September 2023 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends, Can’t believe it’s September! August went by in a blur. Don’t think this is the end of the gardening season. Fall is for gardening!! Once the heat lessens is a perfect time to do lots of garden chores like dividing, planting and transplanting.   I will be having a fresh dug, by appointment, perennial sale starting mid-September. See Lessons from Nature events at the end of this Garden Tips for details.   What to divide/transplant when is always a question. Basically, spring blooming plants are best divided in fall but almost any perennial can be done. Avoid plants that are blooming in fall. Moving a plant in full bloom is very stressful for the plant. Those are best done in early spring.   My strategy is to walk around the garden and make notes on what needs to be done.  A notebook is helpful as all your info is in one place. Note what should be divided, moved, or eliminated as well as what changes you would like to make for next season.   Then prioritize chores into things to be accomplished this fall and those that can wait until spring. Some of which depend on the weather and of course how long your energy lasts! Somehow I never get everything done I’d planned.   Some indications a perennial needs dividing are: reduced bloom, a “doughnut hole” or bare spot in the middle of the clump, has outgrown it’s spot, needs a more appropriate site (sun, shade, etc.), or you just don’t like it there.   Perennials you move this fall need to be kept well watered until the ground freezes, It’s also a good idea to mulch newly moved plants well to protect their crowns from heaving over the winter.   I tend to leave up perennials that don’t have disease or insect infestation. The seed heads feed the birds and the crowns of the plants help protect them from winter temperature fluctuations. -Plants with powdery mildew or other fungal disease should be cut back to the base and all stray leaves cleaned up from the ground. This is important as the fungal spores can winter over. - Plants that had 4 lined plant bug damage (small lines of black spots on the leaves) should be cut to the base as the insect lays its eggs in the stems of affected plants. -Make sure to discard all infected plant parts. Do not compost.   When to prune is always a question. Fall is NOT the best time to prune most things. Trees and shrubs are heading into dormancy and will not heal cuts as well. Early spring/late winter is the best time to prune most things. The exception is spring blooming trees and shrubs like forsythia and rhododendron. They should be pruned right after blooming.   Then there is always weeding! Anytime is the right time to weed.   When the nighttime temperatures get around 50 it’s time to bring in house plants that have spent the summer outside. Check them well for insets and signs of disease Remove weak or damaged leaves Wash well with soapy water (a squirt of Dawn in water works well) Give them a few days on the porch or other sheltered area where they can start adjusting to indoor light conditions. Watch carefully after they’re inside in case any hitch hikers came along.    Upcoming Gardening Events:   Master Gardener Fall Gardening Classes: This Fall we have an excellent choice of 3 classes all taught by Master Gardeners. I’m doing the one on 9/30. Check out the topics below. There’s something for everyone.               Tues. Sept. 12th, 6:30- 8:00 PM at the CCE Power House I’m For The Birds by Carol Ann Harlos Why feed birds? Making your yard bird friendly, the why, how and what of feeding birds as well as types of feeders and nesting boxes and bird identification will all be covered.               Wed. Sep 20th, 6:30- 8:00 PM at the CCE Poer House Heirloom Gardening by Peggy Koppmann. The gardens of our parents and grandparents were filled with pass-along plants like peonies, lilac, and iris.  Heirloom varieties of flowers and vegetables have a long history and have been handed down through the generations.  They help connect us to our cultural past by preserving the traditions, flavors, and fragrances of long ago.               Sat. Sept. 30th, 10:00 – 11:30 AM at the Parkside Lodge             Shrinking Your Lawn, Benefits and Strategies, by Lyn Chimera If you want to reduce your lawn but not sure how to do it this class will give you lots of ideas as well as understanding why lawn reduction is important and how to go about it.   Cost:  $15/class, 3/$45  Register at: erie.cce.cornell.edu/events   Lessons from Nature events: Fall Perennial Sale   My garden runeth over this fall. As a result, there are many perennials that need to move or be divided. Starting mid-September there will be a fresh dug perennial sale by appointment only. The list of available perennials is below. If there’s something you’d like, call or email (contact info at bottom of Garden Tips) and we can set up an appointment. These will be dug fresh and bagged, not potted.   Shade: small & mini hosta, curly ginger, dragon arum, white and yellow corydalis, persicaria, kosiana primrose, candelabra primrose, and perennial begonia   Part Sun: white wood aster, gold star (ground cover), dwarf astilbe, medium astilbe, lace cap hydrangea shrub, and flowering raspberry   Sun: Joe pye weed, curly anemone, aster, zig-zag goldenrod, and butterfly weed   Contact me for a garden consultation. I can help improve your garden and gardening practices as well as save you time and money! It’s not too late for improvements.   Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 [email protected] 716- 652-2432               Copyright © 2023 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. You're receiving this message because you requested to receive Lessons from Nature newsletters. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences