Garden Tips Newsletter
Fall Tips
October 27, 2008
With the low temperatures predicted for tonight and tomorrow night, I hope you have already moved those tender plants indoors or to a protected area. Chance of freezing temperatures in the low 30’s are predicted for north Mississippi, where I live.
The last harvest of tomatoes, peppers, and other tender vegetables should have been done by now, before Jack Frost takes these plants home to their fathers. What are you going to do with all those green tomatoes, red tomatoes, peppers, or whatever? Eat as much as you can, process the rest (canning or freezing) and give the remainder to hungry friends, neighbors or a food bank.
As the warm growing season comes to an end for a large part of Mississippi in the next few days, it is time to slow down a little, enjoy the fall colors, the crisp cool days, and start to make plans for the garden next spring.
The dormant season ahead would be a good time to establish or expand a flower or vegetable garden. Adding soil amendments or taking soil samples now will allow plenty of time for planning—as well as planting—the garden next spring.
A good way to give the garden a face lift for the fall is to apply a fresh layer of mulch—nothing makes the garden look neat and tended to better than new mulch!
It is not too late to seed the cool season annuals and wildflowers in the areas that will not be mulched. Don’t mulch those areas of the garden where you rely on reseeding to repopulate your beds.
You can dig up and divide the spring and summer flowering perennial plants now, or anytime during the dormant season. Be sure and water the divided clumps well to aid in good root growth.
Clean-up any dead or spent plants, in particular summer annuals that look ratty—replace with colorful fall annuals, seed cool season flowers, or just cover the area with mulch. Don’t forget to leave some seedheads for the wildlife.
Take advantage of these nice cool mornings and head out into the garden with a pad and pencil to jot down ideas and sketches to improve the garden. For example, take notes of what worked and what didn’t. Maybe you need a screen plant here. Or maybe you need to plant a tree over there for shade or color. You might need to move that plant that is blocking that pretty view out the window, or poking you in the eye every time you walk past. The dormant season is a good time to move those plants that are crowding their neighbors.
Begin to pour over those catalogs that you are getting in the mail. Don’t get too bug-eyed with all the glossy pictures. Choose wisely! Base your decision on affordability and suitability for the situation. Is it adapted to this region? Will it remain in the space allotted without excessive pruning? Will it serve the purpose you intended?
Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D., writes Garden Tips weekly and is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.