Preparing the Garden for Fall and Winter

There are people who thoroughly wash their bulbs and tubers before storing them. I let mine dry with a small bit of dirt around them, lightly packed them in newspaper, and put them in a box in the basement on a shelf.

Greetings fellow gardeners, 

So, we got rain, and rain, and a bit more rain. I am glad that the trees are singing, but it makes cleaning up for winter a little difficult. There are some chores that need a dry sunny day.

Chickens, Pumpkins and Pruning Mulberry Trees

The chickens are starting to glare at me as the temperatures drop. Soon I will get the tarps up on their compound so they can keep warm for the winter. That means that the glorious pumpkin vine climbing up their coop will have to come down, so I may wait for a frost. In addition, the mulberry tree is in need of a prune as the branches are reaching for the coop. Mulberry trees are probably best pruned in late winter, as they tend to ‘bleed’ heavily. I will put that on my calendar. It was a treat having my first mulberries this year, and the arrangement I made with the birds seemed to work; I got the mulberries I could reach, and they got the rest. 

Lifting Dahlias, Canna Lilies and Gladiolas

I have several dahlias, canna lilies, and gladiolas that will need to be lifted and brought in for the winter. I find it best to wait until we have had a frost, and I would also like a sunny, dry day. Dahlias do not need to be frosted; I just like to enjoy the blooms for a little longer.

I don’t like to wash my bulbs and tubers

I like to clean the dirt off the bulbs and tubers by hand; I don’t like to wash them. This is my personal choice. There are people who thoroughly wash their bulbs and tubers before storing them. I let mine dry with a small bit of dirt around them, lightly packed them in newspaper, and put them in a box in the basement on a shelf. I do not want them on the floor because it can be damp, and there can be mice. Of course, the too-many cats keep my rodent problem under control, but if they miss one for a day or two, mice can really do damage to my bulbs and tubers. When you do store them, be sure to label what is in each box. I have different colours of cannas, and I want to be sure I put the right colour in the right place.  I should be able to do this job in a week or two.

Propagating Coleus with Clippings

I have taken some coleus clippings and am expecting they will root.

Storing Geraniums Roots

I need to make some geranium decisions. The geraniums will not be happy with a frost, so I have to decide soon. I think I may try an experiment. Some people store the bare roots of their geraniums in a cool dry place and pot them up in the spring, so I shall try that. I will also pot up one of them to store as a mother plant. As geraniums get older, you will find slower growth and fewer flowers. I use the mother plant to take cuttings for fresh new plants in the spring. However, I have found that my scented geraniums that live indoors do well without being replaced. They do not have the same level of fancy flowers, so that may be why they remain strong. 

This is such a cool coleus, and the geraniums were bright and beautiful in this shady spot.

It is still soggy today, so I shall continue to wait for a drier day. I can take cuttings at any time, so that works out well. Enjoy your week. Judith 

(Email:  sghorticultural@gmail.com)  Veggie Bites are available at https://sghorticultural.wixsite.com/website or https://gardeningcalendar.ca/category/veggie-bites/