Connecticut Garden Journal

With the changing season, it’s time to close the garden down. Before the cold weather hits, drain and bring in outdoors hoses, clean and sharpen garden tools and start protecting plants for winter.

Wrap young trees with plastic or wire fencing to about 2 feet up the trunk and a few inches below the ground, to protect the young bark from rodents and rabbits.

Erect A-frame, snow barriers for shrubs planted near the house to avoid damage from falling snow and ice. And cover tender perennials, such as lavender, with wood chips in late November.

Unfortunately, it's also time for me to say goodbye. After a 10-year-run, this is my last Connecticut Garden Journal post. I've enjoyed being part of Connecticut Public and appreciate all the people that made this show happen. Thanks to John Dankosky and Catie Talarski for believing in me 10 years ago to start the show. And to Tim Rasmussen for having me host a series of gardening TV shows during Covid where we won a Regional Emmy. And, of course to all the people behind the scenes, such as Cat Pastor and Robyn Doyon-Aiken, who made the show happen each week.

And special thanks to you listeners. For all the emails, questions and comments and greetings I received in person at garden club meetings, flower shows and garden conferences. It's been great connecting with such avid gardeners over the years.

So for now, I'll hang up my garden tools, clean off my boots and close the garden shed. You may not be hearing me live anymore on the radio, but the past shows live on at Connecticut Public. Until we meet again, I'll be seeing you in the garden.

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It's hard to think about winter with such warm, fall weather, but spring flowering bulbs need to be planted soon. If you want to enjoy your spring flowering tulips, daffodils, crocus and other bulbs a little earlier in spring or if you don’t have a garden, consider forcing them in containers. 

You can plant two different ways. Either plant all one type of bulb in a pot for a big splash, or layer different bulbs in the container for a more extended flower show. First, select a container at least 10 inches in diameter. The bigger the pot, the more bulbs you can plant and the bigger the show. Fill it with potting soil. Then plant your bulbs 2 times their diameter deep.

For layering bulbs select bulb types or varieties that mature at different times. For example, plant large, late flowering varieties of daffodils on the bottom, mid season tulips in the middle and early season crocus on top. Plant the bulbs at the correct depth and fill in potting soil on top of them before adding the next layer.

Water your pots well and place in a dark, cool room, basement or garage that doesn't freeze for 14 weeks. This will allow your bulbs to grow roots and get the winter chill they need. Come late February you can start moving them into a sunny, warm room to grow. Take all the pots out at once or stagger them to extend the flower show. When finished flowering, grow them as houseplants until the leaves yellow, then plant them in the ground for next year.

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With our warm fall, we're still enjoying fresh tomatoes, peppers, greens, and zucchini from the garden. But it's also time to start thinking about planting garlic and shallots. These two alliums are easy to grow. Unlike other veggies, you plant garlic and shallots in the fall for an early summer harvest.

There are two main types of garlic: hardneck and softneck. Hardneck varieties, such as 'Romanian Red' and 'German Extra Hardy', form a flower stalk or scape in spring that can be harvested and eaten. We make a mean pesto from garlic scapes. Even if you don't like eating the scape, it still should be removed to get larger garlic bulbs. Softneck varieties, such as 'New York White' and 'Inchelium Red', have soft leaves that are good for braiding. They last longer in storage than hardneck types.

Plant garlic cloves 3- to 5-weeks before the ground freezes. Planting too early stimulates them to grow this fall, so wait until late October or early November to plant this year. The night before planting, break apart the bulbs into cloves. Leave them overnight to callous on the bottom, basal plate for best rooting. The next day plant, on compost amended raised beds, spacing the cloves pointy side up, 6 inches apart and a few inches below the soil deep. Water well and cover with straw or hay for winter protection.

Shallots are another allium that can be fall planted. These small onions have a delicate, milder flavor than regular onions and are favorites in French cooking. Plant 'Dutch Yellow' and 'French Red' shallot varieties the same way you plant garlic.

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As the days shorten and weather cools, somewhat, it's time for some fall garden chores. One of the rules that's changed is around perennial flower garden cleanup.

Traditionally, we'd cut back and remove the dying foliage of perennial flowers such as daylilies, peonies, echinacea and rudbeckia. While the look of a cleaned garden might be appealing, it's not the best for the ecology around your yard. The seed heads of many perennials, such as echinacea, rudbeckia and salvia, are important bird food. Also, beneficial insects and pollinators overwinter in the dead stems and leaves and will be ready to emerge in spring to help our plants. The one exception I'd make is if the flowers were heavily diseased. Then it makes sense to remove them from the garden.

