Annuals:
Q– What annuals can I plant this late?
A– Certain frost-tolerant annuals will last quite a while as late-color accents in the garden or in containers, and the Fall Magic series is based on this fact. Cold-tolerant annuals include Pansies, Dusty Miller, Flowering Cabbage & Kale, Lysimachia, English Ivy, Petunias, Calibrachoa, Dracaena, hardy Grasses, Osteospermum, Diascia, Nemesia, Lobelia, Sage, and others. (Not all of these varieties are available every year.) Protect from hard frost. Mums will take only a very light frost. Other flowers that continue to set bud, like pansies, will continue to have healthy flowers in the absence of frost. Continue to fertilize as long as they are actively growing. The color of flowering cabbage & kale deepens as the weather cools and persists until snow covers the plants. Asters provide nice fall color, also; however, these are perennials that will grow taller in the garden in subsequent years, so place them accordingly and provide winter mulch. Pansies often will survive the winter, especially if given protection.

Q– When can I stop fertilizing my annuals?
A– Apply fertilizer in mid-August to assure best performance through the remaining season. Then continue to apply as oftenas once a week until frost. However, the payoff lessens as cold weather approaches, as annuals will not last much longer due to frost. Also, avoid getting fertilizer on nearby perennials this late in the season.

Bulbs:
Q– When will your spring-flowering bulbs arrive in Retail?
A– The first week of September, we usually have bulbs available for sale. They can be planted right until the ground freezes.

Q– Can I plant my spring-flowering bulbs now?
A– Yes, but it’s better to wait till October, by some opinions. Use Bulb Booster, not bone meal, which can attract animals. The most important time to fertilize bulbs is in spring, every year.

Q– How can I get tulips that will come back year after year, instead of getting just one year of good flowering from them?
A– Variety selection and soil quality are most important. For the best bet, choose Darwin Hybrids or Fosteriana or species (wild) tulips; most of these act as perennials. Experiment with other varieties, as some others may perform for you. Fertilize with Bulb Booster, and especially fertilize again during their active growth period in spring every year. Site them in a well-drained location in good soil in full or part sun. Plant larger varieties 8-10” deep, which is deeper than most written instructions usually indicate.

Q– What do I do with my tender, summer-flowering bulbs, corms, and tubers?
A– See “Storing Tender Bulbs” instruction sheet in this section.

Dried flowers:
Q– How do I dry my hydrangea blossoms?
A– See information sheet. Generally, Sept. 20-25 is a safe period, but protect blooms from early frost. Petals have to have developed a papery texture to hold their shape. Also, if you keep shrubs well-watered during the summer, the quality of blooms will be better.

Q– How can I preserve my flowers before they are killed by frost?
A– Harvest flowers that are suitable for drying before frost. Hang in small bunches in a dry, dark, airy location until dry.

Foliage & flowering indoor plants:
Q– Should I do anything special when I bring my houseplants inside for the winter?
A– Check them for pests. Keep them isolated from other houseplants for a couple of weeks until you are sure they are safe, and inspect them again before mingling with others.

Q– How can I get my poinsettia (that I kept from last year) to turn color?
A– See “How to Care for the Poinsettia” information sheet. It involves artificially controlling the length of the daylight period.

Q– How can I get my Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus to flower?
A– Flower buds set as the day length declines. Growing them indoors under artificial light will interfere with this process. Grow indoors in an area that only gets natural light. Or leave outdoors until the nights are getting cool; bring inside before frost, and the buds should have set.

Herbs:
Q– How do I go about bringing my Rosemary and other herbs inside the house to over-winter them?
A– Make sure they are not bringing pests into the house with them. See handouts on “Over-wintering Rosemary” and “Herbs for the Windowsill” in this section. You will get best results if the plants are already in a pot, not planted in the ground.

Lawns:
Q– What should I do for my lawn?
A– Continue to water if possible during dry periods. Apply lime if needed, but get a soil test first. Dethatch and aerate old lawns. Fertilize in the fall with a fall formula (low in nitrogen). This is also a good time to start new lawns; mulch the new seeding and keep evenly watered until the ground freezes.

Perennials:
Q– Should I continue to fertilize?
A– No. Fertilizing and/or pruning at this time may encourage development of new shoots which will not have sufficient time to harden before cold, dry, winter weather. It’s OK to apply phosphorus through fall.

Q- How late can I plant container-grown or divided perennial plants?
A– Until approximately six weeks before the ground freezes. Plants will continue to put on root growth until the soil temperature consistently stays below 40 degrees. It is not recommended to plant evergreen trees and shrubs in the fall.

Q– Should I cut back my perennials in the fall?
A– Yes. Cutting back lessens the chance of disease and insects over-wintering on the dead foliage and causing problems next year. Also, fall cleaning reduces the amount of chores to be done in spring. Do not cut back perennials that continue to provide late fall and winter interest, such as Sedums and Ornamental Grasses, until they lose their attractive form. When cutting back, leave about 1-2” of stem above ground.

Trees & shrubs:
Fertilizing: See Perennials.
Planting: See Perennials. However, use caution when planting broadleaf evergreens in the fall. Make sure they get regular water after transplanting, do not use fertilizer, and apply Wilt-stop at appropriate times (later).

Q- Should I prune trees & shrubs in the fall?
A– As a rule, no, except for removing dead or diseased tissue.

Vegetables:
Q– Should I fertilize?
A– Continue to fertilize as long as the plant is actively growing. For instance, kale continues to grow through fall, but onions have gone dormant by now. Use a high-nitrogen formula for leafy plants and high phosphorus for flowering/fruiting plants.

Q– Why are the leaves of my cole crops and root crops wilting?
A– See “Cabbage Maggots” information sheet in this section.

Q– How can I extend the Vegetable season?
A– Cold-tolerant varieties of vegetables and herbs can be grown under row cover, or even longer in a cold frame, until quite late in the season. Greens like lettuce are suitable for fall crops.

Watering:
Q– How latemust I continue watering?
A– The gardens still need at least 1” of rainfall per week. Water if rainfall is insufficient. This is especially true for trees & shrubs newly planted anytime this season, and for all other new plantings.

Timely tips:
• When Japanese beetles disappear from the garden and enter their next life stage as grubs, treat the soil for grubs with milky spore disease (Note: there is some evidence that this is not effective this far north. • • There are conflicting opinions.) This may help reduce next-year’s population, as well as the mole population in your lawn this fall, since moles feed on the grubs.

Tomato problem resources:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02949.html

List of handouts available under this section:
• Fall Planting
• Cabbage Maggots
• Herbs for the Windowsill
• Limestone Rates for Raising pH
• Storing Tender Bulbs
• Overwintering Rosemary
• Drying PG Hydrangeas
• How to Care for the Poinsettia

*Handouts available in-store.

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