fertilizer, which keeps plants happy all season long.

Water shortages are a real issue in the region – what tips do you have to grow with limited water?

Growing in raised beds like I do, gives you complete control over your soil, and compost rich soil with peat moss, helps retain water, and minimizes water loss.
Drip irrigation is a way to control water use and deliver water directly to the plant. Another good way to prevent loss of moisture is using mulch to cover the soil surface.

Favourite crop and your favourite recipe?

My favorite crop to grow in Kuwait is Bright Lights Rainbow Swiss Chard, because its absolutely gorgeous, with bright magenta and yellow ribs and large dark shiny leaves, its highly nutritious and does amazingly well from October to June. Thats a very long time if you ask me.
I like to sauté it as a side dish with some almonds and garlic oil.

What would you tell someone thinking of starting a garden but is little worried about lack of costs/time/expertise?

I would recommend starting small, with a potted plant, and see how it goes from there. Start with something easy, like herbs and leafy greens.
Most importantly, the internet is your best friend when it comes to gardening, I’ve learned everything I know from online research and youtube tutorials.
In fact, I created my blog to help others, to share my successes and challenges and prove how beautiful our gardens can grow.

:All images and photos courtesy of Alzainah Albabtain at It All Grows.

For more on gardening and organic food in the Middle East see:

Rooftop Hydroponic Farms in Egypt Scrub Air and Uplift Urban Poor

Islamic Gardens – They Could Build A Green Muslim Movement

What Urban Rooftop Gardening Could Do for the Middle East

 

Old Farmer’s Almanac is full of tips about weather, gardening, and more. And if you enter Old Farmer’s Almanac’s Great Almanac iPad Giveaway Sweepstakes, you could get all of those tips directly on your brand-new iPad.

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Entry into Old Farmer’s Almanac’s Great Almanac iPad Giveaway Sweepstakes is open to US residents aged 18 and up. Enter monthly through September 30, 2012. Read more…

More Sweepstakes Like This:

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Proper mowing of your lawn can kill weeds and chinch bugs, cure disease, save water and provide fertilizer. However, improper mowing can be harmful. Mowing is stressful to grass because it is meant to grow tall, mature and make seeds. Man decided that lawns look good when freshly mowed and most people feel the shorter the better. But a close cut doesn’t do much for your lawn or your water bill.

Grasses are basal-growing plants. The growing point is at the crown (the area between the root and the blade) of the plant near the soil line. The tips are the oldest part of the blade which means you can cut off their tops without killing them. When you cut the tips, new growth pushes up from the crown. When the mower cuts off those grass tips, it causes severe shock to the grass plant. Grass lives primarily on food manufactured in its blades not on what is drawn up through the roots. Cutting the blades reduces the ability of the plant to manufacture food. That food is used for both top and root growth so the shorter you cut the grass the less root growth you will have. A plant with deep roots will be better able to withstand drought, fight off disease and insects and store food manufactured in the leaves. So the longer the root the healthier the grass. Every time the grass is cut the root system is weakened to some degree. When cut too severely, the roots stop growing. Mowing tears the plant and creates ports of entry for disease. Sharp mower blades give a cleaner cut which heals faster. Another problem with close cutting is that it allows sunlight to dry the soil and the additional light will encourage weed seeds to germinate.

Mowing has actually tamed the wild grasses of our past. Mowing grass before it sets seeds prevents sexual reproduction and many grasses respond by reproducing asexually by spreading stolons and rhizomes creating a thicker lawn. How high you mow will also influence the spread of the grass. A higher cut makes healthier grass with deeper roots, more mass for photosynthesis and more stolons and rhizomes for a thicker sod which means less weed invasion.

You should also take into account that grass grows at different rates throughout the seasons. The summer months require more frequent mowing than our cold winter and dry spring months when you should not cut as often. Our coming cold weather will slow the growth and bi-weekly mowing will be all that is needed. Some lawns could go three weeks or a month without mowing. If the grass doesn’t need to be mowed save it from the extra stress and don’t mow it. As we move into the dry spring months grasses will be stressed by heat and drought so care must be taken to properly irrigate to help ease the stress of mowing.

In past years drought required the city to reduce our allowed watering to once a week. The fact is our lawns could easily survive on this schedule and be healthier for it. We should practice horticultural practices every day which produce deep-rooted lawns that don’t require excessive water to keep them green. All lawns, properly cared for, could be conditioned to require no more than once a week watering all year. The exception would be during the cold winter months when once every two or three weeks will do. I remember the year the Phase 3 water restriction took affect on Marco Island and everybody thought their lawn would surely die if watered only once a week. People were surprised as their lawns remained green and lush. It was because it was during the winter months with the cooler temperatures and lower evaporation rates. That benefit ends as the temperatures begin to climb in March, April and May. Spring is when the benefit of a deep root system and tall grass blades come in to play to allow for less watering.

Check your irrigation system to be sure of proper coverage. It may seem that the sprinklers are reaching all areas but if you have dry spots on the edge of your sprinkler pattern you may not be getting adequate water at the edges of the sprinkler pattern. Place some empty tuna cans at the center of the green areas and also in the dry areas and measure the water levels after the zone has run. You’ll most likely find you’re not getting enough in the dry areas. This could be dirt in the sprinkler tip, heads not properly spaced or water pressure problems when the sprinklers are running in the wee hours of the morning. When not mowing every week be sure the sprinkler heads stay well cleared of taller grass blades to allow for proper coverage.

It was once believed that grass clippings were the cause of thatch accumulation in the lawn. It is now known that they do not accumulate unless the clippings are exceptionally long. They break down soon after they hit the ground. In the process they return a lot of nitrogen to the soil. Clippings are a very good thing and should be left to break down and feed you lawn.

A lush, green lawn is a beautiful thing. It doesn’t need excessive chemical and water use to look that way if you just raise the mower deck as high as it will go. A deeper lawn is a healthy lawn!

Eileen Ward and her husband Peter have owned and operated Greensward of Marco, Inc., a lawn maintenance and landscaping company since 1981.