You might be noticing some spring flowering shrubs, such as forsythia, lilac and weigela, blooming again! This is unusual, but can happen with weather stress and warm falls. This year many shrubs lost their leaves early due to fungal blight diseases. That, combined with the warm autumn, has tricked the plants into blooming. This won't harm the shrubs, but you'll have fewer flowers in spring.

Other tasks for fall include chopping and dropping healthy vegetable and annual flower plants once they go by, instead of removing them. But remove diseased plants such as tomatoes. Add chopped leaves, grass clippings or straw to bare beds to protect the soil in winter. Leave asparagus ferns until early winter and add lime to asparagus beds to raised the pH to around 7 based on a soil test.

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October is spring bulb planting time. While the tulips, daffodils, and crocus head the list of popular bulbs to plant later this month, don't forget some of the more unusual bulbs such as the alliums.

Allium or flowering onion plants range in sizes from 5 inches to 4 feet tall. The tall varieties make a statement in the garden rising about the foliage of perennials such as daylilies. The smaller growing bulbs are great in front of the border or as rock garden plants. Alliums are trouble free. They come back consistently each year and deer, rabbit and mice don't seem to bother the bulbs or flowers. Many bloom in late spring and early summer after the daffodils and tulips finish.

For a big flower show nothing beats the tall, large, purple flowered types such as 'Gladiator'. A large white flowered version is 'Mount Everest'. 'Purple Sensation' is a little shorter and smaller flowered, but it multiplies readily over time. Some shorter alliums add more color. The drumstick alliums have red and green colored blooms. Allium caeruleum has blue colored flowers and Allium moly is a short, yellow flowered type.

Whatever varieties you choose, plant later this month in a full sun location on well-drained soil. Plant in groups or pop some of the tall, large flowered types in among the perennials for a surprise effect. After they're finished blooming consider leaving the seed heads. They're interesting to look at and add a different texture to your plantings. You can cut them for use as indoor flower arrangements.

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As the temperatures dip, it's time bring some of your favorite herbs indoors. Some of the best herbs to move inside to grow and cook with include parsley, rosemary, geraniums, chives, thyme and oregano.

The advantage of bringing a mature, potted herb plant indoors is it will continue to send out shoots and leaves into November. If you grow it under grow lights, it will continue into winter.

First, harden off your herbs in a cooler, outdoor location with less light for about one week. Spray insecticidal soap or Neem oil to kill hitch hiking insects. Bring the plants indoors to grow in a sunny window away from cold drafts and reduce watering.

Annual herbs, such as basil, can also come indoors, but unless you have grow lights, the leaf production will quickly slow down. It's best to enjoy this herb for a month or so before composting it. Parsley is a good indoor herb, but will form flowers in spring. Compost this plant once flower stalks form. Chives will benefit from periodic cutting of their shoots and will continue to send up new shoots in fall and in spring. Scented geraniums, rosemary, thyme and oregano are perennials and easy to grow in a sunny window. If you don't have room for your big pots, take cuttings from the mother plant to root. Take a 4- to 6-inch long cutting. Remove the bottom leaves and dip the cut end in a rooting hormone powder. Stick it in a pot filled with moistened potting soil. Place in a bright area out of the sun. Check after a month or so for roots.

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Fall is for asters. Asters are reliable native plants that give us color in our autumn gardens. But there are other natives that are equally as beautiful and trouble-free. One of the best is boltonia.

Boltonia, or false aster, is related to asters. It features plants that grow 5- to 6- feet tall with white, pink or lavender colored flowers. Like asters, they flower in full or part sun in August and September.

While asters are clumping plants that slowly enlarge over time, Boltonia is a rhizomatous plant that spreads by underground roots. This makes boltonia a favorite meadow, slope and cottage garden plant. The species version, Boltonia asteroides, is the most aggressive spreader and care should be given where it's plant. This species type is best planted in meadows or wild areas.

For perennial flower gardens, select some of the less aggressive varieties. 'Snowmound' is a white flowered type that is more compact only growing 3- to 4- feet tall. 'Pink Beauty' is a pink colored version and 'Jim Crockett' has lavender colored blooms on 2 -foot tall plants.

