Washington County Cooperative Extension Service
Helping You Grow! HORTICULTURE October 2014 Volume 10, Issue 10 Inside this issue:
Beekeeper News
2
Wheelbarrow Series
2
Garden Club News
2
A Note From Dennis
2
Fall Landscape Care
3
To Do’s For October
4
Plant of The Month
5
Recipe Of The Month
6
Master Gardener Class
5
Like Us at Washington County Horticulture
Plant Hardy Bulbs Now For Spring Display If you want that beautiful spring garden with tulips, daffodils, crocus, and hyacinths etc. now is the time to start planting.
soil to stay cold longer reducing how quickly the bulbs will come up this spring or winter in some cases. If you mulch too Spring flowering bulbs are early the ground will stay what we call “hardy bulbs” warmer longer and can which means they overwin- cause your bulbs to come ter to bloom and rebloom up way too early! the following spring. These Don’t fertilize hardy bulbs bulbs need a chilling time at planting time. The bulbs spent in the ground to set won’t get the full benefit of bud inside the bulb for the nutrients and the nitrospring color. gen can cause them to grow When planting spring bulbs place them in a full sun or mostly sunny area 4-6 inches below the soil surface; after the holes are dug put a teaspoon or two of bone meal in the hole before planting. Cover the bulbs with soil and don’t place mulch over them until the ground gets cold or we have severHardy Mum Clara Curtis al freezes. This will allow the
too fleshy too early and make them more susceptible to frost and freeze injury. Instead, fertilize in the spring when they are through the ground several inches. General purpose fertilizers such as 10-10-10 are just fine for bulbs and should be applied at 2-3 pounds per 100 square feet.
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Volume 10, Issue 4
Lincoln Trail Beekeeper’s Association News and Events Beekeepers meet the first Monday of each month at the Washington County Extension Office.
Wheelbarrow Series Registration-Classes Meet Tuesdays at 10:30 AM and Thursdays at 6:30 PM For More Information Call 859-336-7741
Washington County Garden Club News and Events The Garden Club will visit Bernheim Arboretum October 22, 2014. We will meet at the Extension Office at 9:00 AM to carpool. We plan to return by 4:00 PM.
A Note From Dennis I am not a fan of autumn because winter is approaching but I am trying to make the most of it. It was a good growing season for the most part. I had two really dry spells at my house one in the spring and another in the fall but the summer rains were nice and there was a bumper crop of just about everything! Amy had to put her foot down on my canning, I ran out of room to store everything and I don’t think she was going to let me just sit tomato juice and green beans in the corner in the living room. I have to admit I do become obsessive about storing produce for the winter but it will sure be tasty when the snow is flying and according to many winter predictions it is going to be a bad one (I sure hope they are wrong). Tori and Gabby are doing great in school! Gabby came home one day and told me that a little boy in her class is in love with her. I thought good heavens they are starting too early! So far Tori doesn’t seem interested in boys and that is the way her daddy likes it! I have enclosed some canning picture so you will understand why Amy told me to stop!
Volume 10, Issue 4
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Fall Landscape Care age lateral buds to initiate growth in What about fertilization of woody a plant that has not yet fully entered plants? Fall and winter are considered the best times to apply fertilizer, a dormant state. Once lateral bud growth is initiated, dormancy will be but you should only do this once woody plants are fully dormant. hard to achieve, even with the adOtherwise, applying fertilizer might vent of shortening day length and You can compare dormancy to an trigger new growth and predispose extended period of "rest" for plants, cooler temperatures. So pruning in the plant to winter injury. the fall may trigger new growth that when they are relatively inactive in delays dormancy and predisposes the How can you tell if plant is dormant? terms of metabolic processes plant to winter injury. If leaves are falling, the plant has (photosynthesis, respiration and probably entered dormancy suffitranspiration, for example). I say rel- It is better to prune plants in late atively inactive, because although winter, around mid-February to mid- ciently to allow fertilization. To be doubly safe, wait until temperatures these processes slow durMarch. This also ing dormancy, they do not allows you to eval- are unlikely to climb into the 70degree range. In Kentucky this could cease altogether. Most uate and remove occur anytime from mid-October to temperate perennial plants winter-damaged will enter dormancy in aulimbs. Pruning in mid-November, so to be absolutely tumn as daylight shortens, late winter will oc- safe this probably means midtemperatures (including cur just before one November or later. It’s best to get soil temperatures) become of the most active the fertilizer down before the soil has frozen so it won’t remain on the cooler, terminal buds are times of plant set, and perhaps as a result growth, bud break, soil surface and won’t be subject to of drier conditions during when the plant is runoff with any additional precipitalate summer and fall. redirecting stored tion. nutrients from the root system out Going dormant is the way these If you don't fertilize between plants survive the cold of winter. It to the branches. This would be the Thanksgiving and Christmas, wait is important that landscape mainte- most rapid time for the plant to heal until the ground thaws in late Februnance activities not interfere with the wounds (in our case the pruned sur- ary or early March to apply fertilizer. plant's natural process of becoming face), while fall would be the slowest However, you must realize that Febdormant. Let's use pruning and ferti- time for wound healing. An excep- ruary and March are not the best tion is if you are removing dead or lization practices as examples. times for applying fertilizer to lawns severely damaged limbs due to composed of cool-season grasses Fall is considered a poor time to breakage, insects or disease. In that (fescues, bluegrass and perennial prune most woody perennials. Prun- case, it is best for you to remove ryegrass). If you are regularly applying will remove terminal buds that them as soon as possible at any time ing fertilizer to your lawn, woody help to maintain dormancy in many of the year. If the plant you are prunplants growing nearby are likely getspecies. The presence of the terminal ing is spring-blooming (generally ting sufficient nutrients from these bud, even in a seemingly inactive flowering before early June), it would applications and probably don’t need state, suppresses the growth of lower be better from a flowering display buds through a process called apical perspective to wait until after flower- additional fertilizer. dominance, a type of dormancy im- ing to prune since the pruning pro- Source: Rick Durham, University of posed on the lateral buds. If you re- cess will remove preexisting flower Kentucky, Extension Consumer Viola Johnny Jump Up move the apical bud, it may encour- buds. Horticulture Specialist So often we hear that fall or winter is a particularly good time to do certain things in the landscape. This is usually due to the fact that plants have entered into winter dormancy.
