You'll be kept busy with fall gardening jobs

(October 1993)

Your weekend project:  Plant a perfect flower bed
By Carl White
Botanical Garden  
 

October

Lift and store tender corns and tubers of dahlias and gladiolus after the tops have been killed by frost. These should be left to dry on newspapers in a garage or basement for a couple of days. Brush the dried soil off and cut off any damaged parts with a sharp knife. Store in flats, covered with dry sawdust or wrapped in newspaper or hang in mesh bags. Place in a cool, dry, dark place that is not subjected to freezing.

Plant spring flowering bulbs

Bulbs should be planted in clumps rather then singly or in straight rows. Taller types can be planted at the back of a perennial bed. Use odd numbers in the clumps because for some mysterious reason 3, 5 or 7 look better and more natural the 4, 6 or 8. Dig a hole in a sunny spot large to accommodate the clump. Work a little bone meal into the soil at the bottom of the hole. Arrange the bulbs in the bottom of the hole and backfill with good soil. Planting depth depends on the size of the bulb (about twice their diameter).

Clean up perennial beds

If you have kept the garden deadheaded, you won't have much to do. There is no need to cut the stalks down to the ground. Leave them about a foot tall. They will catch the snow, help protect the crowns and mark where the plant is next spring. Any fallen leaves or broken stalks can be collected and added to the compost pile. Any diseased or infested foliage should be removed and bagged for the garbage or burned. The old stalks are more easily removed from the plants in the early spring. This will also give you something to do on those nice spring days when we all want to be out in the garden.
 

November

Water evergreens and broadleaf evergreens, like rhododendrons, well before freeze up. Even if it has been raining off and on, you should ensure that these plants have good moisture content as it is all they will get until spring thaw.

Rake up leaves

This is a good way to make your own leaf mold. Make rows of leaves on the lawn, put a bag on your mower's discharge and run over the leaves until they are all shredded into the bag. This will help the decomposition process when you add them to your compost.

Hill up roses

Cover the plant with a pile of soil to about 3" above the graft union (that knotty thing on the main stem just above the roots). This will help protect the plant during the freeze-thaw cycle. Prune hybrid tea roses to 10".

Winter protection for shrubs

Evergreens should be wrapped with burlap (not plastic) for some protection from drying winds. If in a sheltered area, netting can be used to hold branches together as protection from heavy snow and sleet. Rhododendrons should be protected by ‘tepees' of stakes or ‘little fences' covered with burlap. Large shrubs can have their branches tied to each other to help support the snow load. Burlap strips or old pantyhose works well for this. Trees and shrubs that are in locations that drift in or are in danger of having snow fall off the house should be given extra protection.

Evergreen boughs

Placing of evergreen boughs (fir only, spruce lose their needles within days) is a tradition in many NF gardens. They are useful, if used properly. The idea is to place them after the ground has frozen to keep the soil frozen until spring thaw. Large boughs can be stuck in the ground to provide winter protection for plants such as heathers and dwarf rhododendrons.