| Preparing for the Winter Months: Gardening in | | | | method, particularly for lawns and large areas. |
| OctoberWhen you feel that first solid bite in the | | | | Sprinkler irrigation works best with well-draining |
| breeze and you see the songbirds winging their | | | | soils and shallow-rooted plants, or where a cooling |
| way south, and the trees are bursting with | | | | effect is desired. But sprinklers have several |
| fire-laden hues, you know you can't be spending | | | | disadvantages. They waste water, since much of |
| the weekend curled up by the fireplace with a | | | | it is sprayed on areas other than the root zone |
| good book. Not for long.While the weather is still | | | | around the plant. Because much of the water is |
| gardener-friendly, you must shorten your "to-do" | | | | thrown high in the air, loss due to evaporation can |
| lists for the coming of late fall and early winter. | | | | be significant. Sprinklers can also foster fungal |
| Now is the time to attack your lawn and garden | | | | diseases and other problems with some plants |
| by planting your spring bulbs, buying and | | | | such as roses that don't like having wet foliage. |
| maintaining your trees and shrubs, doing your late | | | | Sprinklers require good water pressure and are |
| autumn lawn care, using common-sense watering | | | | best used on plants which are not in bloom. |
| strategies, building a compost bin and making your | | | | Several types of sprinklers are available.Building a |
| own compost, controlling the many common | | | | Bin and Making Your Own CompostA bin will |
| garden pests, and winning at the weed-whacking | | | | contain your compost pile and make it more |
| war before the sudden onset of the fickle, cold | | | | attractive as well as keep it from spilling or |
| and all-enveloping winter season.Planting Your | | | | blowing over into your yard. A circular or square |
| PerennialsPlant the spring-flowering bulbs until the | | | | structure can be made from fencing wire. The |
| ground becomes frozen, and prepare your tender | | | | idea is to push the compost material together to |
| but tenacious perennials for the coming seasonal | | | | make it heat up and rot properly. The bin should |
| changes. Remember that in the milder climates, | | | | be at least three feet wide and three feet deep |
| bulbs can still be divided and transplanted. Plant | | | | to provide enough space for the spreading |
| hardy bulbs anytime before the soil freezes, but | | | | material. Use untreated wood or metal fence |
| it's best to plant them early enough so the root | | | | posts for the corners and wrap sturdy wire |
| systems can grow before winter arrives. In some | | | | fencing around them. The fence mesh should be |
| climates, you can plant until Thanksgiving or even | | | | small enough that rotting materials won't fall out. |
| Christmas. Late-planted bulbs develop roots in the | | | | When the compost is ready, unwind the wire and |
| spring, and may bloom late. But they'll arrive on | | | | scoop from the bottom of the pile. Then re-pile |
| time by next year.Be sure to position the bulbs at | | | | the undecomposed material and wrap the wire |
| their proper depth. They must be planted so their | | | | back around the heap.Many hard-core gardeners |
| bottoms rest at a depth two-and-a-half times | | | | feel that three compost bins are the best for |
| each bulb's diameter. In well-drained or sandy soil, | | | | serious composting. By building a trio of bins you |
| plant an inch or two deeper to increase life and | | | | can compost in stages: one bin will be ready, one |
| discourage rodents.Choosing Your Trees and | | | | will be brewing and one will always be starting. |
| ShrubsOctober is a wonderful time to shop for | | | | Installing a cover, such as a plastic tarp or a piece |
| trees and shrubs at the nursery. They're now | | | | of wood, helps to cut odor, control moisture and |
| showing their best and brightest colors there. You | | | | keep out wild pests. You will also want to use the |
| can plant them now and over the next few | | | | right ingredients for a proper, lovely smelling |
| months, so that strong, healthy roots will grow | | | | rotting compost heap.It's easy to cook up your |
| over the winter.You must carefully plan out your | | | | own pile. At first, layer grass clippings with a dash |
| landscape to choose which trees you wish to | | | | of leaves and twigs to create a concoction that |
| plant for providing proper lawn coverage and the | | | | turns into humus, the best plant food. Added |
| most beautiful scenery. When an appropriate tree | | | | ingredients for the compost comes from |
