Falland Cleaning up Your Garden...What are YOU doing??

hart, I had actually given up on getting the truck "street legal" and had "farm use" tags all ready for the 'junker' LOL Our biggest problem was the truck was a teeny little Chevy Luv and someone had replaced the engine with one that was way too powerful for that little truck. Every time I hit the gas it felt like the whole front end was lifting off the ground - way too much horsepower and difficult to control! Learned my lesson the hard way and for now I'm just going to have to be satisfied with a van and trailer :)

Gita, the concrete pan is a great idea! I'll have to check it out since I could kill two birds with one stone :) I picked up a beach ball at Walmart last month with plans to try one of these sometime this fall http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/838332/. Like I don't have enough to do already! LOL

that is wild

Tid bits...........I still see the suggestion that wood mulch steals nitrogen. This is absolutely not true as long as it remains mulch on top of your soil. The heavier the grind the longer it will remain mulch. At that mini compost area between your soil and the mulch there is all kinds of good things happening. Mostly it is the soil building rotting of the wood. When and if you remove your mulch you disturb a very small but good composting factory zone from your patch. The finer the grind the slower it will convert to compost mostly due to the lack of oxygen however it may retain moisture a tad better. This sounds like oposite reasoning but we tend to use less finely ground mulch and more rough ground material. The fine can cake up. The roughly ground stays more open....longer. It may even decompose better due to the available oxygen where it is needed to do the work for you.

My foundation plantings and flower beds have been under heavy rough mulch for all of thirty five years or more in the oldest beds. The only time we disturb the mulch is to move a plant or replace on that just got tired of being pretty. We fertilize these beds very little if any. Most of the professional landscapers mulch heavily with wood mulch in our whole community.

Relative to adding a new room on our house the professionals sprayed the grass areas with Roundup one day and planted through the dieing mass two days later without tilling the whole.
The bed was wood mulched and Mycorrhiza put in the planting holes. That was six years ago. The soil under that mulch has not been touched and gets better with each year since the plantings. This year we are topping off the mulch mostly to make it look a little nicer.

Interesting Doc, you have such a great knowledge of soil.

About 1944 my farming uncle gave my dad a bag of 5 - 10- 5 for our garden. My dad had a third grade education....and a wonderfull creative mind. He opened that bag in my presence, reported the stuff stunk.......twas not for his garden. That is a close as I have come to touching man made fertilzer with the exception of what sometimes shows up in a potting soil where there is no other choice if I want to buy a greenhouse plant.

Ric and I are still doing more work at Josh's new house than we are doing here. Spent all day Friday with him moving and doing yard cleaning. We have a 4ft X 8ft utility trailer with 2ft sides and did several runs with it moving furniture, hauling stuff to the dump and finally filling it with brush weeds and rotted wood scraps which we burned out back. Of course our place is getting somewhat less cluttered as his stuff moves to it's new home. The 2 kayaks, boat, golf cart ( I might miss the golf cart) and archery targets have all been moved out of the pasture.
I have been collecting a few seeds for next spring and I must finally decide where I will plant some of the bushes and seedlings that are still potted up in the driveway and of course I did bring home quite a haul from the swap so I will need to get them into the ground soon.
One of the "BIG" issues is where will I put all these new Tropicals. I'm going to have to start bringing in the house plants soon and I really don't know where I will put them all.
The other larger job is weeding out more of the Veggie garden. We have been reclaiming the Veggie garden slowly over the last 2 years. We have made some very good progress and one or two more big clean ups could have it right where we want it.

Hi y'all: Hope you don't mind my joining in....I just love fall! Well, that and spring, of course!

There's always so much I want to do in fall....I never get it all done...but then, when winter comes....I just have to let it go...what will be, will be...I think that resting period is so necessary as then I can hardly wait to be out and about in spring!

My first garlic order came this week (I think I have just one more coming) and getting that into the ground along with what I have saved from this past growing season will occupy me. I love growing garlic! Last year, I tried buying some locally at some farmers' markets to help it settle in faster (my theory) and I think it did make a difference. I couldn't resist buying some huge heads of a variety that I have had difficulty with from a grower at the Blacksburg farmers market....same theory.

I've taken out all the tomatoes...never did get them going the way I wanted this year...was just gone too much...and all but one pepper plant (that will probably go in the next day or two). Just seems it was time to be done with all that.

Since I collect daffodils and more will be arriving here in the next month or so, I need to decide where the newbies will reside. There are some established ones that need digging as they've exceed their allotted space....just love seeing how they've increased! So, there will be some fun time thinking about where they will go. Lots of time over the winter to anticipate seeing them!

