Calendar points to garden winterization
It is that time of year again.
The mornings are crisp and cool; the afternoons are warm and sultry; the trees and shrubs are changing into brilliant specimens; and the birds are flying south to soak up a winter season of sun.
It is that time of year for good byes and renewal. We pull our dying annuals and vegetables and trim our perennials, depositing their remains in our compost bins.
It is that time of year for fall garden chores and winter preparation.
To begin garden winterization, remove dead and dying vegetation, as well as remaining vegetables and fruits.
Removal of dead vegetation prevents the spread of disease and pests into the next growing season.
Add this vegetation to your compost pile and turn this waste into deep, rich nutritional compost.
Properly dispose of diseased plants and foliage in the trash, as home composting may not kill disease organisms.
Keep plants with seed heads or berries in place to create a food source for birds and foraging animals during the winter.
The colorful leaves that fall onto the ground have many uses. Shred and add the leaves to your compost pile or bin. Cover dormant flower beds and gardens with shredded leaves, which act as a natural mulch and soil enhancement.
Consider planting cover crops such as grasses, legumes and/or brassicas, to improve the soil and ground water quality. Grasses include annual ryegrass, barley and oats. Legumes include red or crimson clover, cowpeas and field peas. The brassicas family includes radish and mustards.
Mixtures of these different cover crops work well. For best results, sow seeds shortly before the first killing frost. In the spring, simply incorporate the cover crop into your soil.
Fall is the time to divide and relocate plants, such as hosta, iris and daylily. Fertilize bulbs to promote nutrient uptake and storage during the winter.
Take cuttings of your scented geraniums and favorite annuals to propagate and overwinter indoors. Penn State Extension's website (extension.psu.edu) provides instructions on propagating houseplants through its Home Gardening, “Guides and Publications” section within the website.Plant new or relocate existing shrubs or trees in the fall. Keep them watered until the ground freezes; an inch of water a week is recommended. Thorough watering allows trees and shrubs to develop a strong root system.For a spring surprise, grow something new and exciting, like garlic. It is easy to grow, and is best planted in October.Most garlic cultivars are planted one to one and half inches deep. Fertilize your garlic plantings with a 5-5-5 or 10-10-10 fertilizer at the onset, but do not allow the fertilizer to come into contact with the bulbs. Cover with a straw mulch to protect the crop through the winter.After you have put your gardens and lawns to sleep for the winter, hang up your garden tools and settle in. Review your garden journal. Maybe a particular tomato did not perform well in a drought or excessive rain situation, or the coneflowers did not bloom well in the shade.Look for new varieties of plant materials, talk to your friends, and wait for the garden catalogs to arrive in November and December.Dream of your 2019 garden.Julia Habsburg has been a Penn State Master Gardener of Butler County since 1998.
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