To Do’s For October Lawns
Gladiolus can actually be cured like an onion and stored in a cool dark October through November is the place. Other bulbs such as caladium best time to fertilize your lawn for a and dahlia do better if packed in dry low maintenance approach. Apply peat or vermiculite in a cardboard no more than 1.5 pounds of actual box. Store them in a cool dark dry nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. This would place where the temperature remains be about 4.5 pounds of ammonium above freezing. nitrate or 3 pounds of urea. Don’t Trees And Shrubs apply phosphorus and potassium unless your soil test has determined October is still a good time to plant you need it. many trees and There is no shrubs. Don’t fersense in wasttilize them when ing money on you plant them fertilizer that wait until colder your soil and weather in Noplants don’t vember or Decemneed. ber. Don’t let leaves stay on your lawn very long it can smother it out. Its better to chop them up with the mower than to let them lay whole. Raking is the best option as well as a bagger on a lawn mower.
oaks, hollies, azaleas, and rhododendrons are tolerant or prefer pH’s below 7 or even down to 4 or 5.
Vegetables Harvest winter squash when the rind is hard. This means it is very difficult to penetrate it with your finger nail. Don’t allow them to be exposed to frost, they won’t keep as long. Store them in a cool place above freezing and out of direct sunlight.
Remember to keep newly planted trees and shrubs watered even after the leaves fall off. Their root systems are still growing and they need water. A tree that has a trunk 2 inches in Harvest pumpkin when they turn the diameter needs 15 gallons of water per week while a tree with 1 inch di- color they are supposed to be meanFlowers ing deep orange usually. Like winter ameter trunk needs 10 gallons. Dig tender bulbs before or just after If you got a soil test squash the rind should be hard. a very light done and you don’t Make sure to leave a portion of the frost. Plants want to apply sulfur stem attached to the pumpkin. This such as cannas, or lime to lower or will help it keep longer. elephant ear, raise your pH then In early October, sow sets of Egypgladiolus, calayou should choose tian tree or multiplier onions. dium, dahlia, plants that are toler- Harvest carrots before a heavy and calla lilies ant to your particu- freeze. need to be dug lar soils. Arborvito insure you Apply a fresh layer of mulch or tae, alders, ash, bald have them next leaves over the garden if you didn’t cypress, hawthorn, year. Often its sow a cover crop. This will protect hornbeam, juniper, honey locust, not the freezing soil that kills them your soil during the winter and add swamp white oak, sycamore, willows, because usually the soil doesn’t nutrients for next years crop. freeze deep enough to get them. Ac- and redbud are all tolerant of high tually it’s the cold wet soil that causes pH’s or those above 7. them to rot. Dogwoods, most evergreens, some
October Plant of The Month - Eupatorium coelestinum Hardy Ageratum Eupatorium coelestinum Common Name(s): Hardy ageratum, Mistflower, Wild ageratum Categories: Perennials, Wildflowers Comment: Showy native plant which is considered a weed in the coastal plain, growing along roadsides on moist ditch banks. Under cultivation it becomes a choice perennial with 8 weeks of blue flowers; spreads readily by rhizomes so must be kept under control Season: Summer, fall Height: 1-3 ft. Flower Color: Blue, violet, white Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 6-10 Foliage: Branching stem; pairs of triangular, stalked, bluntly toothed leaves, 1.5-3 in. long Flower: Bell-shaped flower heads; numerous tubular, violet-blue flowers arranged in a dense flat-topped cluster; cone-shaped receptacle Site: Moist soil; sun to partial shade; found in moist woods, thickets, and along stream banks Propagation: Division in spring Exposure: Full sun to partial shade Soil: Moist, tolerates poor drainage Origin: Eastern USA Life Cycle: Perennial
Washington County Cooperative Extension Service 211 Progress Road Springfield KY, 40069 Office 859-336-7741 Fax 859-336-7445 Email dennis.morgeson@uky.edu
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Kentucky Proud Recipe of The Month Butternut Squash Soup 2 tbsp butter 1 Kentucky Proud onion, diced 1 Kentucky Proud butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks 4 cups chicken stock, plus more if needed to thin 1 tsp cumin Cayenne, optional Salt and pepper, to taste
In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. SautĂŠ the onion until soft, then add the butternut squash. Cover the vegetables with chicken stock and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth: add more chicken stock if a thinner soup is desired. Season soup with salt and pepper and if desired, cumin and cayenne pepper.