TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM

OVER THE GARDEN FENCE

August 28, 2004

As we say good-bye to August, most "green thumbers" are welcoming September with great expectations. Now that the demands of our busy summer schedules are past, we are looking forward to enjoying many cool, sunny days in the garden. The possibility of successful lawn and garden improvements increases during autumn in Southwest Michigan. The tried and true path to a beautiful spring garden and a strong, healthy lawn is to begin improvement projects now. Everything seems to be in favor of both gardens and gardeners. With the encouragement of fall fertilizer grass grows better, many plants transplant better in the autumn than in the spring, humidity levels drop to make gardening more comfortable, insect activity decreases, garden weeds offer less competition, September skies are more clear and blue, rains become more dependable, and the autumn colors thrill our souls.

Gardening is often described as "a work of art in progress". Perennial flower gardens especially are like golf, tennis, baseball, or chess; we have to keep playing to achieve excellence. There is hardly a day between mid-March to mid-November when a visit to our favorite perennial garden doesn't reveal some excuse to dive in.

At this time, perennial flower gardens need care to keep them an asset during the fall. Prune back all plants that have bloomed and have foliage that is now yellowing. Plants that are infested with mildew or leaf rust should also be pruned back to within six inches of the soil. Be sure to record in your garden journal perennial plants that suffered from rust, leaf spots, mildew, or other diseases this year so fungicides will be applied early next season to prevent damage.

Dig up and dispose of poor performers. Every garden has plants that seem to grow and bloom profusely, noticeably better than in some other gardens. Then there are some plants we try to include in our gardens that continually fail. Differences in soil composition, drainage, amounts of sun and shade, wind exposure, organic and clay content all make a huge difference in perennial plant success. If some plants struggle in your garden, either improve necessary growing conditions or replace with more tolerant plants.

This is the perfect time to dig up and divide some perennial plants. Poppies, iris, wildflowers, and any other plants that are dying back now can be dug up and divided. Share them with a friend or plant more in other areas of your garden.

When planting perennial flowers, always prepare the new planting site in advance. First, mix into the soil to the depth of ten inches, a mixture of sphagnum peat moss, composted cow manure, Plant tone, and bone meal. Mix the soil thoroughly, then set the plant into the prepared soil. After filling the planting hole with the mix, soak the planting site with Fertilome Root Stimulator. This recipe will assure that your perennial flowers will be a blooming success!

Be sure to add a few chrysanthemum plants as bare spots appear in flowerbeds. Wedel's selection of beautiful autumn mums is outstanding this year. Yellows, bronzes, and reds are just a few of the beautiful mum colors that will brighten up porch and deck planters as well as the gardens.

As our gardens slide towards dormancy, be sure that all your plants receive adequate moisture. Proper soil moisture levels will assure healthy root growth and food storage for all plants to over winter their best. Perennial flowerbeds, trees, needled evergreens, broadleaf evergreens, and shrubs should all be irrigated thoroughly in the autumn.

When our prized garden and landscape plants do not get the nutrients they need from their soil environment, they will show symptoms of the shortage. The symptom most often recognized by gardeners is leaf yellowing due to nitrogen deficiency. Because nitrogen is consumed faster by plants and is retained more poorly by soil particles, it needs to be replenished more often.

Other nutrients are either required in smaller amounts or don't move as easily through the soil, so they are added periodically or when a deficiency is noted. The deficiency of the following major and minor nutrients will lead to plant problems.

*The lack of nitrogen shows up in slow plant growth, uniform yellowing in leaves, and drooping of oldest leaves.

*Low phosphorus levels lead to stunting and poor flowering and fruiting.

áPotassium lacking in sufficient quantity causes slow plant growth, weak stems, brown leaf tips, and stunted fruits.

*Not enough calcium causes poor growth and death of sprouts or new growth tips.

*Lack of magnesium causes yellowing between veins of leaves and curling of leaf edges.

*Low levels of sulfur causes yellow leaves and stiff appearance of plant.

*Not enough zinc leads to yellowing of young leaves and abnormally small leaves.

*Insufficient amount of iron will cause young leaves to become yellow between veins with veins remaining green

Copper, boron, chlorine, and other elements all make up the long list of nutrients that each plant requires, in differing quantities, for good health and growth.

If your plants or lawn have chloritic leaves, anemic growth, weak stems, or poor blooming habits, seek help. Take soil, leaf, and branch samples to the local MSU Co-operative Extension Office or Wedel's Garden Center for helpful suggestions.

Often, plant health can be assured by using Tone products in your garden and landscape. Plant Tone, Tree Tone, Flower Tone, Rose Tone, and Garden Tone all contain a long list of essential minor plant food elements that most plants will thrive on. Next time, when purchasing plant food, be sure to check the analysis to be sure minor trace elements are included; your plants will appreciate being fed well.

Be sure to prune back all new growth on tomato plants to get rid of blooms that will never produce ripe fruit. Thin upper leaves to allow sunlight to penetrate to lower fruits to maximize their growth and ripening potential.

If amaryllis were set outside for the summer, stop watering them in preparation for the fall rest period. In late September, before frost, move potted amaryllis indoors to a warm, dark, dry place for 4 to 6 weeks.

Check all houseplants that have been outside for the summer for insects. Before bringing you houseplants inside, spray them with 10% permethrin. Up-pot any indoor plants that have been in their pots for more than two years. Select a clay pot that is two inches larger. Use Fertilome High Density Potting Soil for repotting.

Earlier, I mentioned recording growing success in your garden journal. Like doting parents, serious gardeners record the garden's progress from frost to frost, documenting garden stars and losers. The autumn season offers the final critical look before winter snows close the garden gate.

If you haven't kept a garden journal previously, this is the time to start. Take a close look at all aspects of the garden and landscaping surrounding your home and make notes to help plan for next year. Sketch each garden or planting area and note problems or opportunities. If possible, include photos for a vivid reminder long after the blooms have faded.

The following checklist will help guide your garden analysis:

*Health and general well being. Are there signs of diseases or pests that need to be eliminated to ensure a healthy winter hibernation for plants, trees, and shrubs?

*General maintenance. Are there shrubs or plants that are overgrown? Pruning, thinning, and transplanting may be required as part of the fall maintenance program. Is the lawn in good condition? Fall is the best time to seed or sow a new lawn or to recondition your older lawn.

*Effective focal points. Does the overall planting scheme include dramatic focal points such as those to highlight your home's entryway or patio area? Is there room to develop a corner, a shade garden, or a flower-cutting garden in next year's planting scheme? Have plantings been used effectively to conceal service areas such as trash bins or utility meters?

*Bounty of beauty. Does the garden provide an ongoing display of color, shape, texture, fragrance, and excitement throughout the growing seasons? Do some areas fade away after a short burst of blooms, not to return for a second act?

*Lifestyle match. How well is your landscape design suited to your lifestyle? Does it accommodate your entertainment style and provide recreational space for the family? Should it be redesigned for greater privacy? Would a vegetable garden encourage healthier family eating habits?

Once you have surveyed your home's outdoor territory with a critical eye, you can bask in the satisfaction of our garden's successes and start to work on areas in need of tender loving care this fall.

When seeking additional answers to your garden, lawn, and landscape questions, always feel free to ask the horticultural experts at Wedel's Garden Center. We are proud of the fourteen Michigan Certified Nursery Specialists and eight Scotts Lawn Pros on the Wedel staff. These specialists are eager to share their plant knowledge with you.