Well, I also...ahem...am slightly (ha) into daylilies, so the tasks I want to accomplish this fall with them are numerous. Some, I've done (a tiny bit of selling, donations to club sales...and one final donation to my church's festival in Oct...all of which help me greatly since I am always buying, but never never never have enough space!) and some are still to be done (reworking some beds, getting all those in pots into the ground...somewhere...planting seedlings...and if, possible, moving seedlings into a new area).

The pot ghetto of other-than-daylilies is not so bad this year. Most things, I have a pretty good idea of where they're going. I was most restrained (for me!) at the Lewis Ginter sale last Friday. I bought a replacement heuchera (that's my goal...to just replace as space becomes available) and three hellebores (who could resist the Pine Knot folks' offerings?? not me...).

After all that, I'd just like to get everything mulched before it snows, etc.

phew- I'm tired out just reading about all you do !! nice to meet ya ^_^

I cut down my sunflower stalks today, they were totally quit blooming. I tied up my nine foot tall goldenrods into a bunch. I'm cutting some branches off of tomatos that didn't have any fruit on them anyway. I wish I started spinach..well I still might. will it rain again?

One big job I need to do asap is treat all and every plant that has been outside (and will come inside) with Systemic Granules. I want to kill anything and everything that has made a home in the pot while it was outside--from ants to pill bugs--to slugs--etc....

I will try to devote all day tomorrow to doing a lot of necessary stuff outside. Hope my old body lasts.....
First on the list is to clear out the round bed out front of all the overgrown Zinnias--dig up the center of it and get rid of any remaining rotting roots from the Red maple that grew there over 10 yrs. ago and then dig up and move my BIG Kopper King Hibiscus in the center of this bed. It should be much happier, have more sun and more roots-room there--- and will dazzle passers by as it blooms next summer..

Gita

Well, I felt pretty good this weekend, change of medication, so I got out and got a lot of things done.
Emptied out my 2 self-watering tomato containers, used the dirt to improve the soil next to the house, after I weeded the area and planted some foxgloves that should bloom next spring, and some pulmonaria, and primrose. Weeded 3 small beds. Took some cuttings from my tri-color OSPV, to winterover. Pulled out some more annual floating water plants from the pond and added them to the compost pile. Gathered some more seeds for next year and a RR I have joined.
This weekend was a good one!

sounds like you had a great weekend, ladyg! so glad you had good weather too. Hmm, I could take sweet potato cuttings too. I've been playing with my houseplants --trying to decide what will come in and in what size/shape/ pot/basket...my banana grew great over the summer- wait till DH sees this in the bedroomLOL

I went out today driving around on in the cart for about an hour loading up all the plants in pots scattered around the property. I'm determined not to buy more caldiums and some tender perennials next year. This will be my first year to overwinter plants. Everything stayed outside. This year I'm a bit more wiser and broker with my plant budget. I bought some tenders this year with the intentions of using them on the patio during winter. Several hanging mandevillas baskets, a huge Jatropha and a desert rose all need to come in. Too much money tied up in those to let them die. I guess some of these like the caldiums can be put in the shed to go dormant. Will have to also make some time to read up on how to store them. Everything I want to save is now under the carport, been given a good watering, now waiting for me to decide what to do next with them.

Everyone is certainly busy, isn't Fall just the most wonderful time?
Welcome gone_gardening sounds as thought you will be busy did you get your daffs from the Co-op? My co-op bulbs will be coming in any day.
Cordeledawg, I have two huge mandevillas to bring in this year one in a pot with trellis on my patio and the other in a hanging basket at my Dads, I don't think he has anywhere to put it over winter and I told him I would keep it.
I need more space in the living room to put my house plants so I'm getting rid of furniture. LOL Josh had a ratty old recliner here and isn't taking it to the new house and Ric doesn't want it so out in the trash it goes today. Then I can move my love seat and free up space by the windows. Guess cleaning and moving furniture first then getting the plants ready for the move inside. Better pick up some more plant dollys some of these pots are pretty big.
Gita, talking about Systemic Granules what do you use? I still haven't gotten rid of the scale on my Brazilian Plume flower, I've sprayed it and cleaned the bugs off of it but those little buggers are still coming.

Holly,

A couple of years ago, when this product was being discontinues at the HD, I bought up about 4 jars of it. It is by Bonide and is called "Systemic Houseplant Insect Control". It contains Di-Syston. You sprinkle the posder on the top of the soil and water it in. In about 2 weeks--EVERYTHING that was in the soil will be dead and the plant should absorb some of the toxins--hence the "systemic" in the name.

I think this product got a bad rap over the years--even on DG--and they took it off the market. Something about it might affect the nerves???? Someone might remember all those Posts....

You might find it--or something similar--in like Southern States. To my knowledge--HD no longer carries any granular Systemic--but I will look tomorrow when I work.

