What do I do now? Be nice

My gardens are new as of this spring. I am new to gardening! Is there anything I should be doing now that fall is on its way?

I learned here about deadheading, what about pruning? My perennials, I assume will die back to the ground when it starts to frost. What about the New England Aster? Do I cut that back? Leave it alone?

embarrasing question. In the spring how will I know what is a weed and what is a plant that I want to keep?

Well I always put a tag or marker when I move or plant a new perennial. Then after you learn who's who and what they look like in the spring and when they should make an appearance you can remove or keep it. Some people make a chart and put every plant, size, shape etc on it. I find the easiest for me is to take a picture of every bed. You will soon recognize what the usual weeds in your area look like, when in doubt just wait and see. If something looks ratty or is mushy I cut it back to the base in the fall. Most of the cleaning I do in the spring. Waiting until spring leaves seeds for the birds, holds snow and leaves around plants for protection and can help you find plants in the early spring before they start to grow. There is an old saying that might help, if its brown cut it down but if its green keep as its been. You will learn something new every year and with every new plant. Observation of your plants in your garden is the best way to learn. Just make sure its fun. :)

Don't worry. Last year was my first attempt at gardening and I found that when things started to come back up this year, I recognized the leaves. I remember watching a lot of stuff as I grew it from seed or from just working in the garden, then when it came up, I knew. I also did the chart thing in case but I find that a lot of it is instinctive. It really took me a whole year though. I had to see things at all stages.

Well for me I do most of my pruning and cleaning up in the fall......but I think most probably do it in the spring. I guess it would be your preference. To remember what is what and where you put it I would place tags...often what I do is use old popscicle sticks and stick them in the ground where the plant is with the name on it. HTH?

Taking photos and using markers are good things to do. I kind of know where most things are but I've cut through emerging plants and bulbs while planting in Spring. With experience you will learn to recognize friend from foe. Keep a list of what you've planted and search for photos of the emerging foliage.

I do what ngam said but have a different rule. Regardless of color, if it turns to mush, I get rid of it in Fall. If it stands up, I leave it.

Don't forget planting! Way too many people forgo the best planting time of all! I would not plant puny plants, but Fall is great since the plant has two growing seasons before having to deal with the stress of Summer heat. Many just think of bulbs for the Fall but I plant many perennials, shrubs and trees too. It's a wonderful time to be gardening. Cool temps, fewer bugs, etc.

Be nice! I hate it when words tell me what to do ;)~

I will agree with Victor(axis of evils) this time. Mushy ones get removed totally - like Centaura montana or hostas. Stiffer upright ones I cut down about halfway or so - except ones that have seeds yet - like echinacea or winter interest like Autumn Joy sedum.
Yes map out your plants and mark them.

I posted some emergence photos in PF, just of my plants though.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/146273/

Instead of using the little tags you can actually use a stone and write on that with permanent marker.

Doesn't the marker fade?

Use a "sharpie" or one of the other permanent markers.

I am going to take pictures of my flower beds for a reference.

You can also follow the thread for what people are doing in their gardens for the fall. I'm fairly new to gardening and that's what I've been doing - listen, lurk, and ask questions. No question is stupid - if you don't know ask, ask ask!!! That's what this website is all about besides making friends and having fun!! Eleanor

I would suggest getting 'The well-tended perennial garden' by Tracey DiSabato-Aust, as it is an excellent reference source for maintaining your gardens. She made an index for each type of gardening task, when to do it and for which plants. There is one for whether to cut back in fall or spring. I do clean up the same way as Al and Victor, and there are many plants I leave up over winter.

If you have any plants that are marginally hardy, or finicky, you may want to research them here and find out if you need to take extra care preparing them for winter- especially since you're a zone 5er. Some plants you'll want to mulch, some not. If I would have known to mulch my Gaura maybe it would have come back the past two years! Or, as an example, if you grow Agastache you definitely would want to leave it up over winter because, I have read, if you cut it back water would get into the stems and down into the crown, and the plant would end up rotting.

I really began gardening last year and as the end of this year's gardening season approaches I am amazed with all I have learned in one year (but also with how much I still have to learn, lol). I have purchased about 6 different books, all of which have been great resources, so I would also suggest as a fall task to purchase some books to read over winter! (Amazon.com if you like to save $) However, this site is the best resource available. Not only is the info I need always here, but so are friendly, helpful, experienced fellow gardeners. I am so thankful!

