The Southwest Voice

All > Columnists > Gardening
Bloom: Fall gardening checklist
Topics:
Anonymous user Wed Nov 1, 2006 13:02:47 PST
Viewed 473 times
0 responses 0 comments ONCE your winter rye is up and well established, be flexible with your irrigation schedule. Water less often as fall kicks in. Increase frequency during hot or windy spells.

FEED the following: shrub material; young vegetable and bedding plants; cool season turfgrasses; houseplants; and Cymbidium orchids. Use a high phorphorus, low nitrogen formula from now through March.

CARE for trees: Prune and thin branches before Santa Ana winds or winds from the west can blow in suddenly and damage them. Stake each newly planted tree with two stakes –– each located just outside the root-ball; secure loosely with rubber-coated ties. Renew mulches to a depth of 3 to 4.''

CLEAN up the edible garden. Remove fallen fruit and "fruit mummies" left hanging on trees. Remove annual plant residues as crops fade.

CLEAN up flowering plants. Dig, divide and replant such perennials as daisies, day lily, acanthus and iris. Cut back Zonal and Martha Washington geraniums. Remove spent annuals. Cut back petunias for growth next spring. Prepare beds for fall and winter plantings. Where needed, dig in plenty of organic matter.

COMPOST all disease-free green waste. If you're not set up, consider starting a composting system in your yard. Look for guidebooks and supplies at local nurseries or attend a composting workshop in your area.

PREPARE and store tuberous begonias, Prize Hosts or other spring/summer materials that require less water. Dig up tubers, gently removing any clinging soil, and store them in a cool, dry place. Force other plants into dormancy by withholding water. Restart early next spring in pots of fresh mix. (Some people prefer to overwinter tubers in their same pots and soil.)

DISCOURAGE winter annual weed seedlings by cultivating or hoeing them under as soon as they appear. Maintain a 3-4'' layer of mulch; it will smooth just-germinated garden weeds. A layer of compost or forest humus will also act as a layer of warmth should we receive a hard freeze.

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation