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News-September
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"Clippings"
Hi,
Fall is around the corner. Days are
getting cooler and shorter, but a
gardener's work is never done. My
garden is still going strong with
zinnias, impatiens, dahlias,
marigolds. My September bloomers
monkshood and chrysanthemums are
ready to pop.
I am collecting seeds, digging up my
gladiolus croms, transplanting
some of my perennials that have
gotten big. Still weeding! Not so
many now since I have been
aggressive all season. Did you know
that weed seeds can last up to seven
years. So don't let them set seed.
Happy Gardening!
Barbara |
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Working with Dahlias
Dahlias are among the most beautiful and most exotic
residents of any garden. 
The large blooms of the dahlia are impossible to ignore, and
they stand out in any garden in which they are planted. The
sturdy, large blooms of the dahlia are available in a
variety of colors, and in sizes ranging from as small as an
inch to as large as a foot. In addition, the flowers
themselves come in a variety of shapes. Some dahlia blooms
are shaped like baseballs, while others curve back on
themselves to where they nearly touch their stems.
Dahlias are known as sun loving plants, and they definitely
do better with sufficient sunlight. Gardeners recommend
providing dahlias with at least a half day of sunlight every
day. In addition, dahlias need enough water to thrive, and
most varieties require from one to two inches of rain, from
either rainfall or artificial watering, every week.
In addition, dahlias need a good rich soil with plenty of
organic material, a regular pruning schedule, a good natural
insecticide to protect them from beetles and grasshoppers
and possibly staking as the plants grow ever taller. In
addition, dahlias should be fed with a quality low nitrogen
fertilizer as needed.
Dahlias are actually grown from a tuber, a bulb like
structure, and dahlias are actually classified as bulb
plants. It is best to plant dahlias near the beginning of
June, and those dahlias will usually bloom around
October. Dahlias can be planted earlier in the season as
well, and those dahlias will provide late summer blossoms.
Dahlias should be dug up after the first frost of the
year. After being dug up, the dahlias should be divided and
stored for the winter. Doing so will allow the gardener to
replant the dahlia tuber the following year.
Dahlias come in a great many varieties, but one of the most
popular varieties is the David George. The David George
variety of dahlia features a bloom of deep red color and
medium size. Other popular dahlia varieties include the
Bonaventure, featuring large bronze colored flowers, and the
Allie Yellow, with features a tiny yellow bloom.
In addition to staples like orchids and roses, dahlias are
often seen at flower shows, and many gardeners grow dahlias
purely for these competitions. A prize dahlia can certainly
be the star of any flower show, due to their striking beauty
and large size.
Your Organic Gardening
Things To Do For September:
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Continue to cut the lawn as growth permits. September is a
great time for the reseeding of bare spots in the lawn, or
for the installation of sod, since the upcoming cooler
temperatures promote good root growth and establishment.
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Continue treating rose
diseases with Neem oil and disposing of all debris. Leave
last rose blooms to set seeds (rose hips) for best
resistance to winter damage.
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If you
have yet to start, begin taking cuttings of your favorite
annuals that you wish to overwinter. It is far easier to
overwinter a small plant that should be free of most insect
and disease rather than lifting a large plant from outdoors
and bringing it inside.
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Remove
those annuals that look excessively tired, leggy or have
gone to seed and keep removing annuals weeds such as
crabgrass. Remember, a seed lasts for seven years on
average; one weed going to seed equals seven years of work!
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Send
in your bulb orders! October is a great month for bulb
planting. For Colchicums, get in your orders in early
September, since they bloom in late September and early
October.
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Inspect and evaluate your ornamental small trees and shade
trees. During periods of drought in the late summer, the
stress will indicate portions of the tree that are beginning
to fail.The leaves will often drop, droop, or begin to
develop fall color. This could indicate insect or borer
problems, internal decay, root damage, or disease issues.
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September is an ideal time to add woody and herbaceous
plants to the garden. The soil is warm and although it is
often a dry month, the cooler days and moister weather ahead
will allow the plants to establish an adequate root system
before next summers heat and drought. Woody plants that are
not fall transplant hazards can be transplanted, and those
that are fall hazards can be planted if they were dug the
previous spring or are grown in containers.
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For
the vegetable garden, continue to remove plants no longer
producing and plant leafy crops that mature in 40-50 days,
such as Arugula, Spinach, Bok Choi and Lettuce.
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Tip -If
you live with large deer populations, put wire
cages around recently planted trees to avoid the
bark being rubbed and damaged by bucks. |
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