Timely Tips from Over the Garden Fence
You can catch George Wedel on Over the Garden Fence, 9:05 am Saturdays on AM 590 WKZO.
And return here each week at www.wedels.com for the latest in Wedel's timely tips.
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TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM OVER THE GARDEN FENCE AUGUST 31, 2002 Good morning. This is sure a great way to start the Labor Day weekend, sharing “Over the Garden Fence”. Some of you folks have shared with me that it is much more relaxing working in the garden than pounding the highways and fighting heavy traffic. For those gardeners who haven’t visited their gardens for several days, a few tips could be just the catalyst to move them from the breakfast nook to a fun day in the garden. Before we leave our chairs, let’s take a look back and evaluate how our gardens performed this year – what worked, what was disappointing, and what was not accomplished. Did the vegetable garden deliver a continual harvest of tasty delights? Were the lilies finally sequenced for a dramatic summer-long display? Is your favorite pear tree in need of emergency surgery? And what happened to the butterfly garden and the water garden that seemed like such a good idea last spring? 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 your 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 ten Michigan Certified Nursery Specialists, nine Scotts Lawn Pros, and three Master Gardeners on the Wedel staff. These specialists are eager to share their plant knowledge with you. September is an excellent time to rejuvenate strawberry beds. Strawberry plants are generally considered to be biennials, so the gardener cannot expect more than one, or at the most, two good years from each plant. To have a dependable yearly supply of big, delicious berries, it is necessary to set out new plants every year. As soon as the new strawberry plants are established, plow down the old bed. Before transplanting runners to the new bed, the first thing to do is eliminate all weeds and grasses. Second, rototill in 50 pounds of composted cow manure and 15 pounds of Plant Tone for every 100 square feet of strawberry bed. Next, space the runners 2 ½ feet apart and the rows at 3 feet wide. Then water, water, water! Don’t bother to set transplants unless water is available. Lastly, be sure to mulch with straw in late November to prevent winter damage. A little work now will assure a great strawberry harvest next spring. This is also the season to fertilize established berry plantings. Apply 15 pounds of Plant Tone per 100 square feet. Many deciduous trees and shrubs are prematurely losing leaves this year. Falling leaves this early often is indicative of low soil moisture conditions. Homeowners who value their landscape plants need to thoroughly soak the soil around all trees, shrubs, and evergreens in September and October. Failure to irrigate plants in the autumn could result in winter die-back or death of plants, reduction of root mass, which will result in poor growth, and possible insect or disease invasion or damage. Adequate irrigation of woody plants means running a sprinkler for three to six hours in each position every three to four weeks. Drought-stressed trees and shrubs are also good candidates for feeding this autumn. Fertilize all valuable trees and shrubs with Tree Tone in October. Speaking of drought, some folks have experienced a severe drought of quality gardening time because of late summer vacations, school starting, and just plain over-commitment. If your garden isn’t performing as well as it could, take these steps to late summer and autumn enjoyment. First weed, then cut back all dead flower stalks, yellowing foliage, and seed pods, then fill in the empty spaces with blooming chrysanthemum and pansy plants. Be sure to spray Schultz Bloom Plus water-soluble fertilizer on all annuals and perennials that are still blooming. Many honey locust trees that grace our landscapes are currently infested with spider mites. The mites not only cause locust leaves to discolor, but also spread to other susceptible plants such as spruce, juniper, and arborvitae evergreens, as well as many perennial and annual flower plants. Control spider mites with Ultra-fine Horticultural Spray Oil mixed with Isotox. Fall webworm-infested shade trees are most common this year. The spidery, caterpillar-filled nests are not a pleasing sight in any landscape. Fortunately, they do little harm to the trees. To speed their exit, spray with Sevin or Pyrethrin sprays. Armed with these Timely Tips, I hope you all have a great gardening holiday. George Wedel |
Timely Tips
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09/21/02 |