By Bev Johnson

Master Gardener

Mother nature hasn’t been very nice to her gardeners this summer. First, she tried to fry us and now to drown us. Still, there are chores that need to be done now to prevent problems next growing season.

Keep ahead of the weeds, especially the annual grasses. Don’t let them go to seed or you will have a much bigger crop to deal with next fall. It’s best to pull them out as spraying grass takes a few days to work. While they are dying, they are scattering seeds all over your garden. Give yourself some incentive by realizing that the weeds are taking food that your flowers need. More weeds, smaller flowers. You spent good money buying those plants and lots of energy planting them in just the right places. Are you going to let those criminal weeds crowd them out and stunt them? Get thee out there and start pulling.

We probably don’t need to worry about a lack of moisture in the soil this fall. It is still a good idea to renew the mulch around trees and shrubs. It provides insulation against early winter cold before we have any snow or if we don’t get enough snow. Deep freezing can injure roots and impair next summer’s water and nutrient uptake. It also helps prevent frost heave that can kill exposed roots.

As leaves start to fall, pick them up and start layering them on the flower bed. Ideally, by the time you have all the leaves cleaned up, you will have a foot of them on the bed. Leaves are an ideal mulch as they don’t have any weed seeds in them, and they rot and add nutrients to the soil. Leaf mulch slows down freezing, giving your babies a bit longer to get ready for the winter. Don’t bother to take it off next spring as it keeps weeds from sprouting, keeps the soil moist and cool, and your perennials will just pop through. If you have annuals you want to reseed, leave a bare area around the mother plant for a week or so before covering the soil.   

Be careful using broadleaf weed killer around trees and shrubs now as it can get taken up through the roots, particularly if they contain dicamba like Trimec does.

The first week in September is a great time to apply the first fall fertilizer application. Winterizer can wait. Just use the regular stuff. It’s better to use the weed and feed later in the season. That is the best time to treat broadleaf weeds too.  If you have creeping Charlie, give him a shot of weed killer now and repeat about once a week till hard freeze. You still may not kill it as birds love the seeds.

Keep picking vegetables as they ripen. If left on the plant, it decides it’s done its job and stops production. Never let fruit or veggies rot in the garden. You are sending out an invitation for wasps and picnic bugs to party.

Apples are starting to get red. This doesn’t mean they are ripe. Cut one open. If the seeds are dark brown or black, they are ripe. Apples can take the temperature down to 25 without any damage. Don’t pick them until they warm up. If still frosty, your fingerprints will turn the flesh dark, and they won’t keep. This is true only for fall apples. Summer ripening apples will just turn to mush if frosted. 

So, put on the bug spray, some sunscreen and your gardening clothes and get going. Snow is coming