Author: Arboretum Wallis

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

• Goldenrod has come into full bloom. Our KY state flower is not the cause of allergic reaction as its pollen is heavy and falls to the ground. The pollen of ragweed, its companion, is light-weight and blows in the wind.
• Allow fall asters to remain over winter and cut back early spring. Monarch butterflies depend on them for their migration south.
• Cut a few Shasta daisies to enjoy inside. At three years, Shasta will begin to become leggy and needs to be removed. Each year replace the oldest and plant with new to have continuous dense blooming and healthy plants.
• Roses – Leave rose hips and dead roses on the bush. Hips feed birds while dead roses indicate to the bush cease blooming. Add a tablespoon of bleach and of sugar to half gallon of water to keep cut roses fresh.
• Lawn – Raking time is here. For less back stress from raking, pull the rake toward you as you walk away from the leaves. Form rows of leaves, mow using a mulching blade and repeat in the opposite direction to break down the leaves enough over winter to add nutrients and improve soil quality.
• Trees and shrubs – Plant trees and shrubs. Viburnums create a great screen to block a bad view and are not picky about soil or environment. Pick up walnut and buckeye seeds daily. Bending over or squatting to pick up is good exercise and prevents tripping on the pellicle (heavy seed coating) and reduces lawnmower thrown projectiles.
• Recycle vines that were removed from trees, lawn and beds to make wreaths and baskets.
• Order live or cut Christmas tree from a reputable nursery.
• Pick species or wild persimmon fruit once it has colored up but still hard and ripen inside. It will ripen after picking. Pick hybridized varieties when they have ripened on the tree.
• Recycle spent vegetables by removing and adding to compost. Never compost disease and insect infested plants. 

Some hydrangeas are pruned in the fall, some in early spring and some not at all. How am I to know which variety my hydrangea is and when it is supposed to be pruned or not?   Proven-Winners has the simple answer. 

Of the 49 species of hydrangeas, four are native to America, and only six types generally grown in our gardens. Those that produce flower buds on old wood are

• bigleaf (mophead and lacecap)
• oakleaf
• climbing
• mountain

  New-wood bloomers include

• panicle(PG or peegee) and
• smooth (Annabelle series). 

By not pruning old wood that produces buds formed earlier this year, the hydrangeas are more apt to be protected over winter. Late freezes do not harm new-wood bloomer,  as their buds are set after all chance of a spring freeze. If buds are frozen, more will be produced.

New Proven-Winners(P-W) this year include old wood bigleaf (aka florist, mophead or lacecap) “Let’s Dance Can Do” and “Let’s Dance Do It”. Both stunning. 

New-wood introductions include Firelight Tidbit, a dwarf bush with large flower heads, and Quick Fire Fab (true to its Fab name). Both are panicle or peegee, so named for the panicles(cluster of flowers) of large or grandiflora flower heads. 

There is an hydrangea for every situation, from 1-2’ to 4-6’, colors from white to magenta and almost every color in between, easy to grow, bloom seemingly forever and some repeat. They do best in moist, well-drained soil and more sun than generally given. Peegees are known for their sun tolerance. They are shallow rooted and will dry quickly. Mulch helps retain water. 

DID YOU KNOW…

You know that hydrangeas likes water, but did you know that ‘hydra’ refers to the seed capsules that resemble ancient Greek water-carrier vessels?

THINGS TO DO

Groundhog Day – Punxsutawney Phil claims his Spring predictions are 100%, any error is due to his interpreter’s miscommunication. My prediction is based on phrenology and when Easter is. It is early this year(April 4) therefore spring will be earlier than normal.

Birds –Keep bird baths clean and filled as we are averaging less than half our normal rain for this time of year.  Clean birdhouses. Install bluebird boxes on fence posts and martin boxes on tall poles where both birds have plenty of flying room. Face the boxes openings away from the prevailing winds.

Trees – Order trees for planting in March. Survey trees and shrubs for maintenance they leaf out. Remove crossed branches, hanging branch can cause injury. Crape myrtles grow well here providing us late summer non-stop blooms. The Indian-named myrtles developed at the National Arboretum are cold hardy to Zone 6. Good source: The Crape Myrtle Company (crapemyrtle.com)

Vegetables – Sow herbs, bunching and bulb onion, and pepper indoors. Finish cleaning the garden. Repair supports and trellises.

Tools – Clean out your tool shed or wherever you store tools and supplies. Organize a hand tool carrier. Paint handles a construction pink or yellow. It IDs your tools and makes it easier to find in  grass and leaves.

Long handles that are broken or too short can be replaced at most local hardware stores. Rake handles should come to the top of your shoulder. If there is height difference in the family, buy multiple rakes and paint handles difference colors. Save old paint and chemicals in a container marked for disposal at your county’s free-disposal day in the spring.