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...because all the best garden advice is local
November 11, 2010
An Awesome Autumn

Greetings!

Veronica in front of Korean spice viburnum

This fall as been as beautiful as last fall was miserable. Last year, we had a fall that seemed like it lasted about four days--it went from wet and hot and muggy almost directly to snow (the first in Iowa was October 10. Ugh).
   This year, an incredible gift of balmy, sunny weather has stretched for weeks. It's giving me plenty of time to get out there and rake, cut back perennials, plant bulbs, wash windows, take in hoses, clean gutters, and all those other "before the snow flies" chores. (Click here for our listing of fall chores.)
   In fact, last weekend I felt bad finally cutting back the herb bed. Many are still green and producing--but it was definitely the most fragrant garden chore I've had in a while.
   So get out there and enjoy the last of the warmth and sunshine--before the snow flies!

Happy Fair Weather Gardening!

Veronica Lorson Fowler
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Still Time for Bulbs!

tulipsMost years, October is the best time to plant bulbs. But with this extended warm period, it's fine to continue to plant them for the next week or two. They'll still have time to get established before severe cold hits.
   Just be sure to buy quality bulbs with most of the papery skins still on. Always go for the "full-sized" bulbs (ask if it's not on the label) that aren't shriveled and don't have spots or other flaws on them. Also avoid bargain-priced bulbs. They're usually cheap because they're small and are less likely to come up or bloom well. The exception is if the bulbs have been marked down on clearance because it's so late in the season.
   Just be sure to water the bulbs well at planting time. It's been dry lately!


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Bury Your Bulbs


Nina the neighbor helps with bulbs
Neighbor Nina helps Ben prepare pots of bulbs to sink into the ground for early spring bloom.

And speaking of bulbs, if you're interested in forcing bulbs, now is the time.
   Forcing is simply planting bulbs in pots, tucking them in the fridge to chill (to fake a short winter) and then taking them out in late winter to let them grow and bloom indoors while there's still snow on the ground. Click here for good directions on forcing bulbs.
   Or try this tip from the Des Moines Botanical Center: Plant the bulbs now in pots. Bury the bulbs, pot and all, so the rim of the pot is at ground level. Cover with a few inches of loose autumn leaves.
   In spring (probably late March or so), when you start to see tiny shoots just beginning to emerge, dig up the pot. Bring indoors or set on a deck, front step, or patio to enjoy spring bulbs in a pot!

Cutting Back

I was a lean, mean garden clean-up machine last weekend. I cut back and raked away most of the tops of my perennials (the roots stay alive, underground, and send out new growth in spring).
   It reminded me of an excellentusing electric hedge trimmer to cut perennials reader question I received a couple of weeks ago: What the heck is "cutting back" perennials and how far do you cut them back? And which ones?
   Click here for the answers.

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Issue: 41
Garden To-Do List

Click here for a complete, printable listing of fall chores for your Iowa garden.

Are you keeping an The Iowa Gardener Garden Journal? If so, click here for your November page!

 If you haven't already, pull up all annuals and cut back perennials. Pitch them in your compost heap.

Dig up and store indoors any tender bulbs, such as gladiolus, cannas, dahlias, and caladiums, that you want to store over the winter.

Empty all pots and store indoors for the winter. In Iowa's harsh winters, even plastic containers will crack and clay pots will definitely shatter.
 
If you have any newly planted trees, especially fruit trees, wrap them with a protective tree wrap now. It prevents sun scald and also prevents rabbits and rodents from nibbling the tasty bark. Remove in spring.

If you want to be safe, wrap boxwood and any other borderline-hardy evergreens to Iowa in burlap. It's a good idea also to wrap any new evergreens that you planted earlier this year. This will prevent winter burn, which can disfigure the plant badly enough you have to dig it up or cut it down.

Perennials and strawberries do best with 1 to 4 inches of a loose, removable mulch over and/or around them. Leaves chopped by running a mower over them are perfect.

Protect roses. Mound all but rugosa roses around the base with 8 to 12 inches of compost or rich, dark soil to protect the bud union (right above the roots) from winter cold.
   Hybrid teas, grandiflora, and floribunda roses--the least cold hardy types--are more likely to survive the winter if you also wrap their stems in burlap and twine.


Plant spring-blooming bulbs as long as the soil lisn't frozen. Water well after planting.

Force bulbs now, as desired.

 Rake leaves as needed. Keep them off the grass--they can suffocate it. Running the mower over leaves to chop them reduces their volume and makes perfect compost material.

After the frost, do one final mowing. Then run the mower until the gas tank is empty to store it for winter.

Maintain your mower and sharpen the blade.

Detach garden hoses or your faucet may freeze and damage pipes. Drain the hoses and store in the garage or other sheltered place.
Garden Quote:
 
"An addiction to gardening is not all bad when you consider all the other choices in life."

-- Cora Lea Bell