St. Francis is the patron saint to all who love nature, especially birds and small animals. Give the birds a special treat and corn for the squirrels.

Poison Ivy – Dig and spray before foliage turns wonderful fall colors. Cover your hands and any exposed skin with Dawn Ultra (antibacterial), let it dry, and when you finish wash the Dawn off.

• HYDRANGEA – Prune back Annabelle hydrangeas no more than every third year and then when the blooms turn brown. If stems are leggy and weak cut back only to 18” give support to spring growth.
• BULBS – Plant tulips 12” deep or three times its height depending on the bulb. The deeper hole will increase the number of years the bulbs will continue their original size. If it is a new bed, plant daffodils this year and other subsequent years and daffodils exude a toxin squirrels and other rodents don’t like. It is a good idea to always wear gloves when gardening especially if sensitive to lilies(any member of the family).
• Houseplants – Protect houseplants outdoors when temperatures drop below 50 overnight. Bring them inside between the time the air-conditioning is turned off and heat turned on.  Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti need to remain until the night temperatures are consistently 50 or less, in order to set their buds. Protect indoors plants by isolating those coming indoors, especially recently purchased plants.
• Lawn – Pick up branches, twigs and toys before mowing. They can be dangerous projectiles. Make sure small children are not in the yard and do not hold them while mowing or riding back to the storage area.
• Vegetables – When spent plants are removed, compost those not diseased and take a soil sample to your Extension agent to test what it is lacking. Do not save seeds from hybrid plants as this year’s seeds will not come back true and do not carry the resistance of their parents. 

Carolyn Roof

carolynroof02@gmail.com

• Patron of Gardeners – October 2nd is is St Francis of Assisi Day, known for his love of animals and nature.
• 15 Minute Gardening – Label garden hoses “Not Potable”, since the PVC stabilizer can leach into the water. Potable are available from garden stores and on-line.
• Water Early and Deep – Always water early morning to let foliage dry off before the sun reaches the plant. Water beads will act as a magnifying glass, burning the foliage. Soil should be watered one inch a week or when the soil is dry more than the top inch.  To check the depth, use a spade to take a narrow plug. Slow water to allow for absorption and not run-off.
• Wedding- Pull or dig weeds making sure all of the root system is removed.
• Saving Seeds – Save seed from your favorite annuals except hybrid varieties that will not come true or are sterile. Seed packets marked F1, are hybrids.
• Spacing Bulbs – For a naturalized planting of bulbs, determine the area to be planted, throw bulbs them over your back, and plant where they landed.
• Caring for dried flowers – Use spray lacquer or hair spray on dried flower to prevent shattering and as a primer before spray painting. Revive cut hydrangeas by plunging them head-first into water, also stems if possible, for about an hour.
• Trees and shrubs – Rake walnuts, sweet gum, buckeye and Kentucky Coffee(our Heritage Tree) seeds before mowing as they can dull mower blades and can be a dangerous projective. The Whitehaven Welcome Center will gladly receive your buckeye seeds and Coffee tree pods to share with visitors who enjoy receiving both.
• Vegetables
  • Separate grocery-purchased garlic cloves that have sprouted, pot up, and snip new growth for cooking.
  • For fried green tomatoes, use only hard green ones without any blush. Those that show color tend to get too soft.
• Fish Tank Fertilizer – Save water from cleaning the fish tank to fertilize the garden.