Garden Tips Newsletter
More Fall Tips
November 2, 2009
Spring Bulbs
Set out crocuses, daffodils, tulips and hyacinths now.
If you live on the coast where these bulbs do not get enough cold weather,
you could try planting them in pots where they will be more exposed to
cold. Of course, you coastal dwellers can buy pre-cooled bulbs, pot them
up and bring them indoors to bloom. When planting bulbs in a new bed,
mix a slow-release fertilizer such as Holland Bulb Booster (9-9-6) into
the soil before planting. Broadcast the fertilizer across the top of
established beds as directed on the label.
Mulch
If you have had problems with voles in your garden, don’t pile
mulch against the trunks of trees. Be sure to leave a few inches of bare
ground. Even mature trees can be damaged or killed by these burrowing
rodents that dine on the sweet cambium layer beneath the bark.
Water Gardens
Prune leaves from your water plants, as they turn yellow,
and remove fallen tree leaves from the water. Decomposing leaves will
rob your fish of oxygen.
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.