| is purchased, selected and planted in the right | | | | everyday waste in the kitchen and yard. But |
| place, it frames your home and beautifies your | | | | avoid any items that ruin your compost. Use |
| land, making both more enjoyable. Trees can | | | | green materials such as fruit and vegetable |
| greatly increase the resale value of property, and | | | | scraps, eggshells, coffee grounds, and grass and |
| even save you on energy costs.Visualize your | | | | plant clippings; and brown materials, such as |
| new trees at maturity while realizing that some | | | | leaves, wood and bark chips, shredded |
| trees develop as much width as height if given | | | | newspaper, straw and sawdust from untreated |
| enough space to develop. Picture each tree's size | | | | wood. Avoid using any meat, oil, fat, grease, |
| and shape in relation to the overall landscape and | | | | diseased plants, sawdust or chips from |
| the size and style of your home. Trees peaking | | | | pressure-treated wood, dog or cat feces, weeds |
| at forty feet do best near or behind a one-story | | | | that go to seed or dairy products. These can |
| home. Taller trees blend with two-story houses | | | | befoul, spoil and make smelly and rancid a |
| and large lots. Trees under thirty feet tall suit | | | | perfectly good productive compost heap.There |
| streetside locations, small lots and enclosed areas | | | | are two types of composting: cold and hot. Cold |
| such as decks and patios.There are two basic | | | | composting is as simple as piling up your yard |
| types of trees you will be considering for | | | | waste or taking out the organic materials in your |
| purchase. Deciduous trees include large shade | | | | trash such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee |
| trees which frame areas with a cool summer | | | | grounds or egg shells and then piling them in your |
| canopy and a colorful autumn rack of superior | | | | yard. Over the course of a year or so, the |
| colors. In winter, their silhouettes provide passage | | | | material will decompose. Hot composting is for the |
| for sunlight. These trees can shade a southern | | | | more serious gardener; you'll get compost in one |
| exposure from summertime heat, and allow | | | | to three months during warm weather. Four |
| winter sunlight to warm the house. Evergreen | | | | ingredients are required for fast-cooking hot |
| trees have dense green foliage that suits them | | | | compost: nitrogen, carbon, air and water. These |
| for planting as privacy screens, windbreaks or | | | | items feed microorganisms, which speed up the |
| backdrops for flowering trees and shrubs. But | | | | process of decay.Concentrated Pest ControlSlugs |
| they are handsome enough to stand alone. They | | | | and other pests don't disappear as the weather |
| do not lose their leaves, called needles, and | | | | gets cooler. You'll find them at all life stages in |
| provide year-round shelter and color. You should | | | | October, from eggs to youngsters and adults. For |
| be sure to include a wide variety of both kinds of | | | | slugs, use whatever measures you prefer, salt, |
| trees in your landscape to avoid losing them to | | | | slug bait or saucers of beer to eliminate them. It's |
| diseases or pests. Buy disease- and pest-resistant | | | | best to catch them at the early stages to stop |
| trees.When buying a tree, look for healthy green | | | | the reproduction cycle. And keep the ground |
| leaves if it has any, and also well-developed top | | | | well-raked and tidied to reduce their natural |
| growth. Branches should be unbroken and | | | | habitat.Here's a list of common garden pests and |
| balanced around the trunk, and on dormant or | | | | how to control them:Thrips: Adult thrips are about |
| bare-root stock they should be pliable. Examine | | | | one-sixteenth-inch long and have dark bodies with |
| the roots, which should form a balanced, | | | | four fringed wings. Their size makes them difficult |
| fully-formed mass. Reject trees with broken or | | | | to detect in the garden. They attack young |
| dried-out roots. Avoid trees showing signs of | | | | leaves, flower stalks and buds. Spray young |
| disease, pests or stress such as wilting, | | | | foliage, developing buds and the soil around the |
| discoloration, misshapen leaves, scarred bark and | | | | bush with an insecticide containing acephate.Cane |
| nonvigorous growth. Consider the size of the tree. | | | | borer: This insect is the maggot of the eggs laid |
| Young trees have a better rate of success when | | | | by sawflies or carpenter bees in the freshly-cut |
