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Gardening Tips for Fall by David Barkley (October 2005)


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When you finish all your other gardening jobs... go "gib" your camellias. This is the time to apply gibberellic acid to the buds to enhance next year's display. For those gardeners who don't have a camellia, there's no better time to plant one.

SUCCESSFUL GARDENING NOW DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU DO FOR YOUR PLANTS AS WINTER DORMANCY ARRIVES
Water when plants need water, shut down feeding or avoid using fertilizing materials with nitrogen in them, limit pruning to light corrective pruning and plant trees and shrubs with the top of the root ball close to the soil surface. Don't plant them too deep. Follow the plantings with a layer of mulch two to three inches in depth. Make sure you have the right plant for the right location. Select the plants that do well in this region and are adapted to our climatic conditions.

GET THOSE LEAVES OFF THE GRASS
Many people think that if they wait long enough, the wind will blow the leaves off their property, thus minimizing the fall raking. Although this idea has merit, there are potential problems especially if there is a good stand of turf under the pile of leaves. The damage to the grass is caused by the lack of sunlight, resulting in a loss of chlorophyll in the leaf blades. The longer the situation lasts, the more food reserves are used. When the leaves are eventually cleared, the grass is dead. This is a slow death to the grass, but dead is dead. (It will happen much faster if the leaves get compacted and stay wet.)

DO THOSE PLANTS NEED PRUNING--- OR REMOVING?
This is an excellent time to evaluate your landscape. Many overgrown or slightly overgrown shrubs can be pruned back into shape. This is especially true for many of the holly species that are used in foundation plantings. Most of the really drastic pruning should be delayed until late winter. If you prune them now, you'll have an eyesore of a sawed off plant until after the spring growth occurs. The solution for many overgrown shrubs is complete removal.

This may be a major task for some landscapes but in time, you will be glad you did it. Otherwise, you can count on heavy pruning next winter again. October is a good month to remove the large plants because they can be replaced immediately with fresh new selections. The lesson to learn here is - don't make the same mistake twice. That is, don't replace an overgrown tree or shrub with a smaller specimen of the same species. Remember all new plants added to the landscape require a specific amount of space for adequate growth.

FALL IS FOR PLANTING - PLANTING TECHNIQUES FOR TREES AND SHRUBS.
A properly planted tree or shrub will be more tolerant of adverse conditions and require much less management than one planted incorrectly. Planting techniques impact water quality as it minimizes water, fertilizer and pesticide use. When making decisions on planting techniques, one should consider how the plant was grown in the nursery, drainage requirements, soil type and drainage characteristics, and the availability of irrigation water. The plant should be specifically appropriate to the site, or the site should be amended to specifically fit the plant.




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