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Written by Sylvia Henthorn
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| Annuals |
Keep dead heading. Anything ratty, tatty and generally dead and depressing can be pulled up. Think about whether you want to save plants from the garden for next year. Fall annuals to plant: pansies, ornamental kale, and ornamental cabbage. If you decide to store seeds, the best way is to dry them very, very thoroughly and put it in a moisture-proof container in the freezer. |
| Bulbs |
Buy bulbs now for fall planting. Check bulbs in storage for signs of mildew or rot. Dig caladiums before the foliage completely disappears, or plan to buy new bulbs next spring. |
| General |
Preserve flowers by hanging them upside down to dry. Finish up fertilization of outside plants by mid month. |
| Herbs |
Freeze, dry, make herb vinegar or oil. Herbs that do pretty well indoors in a SUNNY window or under lights include basil, chervil, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, lavender, chives and sage. |
| Houseplants |
A freeze is coming sooner or later. So start now. Only the healthy should be moved inside. Before bringing them in, place plants in the shade for a few days. Bring them in early - they will benefit from a period of adjustment before the central heat kicks in. Before actually moving them indoors, leach them, repot the new soil, and wash thoroughly with insecticide soap. Root prune and trim as needed. |
| Lawns |
Apply fall pre-emergence herbicides., if needed, to control winter annuals. Seed fescue so that it has sufficient time to develop before the onset of cold weather, or over seed an existing lawn. Water as needed. |
| Perennials |
Divide overcrowded perennials. Most need to be divided every 2-3 years. With few exceptions, divide fall-blooming plants in spring, spring bloomers just after they bloom, and summer bloomers in early fall. Many perennials benefit form fall planting because they have time to winter, grow some roots and get established. The main reason for fall planting failure is insufficient water. |
| Roses |
Make the last spray for block spot this month. Keep all blooms cut. |
| Trees/Shrubs |
Still too early to plant trees. You may want to add acid to azalea beds after all the summer watering. Begin to slow down on azaleas toward the end of the month to harden them off for winter, but do not them dry out completely. Replenish mulch around all trees and shrubs. |
| Vegetables |
Plant turnips, mustard, spinach, lettuce and radishes until September 15th. Cherish the last tastes of summer.
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| Hint: |
Be on the look out for water needs insects and diseases. |
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Forget Me Knots