| planted, and most flowering trees grow quickly, | | | | cane of the rose after pruning. One telltale sign is |
| so start with less expensive, smaller specimens. | | | | a neatly-punctured hole visible on the top of the |
| And be sure and buy all your plants from a good | | | | cane. To remove the pest, cut several inches |
| quality nursery with a decent reputation.Don't | | | | down the cane until there are no more signs of |
| prune a newly planted tree unless its form needs | | | | the maggot or pith-eaten core. Seal all pruning |
| improving. Prune flowering trees in spring, after | | | | cuts with pruning sealer.Japanese beetle, Fuller |
| blooming, to correct unsightly problems. Crab | | | | rose beetle: These will eat parts of the foliage and |
| apple trees are an exception and should be | | | | sometimes the flowers. Pick beetles off the bush |
| pruned in late winter. But you can remove | | | | by hand. Or spray foliage and flowers with an |
| diseased or dead branches anytime of the year, | | | | insecticide containing acepate or malathion.Leaf |
| and much of this is done during the winter. Apply | | | | miner: This insect can be spotted on foliage by |
| fertilizer when needed in the second and | | | | the appearance of irregular white chain-like blisters |
| subsequent growing seasons. Mulch to conserve | | | | containing its grub. Remove foliage and discard it |
| moisture, reduce weeds and eliminate mowing | | | | to prevent further infestation.Spittle bug: This |
| near the tree. Spread wood chips or bark four | | | | small, greenish-yellow insect hides inside a circular |
| inches deep and as wide as the tree's canopy | | | | mass of white foam on the surface of new |
| around the base. But don't mulch poorly drained | | | | stems, usually during the development of the first |
| oversaturated soil. Wrap tree trunks after planting | | | | bloom cycle in early spring. Spray a jet of water |
| to prevent winter damage from weather and | | | | to remove the foam and the insect.Roseslug: |
| pests. And stake young trees, especially bare-root | | | | When you see new foliage with a skeletonized |
| trees and evergreens, to fortify them against | | | | pattern, indicating that it has been eaten, chances |
| strong winds. Stake loosely and allow the tree to | | | | are it's the roseslug. Remove the infected foliage |
| bend slightly, and remove stakes after one | | | | and spray with insecticidal soap or an insecticide |
| year.Shrubs are often planted and used merely as | | | | that contains acephate.Leaf cutter bee: As its |
| foundation plants or privacy screens. But | | | | name implies, this very small yellowish-green |
| shrubbery foliage is vastly more versatile, and can | | | | insect jumps on the undersides of foliage to |
| go a long way toward livening up your landscaping. | | | | feast, often leaving its white skin behind. The |
| Countless varieties of gorgeously hued and | | | | damage caused by this insect often results in |
| beautifully leafed shrubs are available through | | | | defoliation. Use an insecticide containing acephate |
| nurseries and garden catalogs.You must start by | | | | or malathion to prevent it from establishing a |
| learning what varieties thrive in your area. Try | | | | strong colony.Rose scale: This insect hides under |
| visiting your local arboretum, where you may | | | | gray scales, normally on old canes or stems. It |
| view different kinds of shrubs and decide whether | | | | feeds by sucking the sap, weakening the plant. If |
| they fit your gardening plans. Decide what overall | | | | the infestation is localized, try removing it with a |
| look you want at different times of the year, and | | | | fingernail. Or spray with an insecticide containing |
| then find out which shrubs will be flowering, | | | | acephate.Weed Whacking Made EasyActually, this |
| producing berries or sporting colorful foliage at | | | | is a slight exaggeration. There's no rest for the |
| those times. Compare what you find to the | | | | wicked. Keep staying ahead of your nasty weeds |
| inventory at your local nursery, and ask the | | | | all this and next month. They serve as Home |
| professionals who work there lots of | | | | Sweet Home for all manner of pests and bugs, |
| questions.Understand the characteristics of each | | | | and destroying them before they flower and |
| shrub before you plant it. Flowering and | | | | seed will save you much work in the |
| fruit-bearing shrubs enhance a new home, but | | | | future.Preparation is the key. All gardeners know |
