Renewal in the Garden

Against this backdrop, the arrival of autumn’s cooler days and nights seemed Nirvana. Plants that languished all summer long suddenly showed new color and vitality and folks could finally allow themselves to relax in their gardens, or even get a little work done.

Now it’s time for the renewal that comes with fall and winter gardening.

We try to avoid talking about garden “chores” because, really, the actions that make good gardens are matters of choice, not orders from on high. To that end, here are some good deeds gardeners with the time and inclination can do in fall and winter.

Garden cleanup: To prevent pests and disease from over-wintering, remove debris and spent annuals. All can be composted if not diseased. (Watch out for mildew.) Some gardeners cut perennials to the ground in cleaning up, but others cut them back only to six inches or so to leave a framework marking their locations and prevent inadvertently digging them up in the spring.

Others leave perennials untrimmed for visual interest. Many ornamental grasses, for example, are beautiful in winter. One caution, however: Dry grasses can be a fire hazard.

Pruning: After plants go dormant, prune summer- and fall-blooming shrubs such as butterfly bush, crape myrtle, abelia, beautyberry, and rose of Sharon.

Hold off on pruning spring-blooming shrubs such as forsythia, azaleas, rhododendrons, lilac and flowering quince, which bloom on new wood and are best pruned in the spring within a week or two after flowering. Remove dead wood from shrubs and trees any time.

Rose pruning: The conventional wisdom holds that roses should be pruned in winter, but expert rose growers in the Ozarks say to wait till the plants first bud in the spring, so you can see exactly which canes and buds are most vigorous and prune accordingly. Fall is also the time to mulch roses.

Mulching: Mulch protects plants against winter cold and holds in moisture. Mound decayed organic material (compost, leaf mold, etc.) a foot deep over plant crowns.

A good tip: Some gardeners prefer cedar mulch because it discourages pests (as with cedar hope chests and moths).

Planting: Because timely transplants take advantage of autumn rains, fall is perfect for planting shrubs, trees or perennials. (It’s good to prune the tops to allow for root loss.) This is also the best time for dividing and transplanting perennials. Actually, planting can be done throughout the winter whenever the soil is unfrozen and workable.

A good tip: Insert plant labels next to newly planted perennials to easily identify them in spring.

Conditioning soil: Spading, tilling and adding organic matter to soil now will pay big dividends in spring. Digging in 3-to-4 inches of compost or other soil amendment to 6-to-8 inches deep works beautifully.

Now is also a good time to test soil for pH and nutrients using kits available at garden centers or at modest cost through the local Master Gardeners program. For details on the latter, call (417) 862-9284.

Bulbs: Late fall is ideal for planting spring-blooming bulbs such as crocus, narcissus, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, grape hyacinths and reticulated iris. These (except for tulips) naturalize wonderfully in the Ozarks, spreading and returning each year. Because they need a certain amount of time in the cold ground to produce flowers, be sure to plant them by Christmas to prevent weaker flowering.

Note: Tulips in Missouri unfortunately tend to decline and succumb to pests and disease, so many gardeners plant new bulbs for each garden season. To prevent losing tender bulbs such as cannas, begonias, gladiolus and caladiums, take them up, treat them with a powdered fungicide and store them in a cool, dark place indoors.

In winter, the only “must-do” job is to make sure broadleaf evergreens (azaleas, rhododendrons, holly, etc.) don’t dry out. When temperatures are in the teens and 20s – and the ground is frozen, the wind is blowing and the sun is shining – these plants can easily wilt and even die. In dry winters especially, it’s essential to keep the root zones of these plants moist. Anti-desiccant sprays from garden centers also help plants hold moisture.

Other good measures home gardeners can take now are to 1) collect seeds from flowers and vegetables; 2) clean and sharpen garden tools; 3) make sure power equipment is lubricated and gas tanks emptied for storage; and 4) take lots of time to dream about next year’s gardens.

Frank Shipe is a free-lance writer and editor who operates a free community gardening Web site at www.ozarksgardens.com.[[In-content Ad]]