Rumsey Record
Well, maybe the rain has let up for a little while and we can start to pull things out of the garden and get the equipment back into the field. My sympathies are with the farmers as they worry and work toward the end of this harvest season.
The Ag Society is really quiet right now as everyone has fall work to do and the roof work is progressing slowly as the contractor continues to plug away at it.
The Fall Supper will be the next event to be held in the hall, so hopefully the roof of the curling rink will be done by then, so we can see the finished product.
Since I had so little to put in the column this week, I thought I would add a few fall gardening tips to help you put your flower beds to sleep for the winter.
1. If you haven’t staked your newly planted trees, this is a good time to get that done. Try to use old panty hose, rubber tubing or vinyl tie tape so as the wind blows in the winter, your tie isn’t cutting into the bark of the tree. Three or four stakes are ideal for stability. If we have a dry spell in the fall, water the trees once or twice before the snow comes will help them get through the winter as well.
2. It is time to bring in all your fall produce from the garden, with these wet conditions though, remember to give them some time in the sun to completely dry; onions, potatoes, carrots, beets, all need a little time in the sun after pulling them up, knock off as much dirt as possible before storing them away. I have found that the best way to store your carrots is in your beer cooler with the bottom drain open and the lid cracked open a little. Then store them where you store your potatoes. You don’t want any sun on your root veggies so cover them with old blankets to insulate and keep dark. Most root veggies will keep well at around 50*F or +5 or 10*C.
3. As it gets colder, it is the best time to plant your tulips, daffodils and any other fall bulbs; plant them deep and on the south if you want to see them in the early spring.
4. Load up that emptied garden plot with straw/manure combo and get it all worked in. You need to add fiber and fertilizer every year and the fall is the best because it has time to break down in the winter and by spring planting time you have nice, loose soil enriched for planting. Remember to throw out your composting throughout the winter onto your garden space, what the winter birds don’t eat you can work into the ground next spring. Nothing compostable should go into the garbage.
5. If you planted parsnips and garlic this year, mark their spot in the garden and leave them in over winter. They will be better next year (if you don’t cultivate them under in the spring, my usual mistake!)
6. I am not a big fan of cleaning off my perennial beds since the plant cover sometimes saves the roots from exposure during those dry winters when we don’t get enough snow to provide cover. In the early spring, when the snow has cleared off and the perennials are just thinking about poking out, I will take my lawn mower, set it on its highest setting, and mow all the beds I can get at, mulch everything then it is a clean slate for new growth.
If you have any tips to add just let me know and we can share with the gardeners of our community.
How do you know you are a Master Gardener?
There is a decorative compost container on your kitchen counter.
You would rather go to a nursery to shop than a clothing store.
You prefer gardening to watching television.
You plan vacation trips to arboretums and public parks.
Dirt under your fingernails and calloused palms are matters of pride.