GARDENING: Time to wind down Recipe
View Full Recipe at The Urban Domestic Diva
Directions
People often compliment me on my green thumb. But I can tell you that it is only through many mistakes (most of them costly) and learning from them that I have become a good gardener. This has never been more true than during fall clean-up time. When I cut corners and got lazy, I was very sorry come spring. Below is a check list that I use to help make sure I am a happy gardener when things warm up.
1: Empty all your pots and containers and store them with some protection.
- Whether you have terra cotta pots or plastic pots, if you wish to keep them a while, empty them out. When I have not done this, my terra cotta pots crack from the freezing and thawing of the water in the dirt left in them. The plastic ones may survive a…
View Full Recipe at The Urban Domestic Diva
Adding to Planner
%20and%20learning%20from%20them%20that%20I%20have%20become%20a%20good%20gardener.%20This%20has%20never%20been%20more%20true%20than%20during%20fall%20clean-up%20time.%20When%20I%20cut%20corners%20and%20got%20lazy,%20I%20was%20very%20sorry%20come%20spring.%20Below%20is%20a%20check%20list%20that%20I%20use%20to%20help%20make%20sure%20I%20am%20a%20happy%20gardener%20when%20things%20warm%20up.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1:%20Empty%20all%20your%20pots%20and%20containers%20and%20store%20them%20with%20some%20protection.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-%20Whether%20you%20have%20terra%20cotta%20pots%20or%20plastic%20pots,%20if%20you%20wish%20to%20keep%20them%20a%20while,%20empty%20them%20out.%20When%20I%20have%20not%20done%20this,%20my%20terra%20cotta%20pots%20crack%20from%20the%20freezing%20and%20thawing%20of%20the%20water%20in%20the%20dirt%20left%20in%20them.%20The%20plastic%20ones%20may%20survive%20a%20winter%20or%20two,%20but%20inevitably%20they%20just%20crack%20and%20break%20from%20the%20weather%20as%20well.%20What%20I%20do%20is%20create%20a%20make%20shift%20compost%20pile%20in%20an%20area%20of%20the%20yard%20that%20is%20not%20used.%20You%20can%20put%20tarp%20down%20if%20you%20wish.%20I%20just%20start%20dumping%20the%20dirt%20in%20one%20big%20pile%20then%20store%20my%20containers%20under%20the%20deck.%20I%20add%20mulched%20leaves%20on%20top%20of%20the%20dirt%20pile%20and%20let%20mother%20nature%20do%20the%20rest.%20All%20the%20moisture%20from%20the%20snow%20will%20help%20decompose%20the%20debris%20in%20the%20pile,%20and%20come%20spring,%20I%20have%20dirt%20to%20put%20back%20in%20all%20my%20pots.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2:%20Cut%20back%20hibernating%20perennials,%20and%20move/plant%20anything%20you%20ran%20out%20of%20time%20for%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-This%20neatens%20things%20come%20spring%20for%20new%20growth,%20but%20know%20what%20is%20good%20to%20cut%20and%20what%20needs%20to%20wait%20until%20spring.%20Definitely%20do%20not%20touch%20your%20roses%20or%20anything%20that%20may%20get%20stimulated%20from%20the%20cutting.%20Just%20cut%20back%20a%20lot%20of%20your%20dying%20plant%20material.%20As%20far%20as%20moving%20and%20planting,%20as%20long%20as%20it%20is%20early%20fall,%20this%20is%20a%20good%20time%20to%20do%20things%20like%20that.%20The%20plants%20are%20ending%20their%20life%20cycle,%20so%20they%20are%20going%20to%20look%20bad%20anyway.Transplanting%20them%20won't%20make%20them%20worse.%20This%20way,%20you%20won't%20have%20to%20disrupt%20them%20in%20the%20spring%20as%20they%20are%20flowering%20and%20growing.This%20is%20also%20a%20great%20time%20to%20get%20deals%20at%20the%20garden%20center%20and%20pop%20them%20in%20the%20ground.