Don’t let recent cool temperatures make you
think that the gardening season is over. Fall is a great time to get a few
last chores done and get a head start on next spring. Here are a few items
to add to your fall garden “to do” list.
It’s not too late to plant spring bulbs. While
bulbs should be planted as soon as possible, they can be planted until the
ground freezes. Select firm, disease-free bulbs. Plant large bulbs such as
tulips and daffodils six to eight inches deep. Small bulbs such as crocus
and grape hyacinth should be planted three inches deep. Be sure to plant
bulbs with pointed end up and flat side down.
Clean annual plant debris from vegetable and flower
gardens. This includes plant remnants and weeds. Don’t underestimate
the power of a few weeds. Remember the saying, “One year of seeds
equals seven years of weeds.”
Perennial flower beds should be mulched. Do this
after plants are dormant, around mid-November. Mulch with a loose organic
mulch to a depth of three to four inches. Most plant debris can be removed
from the garden, however ornamental grass foliage can be left as it adds
winter interest to the landscape.
After roses are completely dormant, around
Thanksgiving, remove leaves from around the plant. Protect hybrid tea roses
by applying a winter protection. This can be done several different ways.
For information and pictures of how to provide winter protections visit the
University of Illinois Extension “Our Rose Garden” at http:
//www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/roses/.
Start a compost pile with leaves and garden debris.
Many gardeners enjoy turning composting leaves, lawn clippings, shredded
twigs and vegetable and food waste into something that can be reapplied to
the landscape. Composted material is a great soil amendment. A compost pile
should be in a contained structure. It doesn’t have to be anything
elaborate. Tie four pallets together or stack several layers of concrete
blocks together. The minimum size for a compost pile should be 3′ x 3′ x 3′
and the maximum size is 5′ x 5′ x 5′. For compost bin ideas stop by the
Sangamon-Menard Master Gardener demonstration gardens located on the
Illinois State Fairgrounds.
Mulch strawberry plants to protect them from extreme
cold. Strawberries should be mulched before the temperature drops below 20
degrees Fahrenheit. This is generally done around mid-November. Use a loose
organic material such as clean seed-free wheat straw.
Enjoy the beauty of fall while preparing your garden
for winter.
Master Gardener Training
University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit
is accepting applications for winter Master Gardener training program. This
program is designed to increase the availability of University-based
horticultural information to local communities and individuals through
trained volunteers known as Master Gardeners.
Master Gardener trainees receive in-depth unbiased,
research-based training from University of Illinois Extension educators and
specialists. The basic training consists of 60 hours of classsrom-style
training in the areas of botany, vegetables, tree and small fruits,
insects, diseases, soils, fertilizers, tree and shrub care, and herbaceous
ornamentals.
A Master Gardener intern is expected to return 60
hours of volunteer service in the year following their graduation.
Volunteer service hours consist of answering homeowner horticulture
questions at the Extension office and approved community service programs.
Once the initial hours of service are completed, interns become Master
Gardeners.
Classes will be offered on Thursdays from
9 a.m.
to 4 p.m., starting Jan. 22 and ending April 2, 2009. There is a fee.
Class size will be limited. Applications are
available through Nov. 7. If interested, contact the Sangamon-Menard
Extension Unit at
782-4617.
This article appears in Oct 23-29, 2008.
