The Whistling Gardener

by Steve Smith

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville, located at 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., and a respected local expert on all things horticultural. You can reach Steve at 425-334-2002 or by e-mail at info@sunnysidenursery.net.

Today I woke up to a 35 degree morning with frost on my neighbor's roof. Good gardeners keep abreast of the temperatures and checking the north side of buildings is a good way to start the day. There's been no frost on my ground yet but when it comes, I will be pulling out the remaining annuals and dahlias and planting some frost-hardy perennials in my pots and, of course, tons of bulbs in both pots and the beds. Fall is a time for action in the garden so here are some things we can do.

LAWNS: It is time to give them a shot of food. I am a big fan of the slow release organic fertilizers. This is also a good time to apply lime. The only real turf disease issue for fall and winter is red thread. Bonide Infuse is very effective and isn't affected by lots of rain. Improving drainage and fertility will also help reduce this disease.

FRUIT AND FLOWERING TREES: Clean up all leaves and dispose of properly. Spray stone fruits such as cherries, plums and peaches with a copper spray and pears and apples with sulfur. If all of this sounds too confusing, simply buy some all natural Bonide Orchard Spray which contains both sulfur and pyrethrum. For extra protection you can follow up with an application of horticultural oil. Do your spraying this month when most of the leaves have fallen and again in late winter as the buds begin to swell.

VEGETABLES: If you haven't planted a fall crop of veggies then it's a good idea to spread a mulch over the soil. My favorite is something called Soil Booster by Greenall. Spread it about an inch or two thick and mix it into the soil come spring.

CONTAINERS: Remove those sad summer annuals and refresh with pansies, winter hardy perennials, ground covers, shrubs and even small trees or just fill them up with spring blooming bulbs.

BULBS: November is the consummate month to plant bulbs. Just Dig, Drop and be Done! What could be simpler?

BERRIES: For raspberries and blackberries, cut the canes back to 5 or 6 feet tall and attach to a trellis, removing the 2-year-old canes that produced this year (if you haven't already removed them). Everbearing raspberries can either be completely cut to the ground or you can leave the 1-year-old canes and they will produce next spring. Blueberries only need a light pruning to remove any dead wood and to shape them. Strawberries need to be rejuvenated every few years. Use the runners to replace the mother plants for two or three years and then throw the whole lot away and buy some new ones.

GRAPES AND KIWIS: Remove most of the twiggy growth so that all that is left is the main trunk and short side shoots (laterals) four to six inches in length and spaced every foot along the main trunk.

ROSES: "Hip high in the fall, knee high in the spring". This is how we should be pruning most of our roses. In early March finish the job by pruning out any dead wood and thinning out the canes to 4 or 5 per bush. Climbing roses need to be secured to their trellis and the long canes shortened up just a little bit. For winter protection pile up some mulch about 10-12 inches high at the base of the plant.

WEED CONTROL: There are several weeds that germinate in the fall and by spring have taken over the garden. If I had spread some Preen in August or even early September there would be no weeds now, but I almost always miss this timing. Therefore at this point the best tact is to Hula Hoe the weeds and cover them with an inch of good compost. That should keep things looking lovely until you do your spring planting.

PERENNIALS: These herbaceous plants can either be cut back and cleaned up in the fall or left until spring, it all depends on how obsessive/compulsive you are. For perennials that mush to the ground it really doesn't matter when you cut them back, but for woody ones like hardy fuchsias, asters, black eyed Susan, mums and many more, it is usually best to wait until late February or early March. This is true for most ornamental grasses as well.

PLANTING: I know it is hard to believe but we can plant year 'round unless the soils are saturated. So, we need to keep looking for interesting additions to gardens and continue working on that "12 months of interest look" so we don't have boring yards. Stay tuned for my Boring Yard Busters for November.

Steve Smith is owner of Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and can be reached at 425-334-2002 or online at info@sunnysidenursery.net.