Garden Tips

When planting perennials in the fall, it should be done early. Be sure to give them adequate moisture and after the first hard killing frost be sure to mulch around them with about 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches of mulching material (dry grass clippings, shredded cedar or hardwood mulch, etc.) This will keep the ground at a consistent, even temperature and you will have less loss.

Fall is an excellent time to divide your perennials that have gotten too large or that need to be moved to new locations. Dayliles, hostas, and peonies can all be dug up and divided and replanted now. Be sure to water them in well when transplanting and leave a large enough clump so that they won't heave out of the ground if we get a period of freezing and thawing in mid-winter.

For the best time to eliminate broadleaf weeds wait til mid-September or even better until after the first hard frost. Spraying your broadleaf weeds at this time will help you get a better kill and as the weed goes dormant it takes the herbicide down into the root area and gives you a better, over-all kill. Crabgrass was a problem this year and trying to spray it now will not do much good. The plant itself will die and not come back, but the seed it has already dropped will be there next year to germinate in late spring/early summer. Putting a pre-emergent herbicide (Preen, dacthal, etc.) down in mid-April will help to eliminate a lot of the seed that was sown in fall.

To help build up your vegetable garden soil you may want to take your lawn clippings and fall leaves and put them on your garden space and till them under. Next Spring till in some 10-10-10 fertilizer and you should be ready to plant.

If you had disease or insect problems on your fruit trees this year be sure to clean up any fallen fruit and diseased foliage from under your trees to help prevent more problems next Spring. This is also true for your vegetable gardens also.  Getting started on a spray program as soon as buds start to show in the Spring is an efficient way to eliminate a lot of your insect and disease problems.

Garden Tips submitted by Deb Karel, Gardenland