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3:%20Layer%20dead%20leaves%20from%20raking%20onto%20the%20beds%20for%20warmth%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-%20Some%20gardeners%20do%20not%20like%20doing%20this.%20They%20claim%20you%20might%20be%20transmitting%20mold%20or%20diseases%20to%20your%20beds%20that%20might%20be%20on%20the%20leaves.%20I%20do%20this%20every%20year%20and%20it%20not%20only%20mends%20the%20soil%20as%20the%20leaves%20decompose,%20but%20acts%20as%20a%20blanket.%20But%20do%20be%20careful%20of%20wet%20areas,%20if%20you%20mound%20too%20much,%20you%20might%20create%20a%20drainage%20problem%20for%20your%20plants.%20If%20your%20mower%20does%20a%20rough%20mulch%20to%20the%20leaves,%20even%20better.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E4:%20Winterize%20the%20lawn%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-%20Just%20use%20a%20store%20bought,%20granulated%20winterizer%20and%20sprinkle%20away.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E5:%20Prune%20Japanese%20Maples%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-%20There%20is%20much%20debate%20about%20pruning%20Japanese%20Maples,%20but%20we%20are%20trusting%20our%20close%20family%20friend,%20who%20is%20half%20Japanese,%20who%20tells%20us%20to%20prune%20in%20the%20Fall%20or%20early%20Winter.%20Also,%20as%20in%20all%20pruning,%20use%20wood%20glue%20to%20seal%20your%20cuts.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E6:%20Empty%20any%20water%20gardens,%20dry%20pot%20and%20store%20with%20protection%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-%20This%20is%20still%20a%20costly%20learning%20experience.%20Last%20year%20we%20emptied%20the%20water%20garden%20and%20stored%20it%20on%20the%20deck%20upside%20down,%20thinking%20that%20would%20be%20enough.%20Well,%20no.%20We%20should%20have%20stored%20it%20under%20the%20deck%20with%20the%20rest%20of%20our%20containers-or%20even%20the%20garage.%20We%20found%20a%20deep%20crack%20which%20took%20us%20a%20week%20to%20seal%20this%20summer.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E7:%20Cover%20and%20put%20away%20lawn%20furniture%20&%20grill-%20We%20are%20fortunate%20that%20our%20deck%20has%20a%20lot%20of%20storage%20underneath,%20so%20we%20put%20a%20lot%20of%20our%20chairs,%20tables,%20pots%20and%20plant%20stands%20under%20there.%20We%20cover%20the%20chairs%20to%20keep%20them%20clean%20and%20nice%20with%20tarp.%20The%20table%20we%20move%20to%20the%20side%20on%20our%20deck,%20and%20wrap%20with%20tarp%20and%20hold%20with%20bungee%20cords.%20This%20seems%20to%20have%20worked.%20If%20I%20did%20not%20have%20storage,%20I%20would%20at%20least%20invest%20in%20come%20tarps%20or%20covers%20to%20protect%20them%20from%20the%20elements.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E8:%20Mend%20any%20bad%20soil%20areas%20so%20they%20are%20ready%20for%20spring%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E-%20Now%20I%20have%20a%20separate%20post%20dedicated%20to%20this,%20so%20you%20can%20refer%20to%20that%20(http://www.urbandomesticdiva.com/2008/06/gardening-landscape-liner-is-devil.html).%20But%20if%20you%20have%20a%20patch%20of%20soil%20that%20is%20very%20hard%20or%20full%20of%20clay,%20now%20is%20the%20time%20to%20get%20it%20ready%20for%20spring.%20Turn%20over%20your%20patch%20of%20soil%20with%20a%20hand%20pick%20or%20shovel.%20Then%20dump%20compost,%20grass%20clippings%20and%20mulched%20leaves%20in%20the%20dirt,%20and%20mix%20it%20again.%20Then%20you%20are%20done.%20Mother%20nature%20does%20the%20rest.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}