Mario Bautista
As sad as it is to some, the summer is winding down. For the home gardener it is a great time to scan the property, line up chores for the areas that will need cleanup before the frost arrives and check if some parts of the garden are calling for a makeover. If a makeover is in order, September and October are great times to install new plants in the garden.
To get some ideas for your yard, whether it is a shrub, tree or assorted plants for a pollinator garden, the Rutgers Home Lawn and Garden Website is a great place to start: njaes.rutgers.edu/home-lawn-garden.
If you want to get a first-hand look at what native plants look like in a landscape setting, there are also several public gardens throughout New Jersey that you can visit: jerseyyards.org/jersey-friendly-plants/native-plants-public-gardens.
For the trees and shrubs that are staying in your garden, be sure to water now through the hard frost, so they enter dormancy well-hydrated. Evergreens are particularly vulnerable to desiccation and winter burn if not well watered before the cold and wind sets in. Evergreens may also start to show some browning or yellowing of needles in September and October; this is normal for older needles. The oldest, innermost needles typically shed after a few years on the tree. It would be abnormal if it is shedding new needles. Also, if you reside where deer pressure is high, young or newly planted trees can be wrapped with burlap or another protectant to avoid ‘buck rub.’
Once we are past Labor Day it is generally time for cleanup in the vegetable garden. Begin pulling spent vegetables and annuals. Before adding them to the compost heap, cut them up a bit with pruning shears or shred them to speed decomposition. In the now vacant space cole crops can be planted now through Thanksgiving. Cole crop is a general term for plants that grow best in cool seasons like broccoli, turnips, kale and spinach.
For your potatoes, leave them in the ground as long as possible. Harvest them two weeks after the vines die down or just after the first light frost nips the vines. When you begin digging up the potatoes, avoid skinning them and avoid long exposure to light. Leave the tubers on the ground to cure for a few hours before you bring them inside and do not wash them prior to storage.
If you harvested your own garlic this year, be sure to save the best heads with the biggest cloves for replanting later in the fall. If you did not plant garlic but wish to grow it, order your bulbs now. Prepare a sunny spot and plant each clove 1-2 inches deep and 6 inches apart in a row, with about 12 inches between rows. Optimum planting time for garlic is usually mid-October through mid-November.
For those that grow fruit trees, fallen fruit and foliage should be cleaned up. Clearing the turf and weeds from the area around the fruit tree trunks will reduce winter damage by rodents. Allowing any debris to overwinter invites trouble next season, as insects and disease can live in the fruit and fallen leaves over the winter and reemerge next spring. It is also best to pick and remove shriveled fruit hanging on the tree, though some can be left if you wish to leave it for the birds.
For the perennial garden, that too will need some cleanup. To avoid fungal disease, do not leave any debris around your peonies, roses and other disease prone flowers. If you want perennials to self-sow for next years’ show, don’t completely dead head. Nicotiana, poppies, larkspur, and many others fall into this leave-alone group; some plants must be left in place or seeds shaken around during cleanup to insure the next generation.
Plants with showy or bird-friendly seedheads, like echinacea, can also be left. For the bare areas of your garden, you may wish to plant spring flowering bulbs. Now is the time to shop for them, as they should be planted 6-8 weeks before the frost. Or, if you would like easier maintenance for that bare area, consider a groundcover. One great native groundcover is the bearberry, an attractive dwarf shrub.
If your garden has a pond, consider placing netting over it to catch the falling leaves. This will save you time come spring cleanup. Lastly, if you have Amaryllis bulbs, now is the time to let them rest by putting them in a dry, dark place where they will have no water at all for a couple of months.
After you complete all your garden cleanup chores, put your feet up and enjoy the coming fall colors.
Dennis McNamara is an agriculture program associate at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Monmouth County.
