There have been many versions of this thing that we call calendars throughout history. The calendar we now accept to guide us through the year is known as the Gregorian calendar. Not only does it help us keep track of birthdays, holidays and other dates relevant to our everyday lives, it also tells us when spring, summer, autumn and winter begin. However, we gardeners work according to a slightly different calendar, which tells us in this region that Memorial Day is the start of the summer gardening season. It’s when a large part of our focus is on planting. On the other hand, Labor Day is mostly seen as the start of autumn, when the focus is mainly on harvesting and cleaning up the garden. If you focus solely on that now, you are missing out on a golden opportunity to turn the calendar around as this is an excellent time to plant.
Most people know that spring bulbs are planted in fall, but what else is there to plant, especially now, before fall has even started? On the one hand, this is the best time to plant new lawns or to renovate and re-sow old ones. Anyone who has ever seen their lawn turn brown and the grass fall asleep in response to hot and often dry conditions in summer should realize that turf grass grows best during the cool and usually humid months of spring and fall. So it makes sense to sow grass seeds when the grass plants are growing at their best.
This is also a great time to plant container-grown trees and shrubs and lots of herbaceous perennials. Although these plants are unlikely to produce new shoots, they will create new roots. The reason for this growth response is that despite cooler air temperatures, the soil remains warm for most of this month and through to early fall. Likewise, shorter days and cooler air temperatures cause plants to enter the resting phase, in which plant food in the form of sugar and other carbohydrates is diverted from the shoots to the roots.
There are other reasons that make you give up the visions of fall sleep or spend zombie-like hours in front of the TV and watching football. Cooler air favors soil moisture, reduces pest and disease pressure and ensures more pleasant working conditions. If that’s not enough to encourage an autumn planting, maybe the fact that many garden centers and nurseries are currently offering great deals on plant purchases as they need to cut their stocks before winter.
Celebrate Labor Day by participating in these works:
Now is the time to apply a 2 to 4 inch deep layer of wood chip mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs.
- Plant trees and shrubs by digging a hole 2 to 3 times wider than the root ball, but no deeper than the root ball. Loosening the soil at the bottom of the hole can lead to excessive settlement of the tree or shrub. If the soil is poorly draining, flatten the hole a little so the root ball is an inch or two above the soil.
- Apply a layer of wood chip mulch 2 to 4 inches deep around newly planted trees and shrubs. Never pile a very deep layer of mulch around the trunk of the tree or shrub, a situation often referred to as volcanic mulching due to the shape of the mulch pile. Also, leave a few centimeters between the mulch and the plant stem.
- Improve the soil for herbaceous perennials to be planted by incorporating some compost, a handful of superphosphate, and an organic fertilizer like cottonseed flour.
- Keep mowing around fruit trees and other trees with smooth bark in the fall. Mowing grass and weeds will cause mice and voles, who love to gnaw on tree bark, to go elsewhere to satisfy their cravings.
- Now, spice up colorless flower borders by planting chrysanthemums. Although the early risers have picked many of the finest plants, most garden centers still have a good selection.
- Keep an eye on summer bulb foliage, including gladioli, tuberous begonias, dahlias, caladias, and cannas. When the leaves turn yellow, or just before a predicted frost, dig up bulbs, tubers, or rhizomes of those summer bloomers. Dry the “onions”, remove any adhering earth, cut off the browned shoots and store the onions in a cool, dry and airy place. Be sure to label each type of lightbulb, including a note about the color.
- Check the window frames to see if they need to be caulked or sealed. This is not only to keep you warmer this winter, but also to keep insects looking for a winter home.
- Fertilize the lawn. There is no better time than now. If you have a well or your soils are sandy, use a lawn fertilizer that has at least 50 percent of the nitrogen in a slow-release form.
- Buy bales of straw while they are still available. Straw will be used later this fall for mulching newly planted garlic, as well as harvesting carrots and other root crops in the winter. Straw is also needed to cover strawberry beds in November.
