If you missed our seminar with gardening expert, Melinda Myers, don't fret! Here are the notes from her talk about Fall and Winter Landscape Care.
Fall is for Planting
Bulbs
Reduce maintenance and increase beauty
*Double up plantings
-daffodils with squills, tulips with hyacinths – double the bloom
-grape hyacinths with mid season hyacinths – extend bloom time
*Plant bulbs w/ hardy pansies like Cool Wave – fall and spring bloom
*Plant bulbs with perennials
-double or extend bloom
-perennials mask declining bulb foliage
*Wildlife Resistant
-Daffodils, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, squills, fritillaria,
*Forcing
-12 - 15 weeks of 35 to 45 degrees to initiate bloom
Trees, Shrubs and Perennials
*Warm Soil and Cool Air great for plant establishment
-Properly space trees and shrubs for longevity
-Fill in voids with annuals and perennials
-Each year you need fewer annuals. Dig and move perennials as trees and shrubs mature
*Prune newly planted trees and shrubs only as needed
-Remove crossing, rubbing branches, co-dominant stems
-Save major pruning – for once plants are established
*Perennials
-Amend heavy soil with compost, manure or other organic matter
Mums and Asters
*Find new ways to include them in the landscape
-Containers, in a hollowed out pumpkin, sunk in voids in garden
*Use as permanent addition to perennial beds and shrub borders
-Increase survival by leaving stand for winter and winter mulching
Pansies
*Hardy pansies, such as Cool Wave, for fall and spring display
*Work great mixed with bulbs
*Use in containers
-White ones with sunglasses for Halloween ghost
-Plant in hollowed out pumpkin
-Mix with other cool weather annuals
Managing Fall Leaves
*Shred and leave on lawn
*Shred and use as mulch on soil around perennials and shrubs or dig into annual or vacant gardens
*Recycle – Compost
Lawn Care
*A healthy lawn is the best defense against weeds, insects and disease
-Mow high and cut often as long as the grass keeps growing
No need to make last cut shorter – or you prefer that look
*Fertilize based on your management and landscape style
Memorial Day, Labor Day and Halloween
Even one fall fertilization can greatly reduce weeds
*Eco-friendly weed killers for Lawn
-Corn gluten meal: Pre-emergent – big reduction in weeds after three years of spring when forsythia or Vanhouette spirea is in bloom in late summer or early fall applications
Will also kill lawn grass seed. Do not treat when seeding the lawn
-Fehedta and Hedta iron – form of chelated iron, kills broadleaf weeds, surrounding grass turns dark greens if product lands on the leaves
-Creeping Charlie and Ground Ivy – treat in spring when in full bloom or fall after hard freeze
-Violets – triclopyr (ie. Weed B Gon with purple label) in mid September and late October
-Quack Grass– anything that kills the quack kills desirable grass: Healthy lawn will help crowd out quack or start over
Frost Protection
*Floating Row covers – allow air, light and water
-Can leave on day and night as long as needed. Water through fabric
-No construction needed
*Cloches and coldframes – vent on sunny day, cover. Close at night
*Fabric sheets – cover in late afternoon & remove in morning
Winter Protection
*Evergreens - Avoiding the winter brown of 2013-2014
-Water as needed and throughout the fall until ground freezes
-Mulch soil with bark or woodchips
-Anti-dessicants
-Wind Breaks
*All Plantings - Water all plantings before the ground freezes and mulch new plantings
*Perennials, Butterfly bushes and other subshrubs - Allow to stand for winter
-Winter interest – added insulation for hardiness and winter survival
-Food for birds and shelter for beneficial insects
*Tender and late plantings of perennials and bulbs
-Winter mulch after the ground freezes
-Mulch plants with evergreen boughs and marsh hay – NOT leaves
*Non-hardy bulbs and tropicals - treatment varies with bulb
-Dig non-hardy bulbs after light frost
-Cure
-Gently remove excess soil, remove foliage
-Store in cool dark location –
*Mandevilla, Tropical Hibiscus and Bougainvilla
-Grow like houseplant
-Allow to go somewhat dormant in cool location
*Late-emerging perennials (Hibiscus and Butterfly weed)–
-Mark location with tags, leave stems standing, plant spring bulbs
*Container plantings – trees, shrubs and perennials
-Move to unheated garage and water when soil thawed and dry
-Group in sheltered location and surround with insulating materials
-Sink pot in vacant part of garden
*Protecting Plants from Animal Damage
-Fencing – sunk in ground several inches for voles
4 to 5 feet tall for rabbits
-Apply repellents before the animals start feeding, reapply as needed
-Scare tactics - vary to increase effectiveness
-Try a combination of tactics to increase chance of success
Written by, Melinda Myers. Melinda Myers is a nationally recognized gardening expert with more than 30 years of horticulture experience. She is a wealth of knowledge and we are pleased to share Melinda’s Gardening How-To with you!