Boltonia likes well-drained soils on the dry side and does well in clay. It is drought tolerant, once established, but will also thrive in wetter soils as well. Divide plants every 3- to 4- years in spring.

Boltonia is a pollinator favorite often visited by butterflies, bees and other insects. It has few problems. In part shade areas it may need staking to not flop and sometimes can get powdery mildew. But otherwise it's deer and rabbit proof and a delightful fall flower for your garden.

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If you're looking for some color this fall in your perennial flower garden, certainly mums are always a nice addition. But here is a carefree, native perennial to grow for fall color and food for the pollinators.

Helenium has the unfortunate common name of sneezeweed because it blooms when ragweed is flowering. It's the ragweed that causes the allergic reactions, not Helenium. This hardy, aster-family perennial grows in the wild in meadowy, damp areas. But it will shine in your full sun, flower garden as well. It grows 3- to 5-feet tall with hat-shaped, small flowers in yellow, orange or burgundy colored clusters that cover the plant when in full bloom. We grow the Mariachi series variety 'Salsa' for the colorful red flowers and long bloom period. There also is a dwarf selection named 'Short N Sassy'.

Because of its penchant for moist soil, Helenium is tolerant of seasonal flooding and makes a good rain garden plant. Helenium is also not a favorite of deer, rabbits or woodchucks because of the bitter tasting foliage.

Plant tall varieties of Helenium in the back of the flower garden to compliment other fall bloomers such as Joe Pye weed, boltonia and tall rudbeckia. Grow shorter Helenium varieties to compliment asters and sedums. Helenium is also a favorite of butterflies and pollinators, so mix it into your pollinator garden as well.

Helenium is a clumping perennial, so is well behaved, not spreading quickly. However, after 3- to 4-years the clump gets large and will benefit from dividing. Divide Helenium in spring making smaller, new plants to grow in other parts of your yard.

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It's apple and pear season and time to start harvesting. Actually some varieties are already ripe, but most will be harvested this month. If you're growing apples or pears in your yard, going to a pick your own orchard or just foraging for wild trees, it's good to know when to harvest. If you harvest too early the flavor isn't great. If you wait too long, the texture can be mealy or mushy. Pears are unusual because they should be picked when ripe, but still hard, to finish ripening indoors.

Here's some tips to harvest apples and pears. First, try to remember the variety you're growing. There are early, mid and late season varieties that will naturally ripen at different times. This will help you know when to start checking. Check the background color of the fruit. Many varieties will turn red in fall, but it's the background coloring that you need to check. When it goes from a green to more yellow, the fruit is probably ripe.

Of course, if there are fruit on the ground, that's a sign of ripeness. Also, gently lift the fruit so its horizontal. Twist and give it a slight tug. If the fruit comes off easily, go head and pick. Fruits on the outside of the tree canopy will ripen sooner than those in the center of the tree, so don't feel like you have to pick them all at a once.

Finally, if you have lots of fruits, pick one and cut it in half. If the seeds inside are brown, then it's ripe. If they are still light colored, wait.

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If you've had a rough year battling Japanese beetles, now is the time to control them. Many gardeners are familiar with Japanese beetle adults that cause damage to many flowers, vegetables and fruits.

While there are chemical controls for these and other ground dwelling beetles, there are effective ecologically friendly controls as well. Remember only 1 per cent of the insects in your yard are ones that will cause significant damage to your plants.

One of the best controls attacks the Japanese beetle not when it's an adult, but at the c-shaped, cream colored grub or larval stage in the soil. It's at this stage that it's most vulnerable. If you can kill the grubs, you'll have fewer adults next year. There are a few products that are safe for the environment and effective.

Beneficial nematodes are microscopic, worm-like creatures that parasitize or prey on the grubs. Spray the nematodes now on the lawn and soil areas where the adults were feeding this summer. That's where most of the larvae are located. Water the area well and keep the soil moist for a number of days so the nematodes can travel to prey on the grubs. The nematodes don't overwinter so need to be sprayed annually in early or late summer.

The other product in milky spore powder. This is a bacteria that has been used since the 1940s to control Japanese beetle grubs and it only attacks this type of grub. This powder or granule works best in areas with high concentrations of grubs, such as 10 to 12 grubs per square foot. With fewer grubs, it is not as effective.

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