Submitted by Judy Leheny
-If you are planting shrubs or trees this Fall, remember that “First year, they sulk; second year, they settle; third year, they sprint!” So please allow room for them to sprint!
- Deep water your gardens now to prepare them for the winter. The drought this summer has left them with roots near the surface looking for water, and those roots will freeze and die during what is predicted to be a very cold winter. Let those roots go deep now.
-Daffodils should go in the ground now; Tulips do best if planted closer to Thanksgiving.
-Deadhead your perennials so strength goes to the roots and leaves and not to seed formation. If you want to prune them now, (phlox, etc.) prune them to about 12 inches so that falling leaves will “catch” in the dead stalks and help insulate the roots.
- Prune deciduous (lose their leaves) peonies down to the ground and throw the leaves away, do NOT compost them!
- Delicately prune the leaves off the Tree Peonies to the next year’s growth (you’ll be able to see it) and throw those leaves away as well. You’ll wind up with the woody structure of the plant which is what you want. If you want to move Peonies, do it now - not in the spring - and be sure to give them a good size hole with plenty of compost and be careful not to plant them too deep or they won’t bloom!
-Begin to spray against deer and rabbit damage. Besides the usual fare, they love Grape Hyacinths which has lucious foliage through the winter.