Horticulturalist Melinda Myers offers tips and suggestions for each month of the year.
Start purchasing spring-flowering bulbs. Select healthy bulbs with a strong growing tip. They should be full size, firm and free from signs of insects and disease. Shop early for a greater selection of varieties and healthier bulbs. Buy some extra bulbs for forcing.
Create beautiful and edible fall garden containers. Bright Lights, Ruby Red and many other Swiss chard cultivars have colorful stems to brighten any fall combination.
Fill voids and replace weatherworn annuals in gardens and containers with pansies, ornamental kale and other fall annuals. These plants tolerate the cool, fall temperatures and extend your garden enjoyment even after frost.
Keep watering as needed. Make new plantings, evergreens and moisture loving plants a priority.
Replenish mulch around established plantings of trees, shrubs and perennials. Maintain a 2-3 inch layer of shredded bark, woodchips, shredded leaves or evergreen needles around these plants.
Extend the beauty and bounty of the season by covering plants in late afternoon when frost is forecast.
Fertilize your lawn in early September to encourage healthy growth that is better able to out compete the weeds.
Whether you are renovating an existing lawn, starting a new one or just patching bare spots, early to mid September is the best time to plant grass seed.
Give your lawn a boost by core aerating away problems like compacted soil and thatch.
Fall is the best time to control perennials weeds in the lawn. The chemicals are usually more effective and the actively growing grass will quickly fill in the empty spaces.
Looking for organic weed control in the lawn? Use an organic weed killer with the active ingredient iron hedta (Fededta.) This product kills or suppresses broadleaf weeds with iron toxicity. Surrounding grass hit by the spray turns dark green, if sprayed. Read and follow label directions.
Evaluate your landscape for fall interest. Consider adding some ornamental grasses, fall blooming perennials, trees and shrubs with colorful fall foliage or fruit. Fall is a great time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Proper planting and post planting care will insure the health and longevity of your plants.
Check tree trunks for gypsy moth egg masses. The eggs are covered with a yellow, hairy substance. Remove and destroy egg masses as they are found.
Black and orange bugs congregated on the sunny side of your house in fall are likely boxelder bugs. They are not harmful to plants and people, but certainly are annoying.
Dig and divide spring-blooming perennials that have outgrown their location, failed to flower, flop open or died out in the center.
Reduce the risk of leaf spot disease on black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia) by providing adequate light and air circulation around the plants. Use a soaker hose or watering wand to apply water directly to the soil when needed. In fall, remove and destroy all diseased plant parts.
Keep falling leaves off groundcovers and perennial plants with this simple technique. Cover plantings with netting to catch the falling leaves. Drag it off or roll it up to keep the leaves in place as you clear the planting. Then add the leaves to the compost pile.
Harvest apples when the indentation by the stem turns from green to yellow. The fruit should twist off the branch easily.
Plant garlic cloves in mid to late September. The plants will send down roots, receive the needed chill to set bulbs and will be ready for harvest by the end of next summer.
Add short season and frost-tolerant plants to the vegetable garden. You can still plant lettuce, greens, spinach and onion sets. Try growing them in containers that can be moved in and out according to the weather. Or, have some frost protection handy for covering plants on frosty nights to extend the harvest season.
Make one fall harvest of rhubarb before the first killing frost. The stalks are safe to eat and the plant has had ample time to replenish its energy supply. Cut the rest of the stalks back after a hard freeze.
Consider investing in artificial lights if your houseplant collection or those moved indoors for the winter have outgrown the available window space.
