Fall In

Take Charge Of Your Garden Now for Best Results Next Spring

By Dianne Peters-Nickerson

I love fall because my season of annuals, that struggled through summer's humidity, begin to bloom profusely!  Mid and late summer and fall perennials like Dahlias, Chelone (Turtlehead), Mums and Toad Lily are blooming.  Container plants can still be fertilized at half strength as long as they are still producing.   

August was a good time to plant seedlings of lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and garlic cloves, but it's not too late. Also, harvest fully ripe tomatoes, wash and dry them, place in freezer bags.  Before cooking, run under warm water to easily remove skins.  Since unprocessed, tomatoes taste better than canned when preparing stew, soup, or sauces. Start air and oven drying herbs you've grown. To air dry, take bunches of 12-14 inch long stemmed herbs, loosely tie and hang upside down in a cool/airy and dry dark place. When stems crackle, strip leaves from stems crumbling in your hand, place in a glass jar, cap tightly and discard stems.  Check for moisture in the jar in a few days.  If it's there, dry herbs in oven for two hours at 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

For oven drying herbs, spread herbs over a paper towel at low heat until they crackle dry and place in glass jar tightly capped. For daylilies and tulips, apply Bulb Fuel. Plant Spring bulbs later in the season.  

And, as always, remember to feed and provide water and shelter for our feathered friends.

Until next time...