Vi Tiegs, WSU Spokane County Master Gardner Gives Fall Tips

GARDENING IN FAIRFIELD

By Vi Tiegs, WSU Spokane County Master Gardener

Here we are at the end of summer, but did we really have any summer? Lots of powdery mildew, blights and other fungal diseases due to the cool, wet extended spring. Also, the veggie gardens did not get the much needed sun and heat to produce like we would expect. Now it is time to start getting ready for winter.

The first normal frost date, the key word is normal, is September 15th. That being said, keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to protect anything you would like to escape this first frost. Floating row covers work great as protection against the frost and to provide added warmth when the temperature starts to cool down.

A hard frost can damage members of the squash family, which includes pumpkins. They are ready to harvest when you cannot easily pierce the skin with your fingernail. You might also see the vines near the stem end start to wither. This is also a sign that the squash is ready to harvest and bring indoors to a warm room for a couple of weeks followed by putting them in a cool room for enjoyment during the winter months.

After the first killing frost, mound about 6 to 8 inches of soil, compost or potting soil at the base of rose bushes for added winter protection. If your tomatoes are still green, look for ones that have lost their bright green color and bring them indoors so they can continue to ripen. You can also dig up some herbs and repot them for use during the winter as long as you put them in a sunny window.

Some perennials can be planted or moved before cold weather sets in. Spring bulbs can also be planted now. The rule of thumb is to plant then 2.5 times deep as the width of the bulb. A little fertilizer and bone meal can be added to the planting hole to get them off to a good start.

Be sure to continue watering until there is adequate moisture. It is imperative that plants such as trees, especially evergreens, and shrubs go into the winter season well hydrated. If you see some dead twigs and branches on arborvitae and some pines, this is normal due to the cooler temps and moisture stress.

When the leaves start to fall is the time to apply cooper fungicide to cherry, peach, apricot and nectarine trees. This spray is used to control blights and canker disease. Be sure to spray all the branches when you apply this spray.

The last lawn mowing should be shorter than normal to prevent snow mold in the spring.

Be sure to service and clean up your mower for winter storage and to have it ready to go in the spring. A fall lawn fertilizer should be applied at the end of October.

Fall is the time to start your garden cleanup. Put those leaves you raked up to good use by composting them or save them to work into the soil when spring arrives. I use an electric blower/vac in the fall to pick up my leaves. The vac portion of this machine picks up the leaves, shreds them and then blows the shredded leaves into a bag attached to the back of the machine. I then put the shredded leaves into a plastic bag so I have them on hand to work into the garden in the spring. By shredding the leaves, it makes it easier for the leaves to break down adding much needed organic matter to the soil.

Do you have a gardening question? A free gardening resource that is based on scientific/university research is the WSU Spokane County Master Gardener Plant Clinic & Resource Center located in the County Extension Education Center at 222 N Havana Street in Spokane (just south of the Spokane Indians Ball Park).

It is open March through October, Monday through Thursday 9 am to 3 pm and Friday 9 am to 1 pm. Certified WSU Spokane County Master Gardener volunteers staff it. Stop by or call them at (509) 477-2181 for answers to all your gardening questions, pest problems and plant diagnosis.

They also have a web site for gardening questions, free fact sheets and a listing of upcoming classes and events.

This will be my last gardening article until spring, so take advantage of this idle time in the garden to read gardening articles and plan for next year’s garden.

HAPPY GARDENING!!!