Mario Bautista
Dear Master Gardener: It’s so hot and dry. I’m sick of watering. Can I quit?
Answer: Bad news — the answer is no. We were so lucky most of the summer when we kept getting significant rain at almost perfect intervals. But now we are really dry so we have to keep watering deeply, not just quick little sprinkles. New plantings, especially trees and shrubs, need long, slow watering over the entire root zone to keep all those new delicate roots hydrated. Older plants and trees need a good drink, too. Even big trees! Roots keep growing and storing nutrients until the ground freezes, and that is usually after Thanksgiving for Crow Wing County. That means we have to keep the hoses available until then unless our weather pattern changes. Evergreens, even established ones, are especially susceptible to winter burn caused by desiccation if the roots have dried out. So get back to work — your landscape will reward you next spring.
Dear Master Gardener: I usually fertilize my yard in September when serious rain is forecast, but that never happened this year. Is it too late?
Answer: It’s getting close. Grass needs to be actively growing in order to take up the nutrients you are supplying. Because we are losing several minutes of daylight every day, the grass plants have less time to photosynthesize and are heading toward winter dormancy. The other critical factor is that soil temperature needs to be above 50 degrees. With our abnormally warm September we’re probably still warm enough. These factors are in play every year, but this year we have the added problem of little to no rain in September. Fertilizer should never be applied to any plant that is under stress, including house plants, vegetable or flower gardens, shrubs, trees or lawns. Roots that are desiccated need to be thoroughly hydrated before they can uptake any nutrients. Watering your grass slowly and deeply before fertilizing will prepare it to absorb the chemicals so they don’t just runoff into our watershed. Because our yards are so dry, it is probably smart to apply less than the recommended amount — half a feeding will give them at least some head start for next spring. Sweep up any granules that land on hard surfaces like sidewalks. And lastly, it is crucial to get the fertilizer watered in well. But don’t delay: mid-October is the latest to apply. Don’t waste your time and money putting chemicals into the environment if it’s too late for them to do any good.
Dear Master Gardener: After losing all their leaves long ago and me fearing they are dying, my lilacs have started to bloom out on the ends of their bare stems. What is going on? Will they flower next spring?
Answer: It’s been a very tough year for our normally indestructible lilacs (Syringa spp). Our cool, wet spring and then our wet summer were the perfect breeding ground for powdery mildew, lilac blight, and fungal diseases to flourish. The result was very early browning of the leaves that then turned crispy and fell off. Bare bushes have raised concerns, but for as scary as it looks, our lilacs will get a fresh start in the spring. Good fall cleanup of the diseased leaves will lessen the number of spores available to start new outbreaks next spring. Pruning out up to 1/3 of the oldest branches will open up the center of the bush to improve air flow which will help keep the foliage healthy.
The fall flowers are just an added bonus to this very odd growing season. There should be plenty of blooms next spring. Keep high nitrogen lawn fertilizer out of the root zone. Nitrogen creates leafy bushes without many flowers. You need phosphorus and potassium for strong roots and flowers. Read your labels!
October Gardening Tips
- Hummingbirds should have headed south by now. Clean out your feeders really well and put them away until spring.
- When frost is predicted, cover or pick all your peppers and tomatoes. If they freeze they turn to mush. Green tomatoes will ripen in the house; peppers will not.
- Some vegetables, like cabbage, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts and kohlrabi develop a milder flavor after a light frost.
- Pick apples as they ripen. A light frost won’t hurt them. Rake up apple leaves to minimize disease spores, etc. next spring.
- Pick pumpkins, or cover them, before a frost ruins them. Leave a couple inches of stem attached.
- Plant spring blooming bulbs soon. Let your kids help — have them drop the bulbs in the holes, root end down. To prevent chipmunks and squirrels from digging up, moving, or eating your bulbs, place chicken wire or hardware cloth over the area.
- Prepare to winterize roses by mid-month. For tea roses and other non-hardy varieties, mound soil over the crowns or tie canes together, then tip them into trenches — the Minnesota Tip. For hardy roses, rake extra leaves or mulch around the base. No Styrofoam cones — they collect moisture inside, which can lead to disease. Excess heat building up inside in the spring can cause the rose to break dormancy too soon.
- Wait to cut back perennials until their foliage is damaged by frost. They will continue to photosynthesize as long as they are green and healthy. Cut back plants with powdery mildew and compost them any time.
- Continue to mow the lawn as needed. Now is a good time to treat perennial weeds like Creeping Charlie.
- Cover strawberry plants with clean straw to protect their crowns.
- Bring geraniums indoors before frost. Put potted ones near a basement window or bright window upstairs. Water just frequently enough to keep them from shriveling. Or, trim the plants back to a couple of inches, shake the dirt off their roots and store them in paper bags in a cool basement. Spray with water every couple of weeks.
- Clean and oil garden tools before storing them for the winter.
You may get your garden questions answered by calling the new Master Gardener Help Line at 218-824-1068 and leaving a message. A Master Gardener will return your call. Or, emailing me at umnmastergardener@gmail.com and I will answer you in the column if space allows.
University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardeners are trained and certified volunteers for the University of Minnesota Extension. Information given in this column is based on university research.
