Apply
a copper fungicide to
cherry, peach, apricot and nectarine trees as leaves begin to
fall. Spray to cover all branches to control blights and canker
disease.
After
the first killing frost, mound soil 6 to 8 inches high around
the base of rose
bushes and prune back the canes enough to keep them from
whipping around in the wind.
If
composting is not in your plans for this year, there are other
ways to use fallen leaves:
- In the fall, collect leaves in bins or large piles.
In spring, dig into the pile to get the matted clumps of
partially decomposed leaves and use as mulch.
- Fill the paths between raised beds now, for fewer weeds
next spring. Till leaves into the soil in fall to break down
by spring.
- Fill bags with leaves and use as insulation around
cold frames. Use as a winter mulch on bare ground to reduce
erosion.
While
many herbs are perennials and can overwinter outdoors with light
mulching, you can dig up whole plants or sections of herbs, pot
them and bring them indoors to a sunny location for use all winter.
Get
after slugs this month. New eggs will still hatch in cool fall
weather. Clean up hiding places such as boards, weed piles, stacked
pots and flats. Hand-pick and kill slugs, or trap with containers
of beer sunk into the ground.
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The
last mowing of the season can be a little shorter than normal
to help prevent snow mold in spring. Apply
lawn fertilizer formulated for fall in late October or early
November.
Peonies prefer
to be undisturbed for many years but if you have a clump that
is getting out of hand or needs to be moved, the early part
of this month is the time to do it. Lift the plant carefully
and cut into sections that have four or five eyes each. Replant,
keeping eyes up and very close to the soil surface. Water well
several times before the ground freezes.
Don't
turn the sprinklers off! Evergreens, including rhododendrons
and Oregon grape should go
into winter with plenty of water in their root systems. This
helps prevent burned needles and scorched leaves from winter
dryness. A few long, slow waterings are ideal before the ground
freezes.
Pick
ripe apples, remembering that the ones on the south sides of
trees ripen first. Apples are ripe when they taste good, when
the background color changes from bright green to softer green
or yellow, when the seeds are brown, and/or when they can be
picked easily from the tree with an upward, twisting pull. Store
apples at 40° F or as close as possible. They store best
in shallow boxes, not deep barrels or boxes.
Houseplants
begin to go dormant in the fall, so eliminate fertilizer until spring.
Reduce water as well. |
