The general trek back home from vacations this month means more time can be spent with the garden.
You can take it easy – relax in the hammock and do just the routine chores of watering, spraying and feeding. or if you live in the mild parts of California and the Southwest, you can start to get winter flower gardens ready. Full bloom in December in California is not just a Chamber of Commerce boast. But remember that winter effects are not created in the last moment. Proper planning and planting should start in August and September so that bedding plants and early-blooming bulbs cart have a chance to get established properly.
Winter’s Best Bets
These are the annuals which stand head and shoulders above the others when it comes to dependable bloom ranging from late November to April: pansies and violas, snapdragons, stocks (providing drainage is good), calendulas, Virginian stock, and sweet alyssum. There are others, of course. but these are the easiest.
The success of any winter garden depends on a warm location, and a loose porous soil that will drain rapidly when the winter rains start falling. If yours is a heavy soil be sure to use one of the recommended soil conditioners to keep -it in good tilth. Such winter foragers as snails, slugs and sowbugs can be kept in check with metaldehyde slug baits. Fertilizers can be used from now until October to help get the plants established, but no later, because of the danger of forcing tender growth at the frosty time of the year.
Bulb Time
Dealers and other people connected with the trade fondly label this as bulb time. There is something exciting about clean, plump bulbs and their built-in blooms. Even the greenest beginner cannot discourage a bulb from blooming.
It’s too early for the big trio of Dutch favorites, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths, but in the milder parts freesias can be planted now for early spring fragrance. In the colder parts of the West, pot up freesias in 7-inch pans for Christmas bloom. August is the best month to plant Madonna lilies, even though the bulbs may be on the market for an additional ninety days. They should go from the bins to the ground as rapidly as possible. Remember the usual warning about planting them at the proper depth – only 2 inches of soil over their tops and no more!
It’s a general axiom that bulbs like plenty of organic matter in the soil. But in most instances, you are taking an unnecessary risk when you use manure, unless you know for sure that it has been thoroughly aged. It’s best to use a good grade of Canadian peatmoss, leafmold, or compost.
Dust bulbs with a recommended insecticide-fungicide combination. It’s cheap insurance against the possibility of fungous troubles and soil pests.
Seed Sowing
There’s still time to sow perennial seeds. Starting perennials from seed is one of the cheapest and fastest methods of creating a supply of improved varieties of plants. They’re as easy to grow as annuals except that they are slower to reach maturity.
Chrysanthemums
The “earlies” are blooming already. They’ve proven to be a boon to Pacific Northwest gardeners because they supply color ahead of the cold weather season and the pelting rains. Thanks to breeders, it’s possible to enjoy a parade of chrysanthemum blooms from July through November.
If you’re interested in varieties of chrysanthemums blooming now, visit one of the specialists near you. Chrysanthemums are one of the few flowers that are rugged enough to be transplanted without setback while in full bloom.
Black Spot
This year there is a great battle against black spot in rose gardens throughout the West. Almost no area seems to be immune from this dreaded rose disease. August is a good time to apply Captan on roses at weekly intervals. Follow labeled directions.
Give Them a Rest
Let bearded irises enjoy a rest. Ease up on the water and cut back any withered or diseased foliage. This is still a good time to plant new iris roots or divide old clumps, if they have been in the ground for three seasons or more. Try to complete any division work this month so the plants can be thoroughly established by the time winter comes.
Good Buys
Tuberous begonias and fuchsias, both shade-lovers, are good to buy now because you see them in bloom and know exactly what you are getting. Seedling plants of begonias, which are quite reasonable in price, move so easily that you can use them to fill in bare spaces. It’s possible to keep tuberous begonias blooming consistently until the first frost. Then the bulbs can be harvested and rested for use again next year.
Lawns
Fall planting season usually opens around Labor Day, but that’s no reason for waiting until then to prepare the ground. In many areas it is possible to rent power equipment if you do not own your own.
By digging the soil now and adding to it lots of Canadian peat or other organic materials, the soil gets a chance to mellow before you plant the seeds. Also, you can germinate the first crop of weeds if you take time to water the ground after it has been dug. The weeds-can be killed easily with one of the improved herbicide weed sprays. Obviously, this lessens the danger of weed interference when the lawn is sown later.
Flower Substitute For Island Trip
As the next best substitute for a trip to the Islands to see tropical flowers, why not make a planting of hibiscus? The exotic, brilliant blooms of hibiscus can be enjoyed outdoors all through Southern California and the milder parts of the Northern end of the state.
Elsewhere, tub them up for use in greenhouses. Give them a rich soil, frequent feedings with a 10-5-5 organic liquid fish fertilizer or one of the balanced chemical types, and frequent watering.
Few shrubs can rival them for a profusion of blossoms over such a long period. Blooms the size of dinner plates can be grown easily. Breeders now have types with flowers of improved colors and blooms of hibiscus.
Some types can be kept low, and others grow to trees twenty feet tall.
Oriental Poppies
This is the time when Oriental poppies are dormant, so now is the best time to divide and replant them.
It is not generally realized just how simple it is to increase your own supply by making root cuttings.
Choose roots about the diameter of a lead pencil and cut them into sections about 2 inches long. Plant them in a horizontal position in a flat or large pot of sandy loam. In less than 2 months they develop husky root systems and then can be planted out in their permanent spots in the border.
by G Norvell – 64346
