Fade Away

September 2012

Pickaway to Garden

Fade Away

By Paul Hang

Have you noticed how the foliage seems thinner, sparser, these days? It reminds me of looking in the mirror during my thirties and forties. As the leaves thin out new vistas are revealed. Nests of birds, hidden all summer, are now obvious. Neighbors' houses and yards are not as private. Trees have been shedding all summer to counteract the drying of the drought. My river birch started dropping leaves in June. Although the real leaf fall won't begin until next month we are getting a preview. Those leaves will be taking the one and only trip of their lives. Plants are shutting down, preparing for the coming winter. They are way ahead of me. I don't seriously prepare for winter until November.

This growing season for me has been weird, really weird. I have some tomato plants that didn't begin to produce fruit until recently. Cabbage and broccoli planted in the spring didn't take off until a few weeks ago and what they will do is still in doubt. A second planting of green beans was turned into green lace as the beetles feasted on the leaves before I could apply an organic pesticide. Cucumber vines put out a few fruits, turned brown, rolled over and succumbed. Trees and shrubs showed signs of stress and had to be watered to insure their survival. Lawns are a whole different matter, that story is too depressing to tell.

As master gardeners we have had reports on our helpline of zucchini which blossomed but produced no fruit, zucchini imagine! Tomato blight, blossom end rot, strange bugs and all manner of troubles in the garden were reported. It is not unusual for members of the squash family to produce only male flowers for weeks before producing female flowers. This delays fruiting until the plant has flowers of both sexes and pollination can take place. The delay can cause consternation until the fruit finally begins to develop.

Some exceptions to my tale of woe were summer squash, beets and strawberries which, although small, are doing fine. Sweet Autumn clematis is growing rampant threatening to swallow the house. Annual and perennial flowers did OK as long as enough water was applied. Our water bill will attest to how much we had to lug around hoses and sprinklers to keep the plants from shriveling in the heat. Most weeds are doing fine however with bumper crops of burrs, stick tights, devil's pitchforks and other troublesome seeds. Plants such as Canada thistle and pokeweed are flourishing.

September is the end of summer. The Autumnal equinox occurs on the 22nd marking the sun's halfway mark from its northernmost point of the Tropic of Cancer crossing the equator on its way to the tropic of Capricorn. The closest full moon to the Autumnal equinox is called the Harvest Moon which will occur on the 30th. August brought a blue moon, two full moons in a month, on the 31st. A blue moon only occurs about every 33 months. Given that I can't tell by looking when a technical full moon occurs (it looks full for several days) I plan to count September's full moon on the 30th as a second full moon in September. So, "once in a blue moon" becomes twice in a blue moon.

Things to do in the garden:

As plants "give up the ghost" remove them from the garden. If they are annuals pull them up, if perennials cut them off. Dispose of the debris in a "hot" compost heap, bury them or put them in the trash

Collect, dry, and store seeds for next year. Use only heirloom varieties, hybrids will not grow true. Harvest and cure winter squash and gourds if they are ready. Leave a two inch stem. Gourds should be finished with growth before you cut them from the vine, store indoors at 60 degrees.

In the butterfly garden you will surely want to leave the host plants as they are harboring the overwintering eggs and larvae of next year’s butterflies. Those plants that you don’t want to re-seed by all means remove the seed heads before their seeds are scattered. Clean up old fruit around fruit trees.

Now is the time to plant spring flowering bulbs. You can plant onion seed now for early green onions and bulbs. Yes, onions are bulbs. You can still plant cool season vegetables.

September is the best time to plant grass seed. If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, or if you have never fertilized it, fall is the best time to do it. Cooler, wetter (usually) weather promotes good root growth and your grass will start out next spring healthier and ready for more vigorous growth. Want to really get your lawn in shape? Fertilize in September and then again around Thanksgiving. Labor Day and Veterans’ Day are easy to remember. Read directions for amounts.

In October, and even into early November, plant garlic. Cloves from store bought garlic may not work as some are treated to delay sprouting. You can also order favorite varieties from seed catalogs. Separate the cloves and plant 4 inches apart. Harvest garlic around the 4^th of July.

In those areas that are not to be fall planted, plant a cover crop or “green manure” that will be turned in in the spring. Buckwheat, annual rye, sweet clover, winter barley, wheat, soybeans, alfalfa, and hairy vetch make good green manures.