I have 3 jars/bottles of it left--should hold me for several more years. The container looks like those large vitamin "bottles" they sell at BJ's and Costco. It is white with red and purple in the label.

Gita---I better get outside--it is beautiful!

I found a couple little jars of that at DJ Liquidators in the spring. I think Bec NoVa uses it labeled for trees and shrubs- maybe they can sell it labeled for outside but not inside. Or try the tree and shrub one on houseplants anyway.
Or try liquid Joy to washs bugs and drench- somebody sent me a link to that....

Wellll....
Spent half of yesterday working on the BIG "moving project"...I tell you--it wore me out!
I sweat to readily--it just runs from my scalp down my neck and face. It wasn't overly hot--but any time I exert myself--I just sweat!

SO! Decided Monday was THE day to do all this. A big "Must DO" off my list!
Do what????? Move my big Kopper King Hibiscus to the front bed, of course.

Now--the front bed was still full with pink Zinnias...still blooming away....BUT--out they had to come! Now--I had that BIG, heavy pot in the middle--and as I am pulling up all these Zinnias, I am keeping an eye out for anyone walking by to help me...
Soon a neighbor came by, pushing her grandson in a carriage--and I snagged her.....pulled up my wheelbarrow next to the bed--and 1-2-3-HEAVE HO we went.....Done!

Here's the bed all cleaned up--waiting for help......That top pot is HEAVY! The bottom one is empty--just a perch for the top one. Looked kind of nice.....

It is amazing how bushy ONE Zinnia can get! The bed was full of these!
Here is just one of them I pulled up.

Next--I had to cut back the existing fat stems of the KK Hibiscus. MAN! They are big! I think if you let it--this plant would grow into a tree!!!!

I left some of the stems up to make it easier for me to pull it up.....As it is--I had to sacrifice a lot of the roots--and in pulling and digging--broke a section off of the root mass.
I think it will be OK--as both sections ended up with good roots still attached.

Behind it--on the trellis--is the struggling, beautiful "Proteus" Clematis and also an American Honeysuckle that I also plan to dig up and give it to my Store manager. he is ecstatic! I am giving him BOTH of them that I originally got from Jill. Have NO space for anything like that! He does--and wanted them.....

This picture shows the pith that is inside the stems. My pruners could not cut right through it--so it looks a bit ragged...The stems were more than an inch in diameter....

OK! New bed dug up and ready......

In this bed I had a big clump of late flowering Daffodils. Probably started with 6 bulbs.
Look what i dug up yesterday!
They are such nice bulbs! A bit different from the usual shaped bulbs....more rounded....

NOW what do I do with all these????? Thinking of, maybe, planting some all around the perimeter of the Hibiscus. They should be done blooming before the KK breaks dormancy....

Gita, I can hardly wait until next summer to see how beautiful your Kopper King Hibiscus looks. I know it's a big job moving it but I think it will look wonderful out front.

Here are these same daffodils in bloom earlier this year.
Have NO clue of the name.....But they lasted a really long time....much to my disdain--trying to get my annuals planted there...

OK! Now--KK all dug up and moved to it's new home....

I know I sacrificed a lot of roots. My Craftsman digging fork could not heave the roots loose--so I had to resort to my shovel...much more leverage...but I could feel it going through many of the roots as I stuck it deeper and deeper in the soil.

Then, I literally, put my whole 180lbs. something on the shovel--and out it came!
I am happy with the amount of roots that remained on it. I am sure it will make it....
Besides---it has a couple more months to settle in and maybe grow some new ones.

Here she be--resting where her new home will be.....In full sun! Mush more space for growth!

All done! Roots buried in---stepped on it all around to make sure they were compact.
Mulched with last years leaf mold.....and--watered in profusely.....

I KNOW it will dazzle any passers by next year! Even if the Hibiscus is set back a bit because of the root damage--I KNOW it will make it!!!!

By the way--where it used to reside--in that tiny bed by the House-- will be the place i will plant the bulbs from those Chinese Trumpet Lilies "Regale" that I fell in love with in Latvia. Still have to order them....Next "must do" asap project.....

...and so my life goes.....Gita

phew- exciting story!

Actually......I am also thinking of planting the 4 mums I have around the edges of this bed. I just do not know if they will be a true perennial????? Many people--me too- have problems with having mums come back....and I certainly should know how to plant them properly!

Anyone have any 'secret" strategies to make them last????

Here are 3 of the mums----I bought a 4th at HD tonight. Couldn't resist.

Sally--
You all worn out reading about this???????

I sure was doing it! Getting too old for all this exertion! But--I will keep on plugging!

Gita, I have a lot of trouble with Mums, too. So many of mine only last a year and then are gone. I've had a few that make it thought to the next year but most don't seem too. These Asters and Mums were just planted this summer in the new Lamppost bed and I'm hoping that they will return for me next year.
I spent sometime today planting some of my swap goodies.