| improper pruning and care will ruin the beauty of | | | | what it's like to have their yards invaded by |
| all your hard work. Some shrubs bloom on | | | | unwelcome plants. Although there's no really easy |
| second- or third-year wood. If you're maintaining a | | | | way to banish weeds, there are a few solid |
| shrub because you're hoping it's going to blossom, | | | | techniques you can use to reclaim your turf. At |
| but you're cutting off first-year wood every year, | | | | the very least, you can limit this utmost in hostile |
| it's never going to bloom.Some varieties are a | | | | takeovers.Here is a simple outline of effective |
| foot tall at maturity, while others reach over | | | | battle strategies you can use in the fall:1) Be a |
| fifteen feet. A large shrub will usually require more | | | | mulching maniac. Mulch acts as a suffocating |
| pruning. Also determine the plant's ability to | | | | blanket by preventing light from reaching weed |
| tolerate various soil conditions, wind, sun and | | | | seeds. At the same time, it holds moisture for |
| shade. You don't put a plant that's sensitive to the | | | | your plants and provides nutrients for your soil as |
| elements in an open area. Use hardier plants to | | | | it decomposes. Apply coarse mulch, such as bark |
| shelter it.Not all shrubs work in every climate. | | | | or wood chips, directly onto soil. Leaves, grass |
| Witch hazel, for example, blooms in fall or winter | | | | clippings, or straw work better as a weed |
| and is hardiest where minimum temperatures | | | | deterrent with a separating layer of newspaper, |
| range from thirty degrees below zero to twenty | | | | cardboard or fabric between them and the soil.2) |
| degrees above. It would not be a good choice for | | | | Water those weeds. Pulling weeds is easier and |
| very dry, hot climates. But some shrubs such as | | | | more efficient when the soil is moist. You are |
| buddleia, hydrangea and spirea perform well | | | | more likely to get the whole root system, and |
| across a wide range of growing zones.Late | | | | your yanking won't disturb surrounding plants as |
| Autumn Lawn CareAerate lawns in mid- to | | | | much either. No rain? Turn on the sprinkler or |
| late-October, while the grass can recover easily. If | | | | even water individual weeds, leave for a few |
| you core aerate, make your cores three inches | | | | hours and then get your hands dirty. Just ignore |
| deep, spaced about every six inches. Break up | | | | the strange looks from your neighbors as you |
| the cores and spread them around. If your lawn | | | | lovingly water your weeds.3) Cut weeds down in |
| needs it, thatch and follow with a fall or winter | | | | their prime. Weeds love open soil. But if you till or |
| fertilizer. Even if thatching isn't needed, your lawn | | | | cultivate and then wait to plant, you can |
| will be happy for a dusting of fertilizer to help | | | | outmaneuver the weeds. Till the ground at least |
| roots gain strength before the spring growing | | | | twice before you plant. Your first digging will bring |
| season. Overseed bald patches or whole lawns as | | | | dormant weed seeds to the surface where they |
| needed. | | | | can germinate. Watch and wait for a few weeks |
| Rake and compost leaves as they fall, as well as | | | | until they begin to grow. Then slice up the weeds |
| grass clippings from mowing. If left on the ground | | | | again with a tiller or a hoe, only don't dig as deep. |
| now, they'll make a wet, slippery mess that's | | | | Now it should be safe to put precious plants into |
| inviting to pests.Good gardeners use heavy-duty | | | | the soil.4) Pass the salt. Try sweeping rock salt |
| molded plastic for shaping neat edges of beds. | | | | into crevices between paths. Although more |
| You can buy these from garden centers, | | | | harsh, borax also works well. Be sure to wear |
| nurseries and mail order suppliers in rolls of flat, | | | | rubber gloves with the latter material. You might |
| four- to six-inch-tall plastic, and the edging installs | | | | need to apply a few doses, but be aware of any |
| easily. You'll save yourself countless hours of | | | | surrounding plants because both products kill the |
| removing grass and weeds that otherwise creep | | | | good plants along with the bad.Food for ThoughtIn |
| into your beds.Watering Your Lawn and | | | | addition to performing these autumnal lawn and |
| GardenYou can't forget about watering in the | | | | garden duties, you may want to harvest your fall |
| middle of fall. The summer's long over, but proper | | | | vegetables such as the perennial squashes. Do a |