I marked my plants last winter with Sharpie on plastic plant markers, and by mid-winter they were no longer readable. Not sure if it was the snow that washed the marker off, or if the sunlight faded it, but I'm looking for some type of marker made for using outdoors this year. I also take photos, and draw diagrams of my beds as well. Yes, I'm a bit a.retentive :-)

All of the information people have given is so helpful, dpoitras.

I've used Paint Pens to write on rocks, as markers, for years and even had a thread on different ways of labeling a few years ago. Some have remained legible for many years but the Sharpie pens don't work for me. The writing only lasts for a few weeks.

I rely on photos.

This message was edited Sep 14, 2007 9:35 AM

Pirl, I may have asked this before but do the blooms on the JI's last any longer than the bearded?

Maybe a day more but not much more than that. Modern JI's have multiple branching with five to seven buds. Check them out at Ensata Gardens, if you're interested. Rafferty is one that has two to three branches and six to nine buds. This photo of it was from Plant Files from lilypons.

I'll be planting it today and 21 others.

I really like the paint pen on rocks idea, Pirl. That looks SO much more natural and quaint than the ugly plastic marker tags I have. Thanks for the great idea!

It's a nice idea but when my lawn cutters do the Fall cleanup, everything gets kicked, blown and trampled!

aspen:

I, too, have photos, plant markers, and a sketch drawn of each garden. You're not the only one who's a bit .....

LOL!! It's nice to have such good company as you!

I have photos, maps, and markers because someone posted the idea on DG. I also have all of my photos labeled and in folders because someone else is so organized. Do you know who this person is pirl or Pirl???? thanks for all of the great ideas. (See how my "t" didn't get capitalized - cap key didn't stay down) Eleanor

You guys are WAY too organized!

I find the older you get the more organized you become out of necessity.

From the nursery to the car I forgot the name of a plant today. Wouldn't be so bad but I bought it! No tag in the pot.

Soon I'll put labels in the kitchen: sink, refrigerator, oven, cooktop.

Take it back and say 'this plant has no name - I want my money back!'

I do know your name if you ever forget that.

If the store is remembered.

Are you saying she'll get into her car and then forget why she's there?

Whose car?

Exactly

**still not liking the 'be nice' in this title**

Who? Me?

Now, now, play nice children. It is good to know I'm not the only one that needs to write things down.

I've written things down many times and then lost the paper.

Me too, and I'm young!

I'm not happy about the *be nice* either, but I'm assuming it's not about me.

At 44, I hope I can still consider myself young.

I should hope so.

I think the "Be nice" was in reference to the question of, "What do I do now?"

I think you're right pirl, and I feel silly for saying anything about it. Sorry!

I have a big binder to put everything in so I don't lose it - my idea. Probably a teacher thing - you know lesson plans, grade books, and all of that. Being a music teacher with a much different set up than classroom teachers I made my own plan book and class register (the amount of kids I had wouldn't even fit in a printed register) I had to be organized cause every half hour a different class came in with a different plan and different needs and different names. Glad those days are over - enjoyed it at the time but I was ready to move on cause I couldn't run around the classroom with primary elem. children anymore and the voice gave out. Eleanor

Sorry, I didn't mean to offend anybody. I was joking in reference to the "what do I do now" question. I thought it would open quite a few doors...sorry again.....

Don't apologize, dpoitras.

We are not offended at all. You posed a great question, and we love discussion!!!

I agree with Candyce: don't apologize! You weren't offending me and I think you posted the "be nice" in jest. Al is a tease and Harper is so sweet!!!

Let's get back to your questions:

Don't cut back the asters until the frost turns them crispy. In general crispy is a sure sign that bloom time is over.

Believe it or not, many plants can be identified to some degree by their roots. Coreopsis (the threadleaf type) has bright yellow roots. I could go on and on but you're probably staring at the computer and thinking, "She expects me to memorize roots?". The real PIRL, a wonderful former neighbor, taught me to garden and when she told me about identifying roots I was stunned, wondering just how big a memory bank could be. Still you'll know a dahlia's tubers, a daffodil bulb and a gladiolus corm in time, along with many roots.

When in doubt if something is friend or foe just post a photo and we'll help you. None of us were born knowing a thing about gardens and we all learned little by little.

I agree with the others, Debby. Absolutely NO apology necessary. If you simply left it at 'What do I do now', I would have been tempted!! So if anyone has to apologize it's me for putting people on the defensive about their words!

Pirl - I assume now is the time to take Coleus cuttings.