As October approaches, many gardeners are ready to throw in the trowel and call it a season.
But wait a minute, don’t quit just yet. Hopefully October will present us with plenty of good weather so that we can continue to enjoy being outside in the fresh air.
There are also plenty of things still to do in the garden. Some things are necessary to do so that your plants go into winter in good shape.
There are other jobs that, if accomplished now, will give you a leg up on next year.
Anyone else still watering his or her garden? I am.
You know it’s dry if the goldenrod is starting to sulk. My yard has missed out on some of the rain events this season so I am watering beds.
Why water now?
Even this time of year, plants still need sufficient moisture. If rain is inadequate, you should water trees and shrubs — especially evergreens — that are 3 years old or younger until a hard freeze occurs.
Newly planted or divided perennials also need regular watering. Plants that do not get enough water through the fall will go into winter dehydrated and stressed, making them more likely to suffer winter damage or even die by spring.
The Master Gardener Helpline has gotten this question multiple times this month.
“My tree seems to be dropping leaves earlier than normal. Why?”
There are many reasons why trees will lose their leaves early. This year, we seem to have been hit by many of them.
Trees that have been affected by disease or insects can drop leaves early. If you have apples or crab apples, apple scab is a common disease which causes leaves to drop.
Maple trees can get tar spot. An infestation of insects such as scale, white flies and aphids can also cause premature leaf drop.
Heat and drought are other culprits. While we haven’t been in an official drought this year, we have certainly gone for several weeks without significant rain.
Environmental conditions from two or three years ago can be affecting a tree’s health now. Trees under stress may change leaf color early as well as drop leaves early.
If you have trees that have been doing this for several seasons, you should do an assessment of their general health. Your tree may be trying to tell you something.
What about those gypsy moths? Some areas saw an outbreak of gypsy moths earlier this year. The caterpillars caused defoliation of many trees.
I saw photos of trees covered with egg masses. Those eggs are the overwintering stage of the moth and the caterpillars will be hatching out next spring, just in time to eat new leaves.
Each mass can harbor 50 to 1,500 potential caterpillars. While this may not be practical for everyone, destroying egg masses on your landscape trees can help reduce caterpillar numbers next spring.
The two methods recommended are to either scrap egg masses off or to spray/soak them with horticultural oil.
Do not use other types of oil and do not try to flame them off the tree. If you chose to scrape, be careful not to damage the bark.
Drop the egg masses into a bucket of soapy water before discarding them. Just dropping them on the ground will not kill them.
If you did have a large infestation this year, you may want to touch base with an arborist before next spring. There is a very short window of time when gypsy moth caterpillars can be treated with Bacillus thuringiensis and of course it’s at a busy time of year.
Line up your arborist now.
Weed. Weed. Weed. Any weeds that you get now will save you work next spring.
Weeds left in the garden will go to seed, producing hundreds of offspring next year. Fall germinating weeds are just starting to grow and are easier to pull now.
Plus, if you get them now, they won’t be waiting to take off next spring when you are busy with other things. Diseases and insects can also overwinter in weeds.
Getting them out of the garden now means fewer problems to deal with next year. Weed seedlings can be composted, but don’t put weeds that have gone to seed in your compost pile. Weed seeds may not be killed unless you have a hot compost process. You also do not want to compost weeds like dandelion, creeping Charlie or quack grass. They all have plant parts that are more likely to root in your compost pile than break down.
I see a lot of discussion among gardeners as to when is the best time to start cleaning up the garden.
Well, it depends. Not everything in the garden needs to be cut down. Perennials and grasses that are healthy can be left up through the winter.
The dead stems of perennials act as little snow fences to hold snow in the garden. This helps insulate plant crowns against rapid temperature changes.
Ornamental grasses, tall sedums and shrubs with berries provide winter interest to the garden. Plus, birds love the seeds of many flowers such as Black-Eyed Susans, coneflowers, liatris and Joe-Pye weed, eating them through the winter.
If you are trying to attract more native bees and other beneficial insects to your garden, leaving your garden a little “messy” will give them a place to spend the winter.
Many of our native bees use the hollow stems of plants to nest in. If you feel the need to tidy up the garden, cut plants back, but leave 12 to 18 inches of stems.
Old stems, which may have nests in them, can be tucked into out-of-the-way parts of the garden. Many butterflies and other insects spend the winter as eggs or cocoons in leaf litter.
Leaves also provide added protection for queen bumblebees that overwinter in underground burrows. Leaves left in flower beds will break down, adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil. Consider leaving some leaves in place this fall.
In the vegetable garden, continue harvesting until frost.
Once plants have stopped producing, remove stakes, tomato cages, row markers, trellises and other support objects. Clean them up and put them in storage for winter.
Black plastic and other inorganic mulch materials need to be removed, as they will not decompose. If left in the garden, they provide overwintering sites for some pests, like mice and voles.
Remove corn stalks, spent vines, flowering annuals, any dropped fruits and vegetables, and other plant debris. Only put healthy plant materials in the compost pile and discard the rest via the garbage can.
As long as the weather holds out, there is plenty to do in the garden. Enjoy it!
Have a gardening question? The Master Gardener office is open. Please wear a mask when visiting the CCE office and check in at the reception window.
Master Gardener volunteers are normally in the office 10 a.m. to noon, Monday to Friday.
You can stop in at the CCE office at 420 E. Main Street, Batavia, call (585) 343-3040, ext. 127, or e-mail at geneseemg@hotmail.com.
Visit the CCE web site at genesee.cce.cornell.edu or like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/CCEofGenesee.
The Master Gardener Program will be hosting a number of programs via Zoom this fall.
Garden Talk “Easy Preserving” will start off at noon Thursday. Join Master Food Preserver Catherin as she teaches us how to safely prepare infused flavored oils and vinegars, plus how to make sauerkraut.
If you were bitten by the dahlia bug this year, join Master Gardener Brandie on Oct. 15 at noon as she walks us through her process of overwintering them.
What would Halloween be without witches? Find out what might be in a witch’s garden on Oct. 28 at noon with Master Gardener Connie.
If you have questions about orchids, join the Nov. 5 Garden Talk as Master Gardener Jane gives us her tips for happy orchids. These classes are free, but you do need to register at http://genesee.cce.cornell.edu/.
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