| moisture now is key to your plants' survival over | | | | taste test and harvest them when flavor is at its |
| the cold winter months. You're likely to hear two | | | | peak. If you'd like to extend the harvest of |
| pieces of advice on watering. One is that you | | | | carrots, turnips and other root vegetables, leave |
| should give established plants an inch of water per | | | | some in the ground to mulch as the weather gets |
| week, whether from rain or irrigation. The other is | | | | colder. Early next month, before temperatures |
| that personal observation of your own garden is | | | | drop too much, seed cover crops such as clover, |
| the only way to judge how much water it needs. | | | | peas or vetch to enrich the soil. It will serve as a |
| One fact about which there is more agreement: | | | | natural fertilizer, stifle weed growth and help |
| the ideal is to maintain constant moisture, not a | | | | loosen up the soil for next year's crops.As for |
| cycle of wet soil followed by dry soil.Although | | | | your houseplants that you've put outside for the |
| overwatering can be as big a problem as | | | | summer, if September was mild enough that your |
| underwatering, most gardeners err on the side of | | | | geraniums and other such plants are still outdoors, |
| too little. Your needs will vary through the year | | | | be sure to make them cozy inside before the |
| depending on the rate of evapotranspiration in | | | | first frost takes a bite out of them. Take |
| your garden. Evapotranspiration refers to the two | | | | geranium cuttings of two to four inches to root |
| ways that plants lose water. There's evaporation, | | | | indoors. If you treat houseplants chemically, be |
| the loss of water to the air from soil, water and | | | | sure to keep them warm and away from direct |
| other surfaces. Then the other way is called | | | | sunlight. Fertilize houseplants now and they won't |
| transpiration, or water lost primarily from the | | | | need it again until March. And remember to get |
| leaves and stems of the plants. You can often | | | | your poinsettias and your Thanksgiving and |
| obtain evapotranspiration rates for local areas | | | | Christmas cacti ready for well-timed holiday color. |
| from water departments and other agencies. You | | | | Give them a daily dose of ten hours of bright |
| will see a graphic description of how a plant's | | | | daylight or four hours of direct sun and fourteen |
| natural need for water changes during the | | | | hours of night darkness. Cacti need a cool |
| growing season.In the meantime, keep these | | | | environment of fifty to sixty degrees, while |
| pointers in mind:1) Water when it's needed, not | | | | poinsettias prefer a warmer sixty-five to seventy |
| according to the calendar. Check the top six | | | | degrees. Be sure and let your cacti dry out |
| inches of the soil. If it's dry and falls apart easily, | | | | between waterings.For a true gardenaholic, winter |
| water. Your plants will also show signs that they | | | | is often considered to be the enemy. But with a |
| need water. Wilting, curling or brown leaves mean | | | | few steps toward preparation in the early- to |
| that your plants may lack adequate water. | | | | mid-fall, you can take care of your lawn, garden |
| Meanwhile, bear in mind that excess water | | | | and houseplants in a way that will keep them |
| creates a lack of oxygen in plants, making them | | | | thriving and surviving until the dawning of yet |
| show similar symptoms to underwatering.2) | | | | another most welcome and bountiful |
| Water slowly, not more than one-half inch of | | | | springtime.The information in this article was |
| water per hour. Too much water can be lost to | | | | gleaned from the MSN House and Home website |
| runoff. This is why handheld watering cans or | | | | and the Better Homes and Gardens |
| handheld hoses generally work only for watering | | | | website.RAINBOW WRITING, INC. -- featuring |
| small areas.3) Water deeply. With established | | | | Karen Peralta, copy editor, ghost writer and book |
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| good; it discourages plants from developing the | | | | editing, copy editing and writing, rewriting, ghost |
| deep roots they need to find their own water. | | | | writing, graphics design and CAD, Internet |
| Except when you are watering seedlings, soil | | | | marketing, publishing assistance, search engine |
| should never be wet only in the top layer.The | | | | optimization, professional free services and |
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| irrigation the most commonly used watering | | | | |