Hmmmmmm....

Am I to assume you all are done with the fall cleanup? No one has posted for almost a week! I sure still have oodles to do--especially about all the plants that will be brought inside....

I DID put Systemic Granules on all of them. With all this rain--they should be well dissolved and incorporated by now....

Need more stories and input......What are YOU up to this week?????

Gita

Holly--was it YOU that wanted to see what the jar/bottle looks like???? As far as I know--these are no longer sold. maybe they came out with something different?

Done...not a chance! I will also need to get those granules so I can bring the plants in.

Your mums are beautiful - they add marvelous pops of color. Here's what I stumbled onto concerning mums. One year I lazily stuck the pots along the side of house after they were finished flowering. I didn't do anything with the pots come spring thinking the mums were dead; and since I didn't need the terra cotta pots, I basically just ignored them - a lot. The pots infrequently got watered, so I was surprised when new growth appeared. I pinched them back as needed and tried to be a little more conscientious about watering. Once the intense summer heat had passed, I moved them to a position of morning sun. Come the end of Sept, they were ready to go back on the porch steps.

I've overwintered mums that way since then. Here's a pic of one from November of last year. That one had been overwintered at least twice. I just put this years' plants on the steps yesterday. After a few years, they wane and die off. They're not as fabulous as the ones in your photo, Gita, but then I don't do anything to help them look their best either. This year I might try giving them a bit more TLC just to see what happens.

Plantmover, I had the same experience. Several years ago, I left a dozen of them out in plastic pots in a sunny location. I ignored them and thought they were dead. Come summer they started to sprout leaves. I planted them throughout my beds.

The ones in shady and damp spots did not make it. Those in the dryest, most difficult to grow spaces thrive. I do cut them down throughout the summer or else they grow too big and separate and flop. I have some that need to be divided now. The ground hog gave them some extra haircuts this year, and it seems to have been very beneficial.

I've often been tempted to try the football and spider varieties. Has anyone had luck with them?

I'm still busy planting so I haven't been doing much cleanup. All summer, as soon as foliage dies, I've been clearing it out, trying to leave as little cover for the voles as possible.

The flower heads do add winter interest, so there are many that I leave till spring. Right now the Cardinal Flowers are a real mess, but I'm trying to let the seed pods dry out so I can sprinkle them on the ground.

However, I am religious about picking up the black walnuts and all of their leaves. Once all of the leaves are gone, I will start collecting the other leaves to grind for mulch.

Right now, I'm also dividing and moving plants, filling in bare spots and moving things that are not prospering.

plantmover,

Your yellow Mums are beautiful!
Mine look so good because I just bought them! Still not sure if I want to mess with saving them--but I can always do what you did--throw them down somewhere against the house in AM sun and see what happens....

Thanks for the encouragement....

Still off today! Will try to continue my clean-up. Seems like a nice. sunny Fall day.

I LOVE the Dragon Wing Begonias. Usually try to cut them back a bit and then dig the better ones up and pit them in pots to bring in. Trying to be frugal......Next year, I would have to buy new ones for $2.50 each...
My problem is WHERE to put everything in the house?????

Gita

Stormy, I haven't tried those mum varieties but my, they are gorgeous...and getting fancier every year it seems. Lowe's always seems to have an abundance of mums on the clearance rack this time of year...maybe you could find a good deal on one for experiment purposes.

Thanks Gita. You're right about it being a beautiful fall day; what a glorious season! I too am wondering where to tuck pots for the winter. Ya know it's serious when plants determine where the furniture goes!!!

Plantmover, those football mums are only hardy to your zone. Alas! But I'm still looking for a Chartreuse Spider Mun.

A sunroom would be divine! I picked up a bougainvillea on clearance and need to read up on overwintering it. It'd be nice to put it in the garage, along with the Meyer Lemon and tropical hibiscus, but I suspect the garage is just too cold for all of them.

The spider mums are spectacular, like fireworks. I've seen them in florist's bouquets but can't recall seeing a whole plant for sale. Perhaps I just haven't looked hard enough...

plantmover, I posted some pics on the October blooms thread this morning http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/908926/. Now you'll see why I NEED a sun room! LOL

You DO NEED a sunroom, rcn...a really big one!!! OMGosh, that's a lot of plants to bring indoors; but they're gorgeous! Bought my very first begonia, an 'eyelash', at a plant sale this morning.

Since I neglect the inside of my house for 6 months while gardening, I don't bring anything inside. I keep a few houseplants and a whole rack of geraniums that came inside one year and never made it back out. That way, in late February, I'm just dying to get back outside. Of course, there are usually seedlings going in the den.