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Fall Gardening Tips
You can still plant many cool season vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and cabbage. I wouldn't try growing much under row covers like you see in so many gardening magazines, because we always have a lot of wind before a hard freeze around here, and it wreaks havoc on most row covers. Some folks anchor the row covers with two by fours, but a secure greenhouse works much better in our climate than row covers. Be sure the greenhouse has a source of ventilation so your plants won't cook when we have a 90-degree day in January. If we have a dry winter, remember that even dormant perennials need some water. Evergreen plants will get leaf burn and sun damage if they remain dry for too long, even in the cooler months ahead. This is a good time to think about fruit trees, shade trees, and shrubs for planting at the end of December. If you need to move a small tree or shrub wait until after the first or second freeze so the tree will be dormant and there will be no transplant shock. A root stimulator applied to the base of the plant after transplanting gives it a head start in the spring. If you have decided to add more native plants, this is a good time to look around a friend's land for blooming plants like coreopsis, gaillardia, standing cypress, black-eyed Susan and wild verbena. Simply dig them up, wrap in newspaper and plant when you get home. Shrubs like yaupon and American beautyberry can be successfully moved now. In the garden, you can divide phlox, coneflower and daisies. Colorful annuals like calendula, or pot marigold, pansies and snapdragons will survive our coldest winter weather. If you received tulip or hyacinth bulbs for spring color, you will need to chill them in the fridge for 45 days before planting. The Darwin hybrid tulip does not need chilling, but needs to be planted before December 1st. This is a good time to get the soil tested for your lawn, so you will know what nutrients to add in the spring. An overload of phosphorous will kill your lawn. Getting the soil to the correct Ph and fertility levels will solve many of the common lawn problems we see in our area. As always, I recommend more flowerbeds with deep mulch and native plants as the best way to combat lawn problems. In other words, if you have less grass, you won't have many problems. If you are experiencing grass burrs, and who isn't, remember that if you get rid of them you must plant something in their place. Spreading clover seed this time of year creates a good cover for our barren sand and supplies much needed nitrogen to the soil. Then, spread Bermuda grass seed or sprigs in the early spring. If the area is not too large, fertilize the grass in the spring and mow with a grass catcher during the season to catch any grass burrs that may form.
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The most pleasant gardening time of the year is here. Vegetables are tastier, flowers are more colorful, and the landscape is greener if the rain keeps up, that is. However, the first freeze is around November 25th, so you can think about what to do with your tender plants now. Tropical plants don't like to be in less than 60 degrees and less than 40 degrees can be lethal for most houseplants. Prepare a warm bright place with high humidity for their winter home. Soaking the entire pots with the plants in them in a bucket of water or in the bathtub for 30 minutes will force out most of the bad bugs that may have found a home during the summer. Clean out any dead leaves in the pots, and check carefully for bugs on the foliage. White flies are your biggest threat. They look like tiny grains of rice on the leaves. They can be controlled with most houseplant pest control products.
