Thinking Ahead To Fall

So, the past couple of weeks I have been out and about and sometimes I end up paying more attention to the landscapes I see than to my driving. I am always trying to see what plants folks have in their yard and how those plants are doing. I see some spectacular shrubs and trees, and I see some shrubs and trees that have outlived their useful life for one reason or another. Many of those observations become part of the dozens of questions we will ask you when you come to the nursery with ideas for improving your landscape. Homeowners have a variety of reasons to make changes to plants in the landscape. See if you recognize any of these: you bought an older house with overgrown landscaping that was not well planned out or maintained over the years, the plant or tree gets too large for the spot and you have to spend too much time keeping it in check, the junipers were over grown and now they look worse after you trimmed them back off the sidewalk, your grass or your plants aren’t doing well now because they get too much shade. I could keep that list going and you would recognize something that is in your yard that you would like to change. Some of us cringe at the idea of removing a plant that has any signs of life but if a plant is struggling or has outlived its usefulness in the landscape it is taking valuable real estate from a plant that will look and perform better.

This may seem backwards, but fall is a great time to get rid of the old and plant new. Some folks see fall as the end of a season and all the pretty flowers and yummy vegetables are done. Other folks see fall in the garden as a time of review of the past growing season, a planning time, and a time of renewal for the next year. It is the time to write notes about what flowers or vegetable varieties you liked, how they did, and would you try them again next year? Did your perennials get too much or not enough sun, did they get too large for the spot, would that color look better on the other side of the garden? Did you have insect or disease problems and how did you treat that? If you did have insect or disease issues be sure to address them in your clean up plan. Was your irrigation system working like it should be? Did you win or did you have to call a truce in the battle with the weeds? You can make those same kinds of notes about your shrubs and trees keeping in mind that trees may take years to get established and grow into the shade you are looking for.

Over the last few seasons, I have extoled to virtues of fall planting. When you plant deciduous trees in the fall you get the advantage of more time in the ground to create root growth before we get to the first hot summer. As the tree prepares for dormancy and drops its leaves it has a chance to focus on root growth that will give the tree more stability and energy for leaves the next season. You can also plant evergreens in the fall, but you need to keep the root zone moist even during the winter. That means soaking the root zone with the hose after your sprinkler system is shut off and carrying out some buckets of water during dry months. Let’s all repeat together, “a well-watered tree has a better chance of surviving our dry winter wind.”

Fall is also a great time to bring in soil amendments like compost, gypsum or soil pep for your lawn and planting areas. You can reduce the need to apply fertilizer and reduce the water bill for your lawn by improving the soil with top dressings of compost and gypsum that will improve your soil structure and make the grass roots better able to do their job. Lawn is the most expensive ground cover you can plant so making the soil better to use less water is no brainer. Call or stop into the nursery for more information about lawn topdressing.

This has been a yo-yo year for plants with our dry, open winter, mid-April frost, dry summer heat and now, for this week, a forecast with near frost night-time temperatures. For those of you with veggies that need more time you should be prepared to cover those tender items to protect them in case it gets cold enough to frost. I like bed sheets instead of plastic or tarps. We all know that the September frost is just a tease for what usually becomes one of the best parts of the year. I will be happy if it only gets down to 30 or 32 degrees and not the 10-degree weather we had last October. This could be the perfect time to let the zucchini die with no guilt.

I have had a several questions about spider mites in the last couple of weeks. This year seems to have been hot and dry enough for spider mites to get a hold on aspens and burning bush. Spider mites are not true insects but are generally classified as insects for purposes of discussion. Mites do not have wings, but they do make a tell-tale web. They like low humidity and can generate a complete life cycle in as little as 10 days at temperatures greater than 80 degrees. Makes them tough to keep up with. The two-spotted spider mite is one that typically plagues us and has been observed to have developed high resistance to synthetic chemicals. Spider mites overwinter on leaf litter, trash, and weeds on the ground, also in plant crevices. Good sanitation measures in the yard is a must. Spider mites can be attracted to excessive nitrogen fertilization and can take hold even in plants you think are well watered, especially if they have been subjected to dry/ wet stress. Normally I say to keep the irrigation off plant leaves but a good water blast or two can help dislodge and reduce spider mites like it will with aphids. You can make a 2% soap solution to spray on plants that are not water stressed or in direct sunlight. Add 1 tablespoon of sulfur per gallon of soap spray to for heavy infestations. It is best to spray in the evening and repeat every 5-7 days. Any spider mites you kill now will be less for next year. If you have a tree that is severely infested, please call an arborist to consult on the success rate and cost/ benefit of treating the tree or having it removed.

We are looking forward to our honey harvest in the next couple of weeks. Honey harvest means planning for your bees again next year. If you are a hobbyist beekeeper or aspiring to become a beekeeper, we are having our annual Beekeeping 101 & More class here at the nursery Saturday, September 26 at 2:00pm. SherI Kisch will be our speaker again this year and Shipton’s will join us again as co-sponsor. The class will be great info to get started looking for equipment and learn when to order your bees. Oh, yes, and door prizes! Yellowstone Valley BeeKeepers club has been holding their summer monthly meetings here at Canyon Creek so please join us Tuesday, September 8 at 6:30 pm. The club always provides great moral support for our class and members are always excited to visit with aspiring beekeepers.

Be sure to stop by to check our fall specials.