October Gardening

Wooo-hooo!
It was actually sunny today! ^_^
I think its been raining for 2 weeks.
I've been so lethargic due to all the cloudy days but today
I finally got some things done. Yeah!
Pulled up frost damaged flowers and veggies, picked the last of
my hot peppersand planted the last of the potted perennials
and 3 peony roots I got this week.
I still have 3 large potted roses I dug up to transplant
this Spring but I hope to get them in the ground soon.
Only veggies still growing are some Fall planted radishes,
lettuce, kale and
Brussels Sprouts from Spring planting.
Around 5 PM the wind picked up, dark rain clouds started
rolling in and it felt like the temps were dropping fast. Brrr!
Maybe snow tonight?
There was ice on my cars windshield this morning. ugh.
I herded all the geese, ducks and chickens into their coops early
and headed in for a hot shower, put on my fluffy chenille robe and poofy slippers
plopped down on my recliner and had supper in front of the boob tube.
An hour later when I got up I was all seized up and could barely walk.
I'm gettin' old.
Anybody else get out in the garden today?

This message was edited Oct 10, 2009 8:51 PM

when I got home from work I cut down more plants Sum & sub hosta was one load !! I'm about 1/2 way done I hope its nice tonight when I get home so I can get some more done and it stays dry so I can rake leaves to cover every body up for the winter which I think is comming way to early If my peonys would get here I could plant them and be done !!!!
Gloria

Worked my buns off yesterday - finally a day to work outside after all the yucky weather!

Dug up most of my dahlias and put them in big buckets. Loaded the buckets into the back of the truck and stored it in the garage for the night. The bed of the truck was completely full! Hopefully today I can start the washing, dividing and wrapping of the tubers. It's a mindless job - I listen to a book on tape and the time flies. Still have three knock out roses to plant.

Peony and rose roots can be planted until the ground freezes.
Gloria do you know to plant the crowns of peonies just 1"
below the surface?
Speaking of freezing its 25º here this morning.
Brrrrrr!!!
Got the wood stove crankin'!

Sarv I thought with Dahlias you have to wait to dig them until they are completely black (stem and all) & mushy from hard frosts.
Mine still have green stems...well maybe not this morning. HA!
I only have 2 large ones but I really like them and want to get more.
How do you store yours during the winter.
Do you know Rusty Hart?
He's a friend of mine from up by Traverse City and
grows over 2000 Dahlias!
He sometimes speaks at garden clubs.
I can't imagine dealing with that many tubers 2 x annually!
I didn't know you were into Dahlias.
Post pics!
Where do you get them from?

I have this one and a white one with lavender tips.

Not yard work I had to work. Our place is almost ready for the yucky winter! All items put away and, started to put the plastic on the windows. Have to rake the leaves yet. Gloria I seen your sum and substance posted on line once. I love it! Wow I can see why it was one load. Really nice. Ronna

CR - I love dahlias and am always on the look out for more of them! I let mine get frosted and we had that a week or so ago. I can still see some of the flower color so I can be sure I know what I am digging! I do bury they name of it with the tuber, but sometimes that disappears!

I harvest mine when the stems are still green....never been a problem. I whack off the stems and dig around the plant with a pitch fork. Lift it carefully out and shake off as much dirt as possible. Next use the hose with a spray to clean them off real well. Then I cut them where I think an eye will be....I am most often correct, but sometimes not! I wrap them in saran wrap with none of the tubers touching. Then label them. Store them in a dark rubbermaid container with newspapers between each layer. (keep them in an unheated bedroom) I check them once or twice during the winter to see if there's any rot. Last year my DH had medical problems and I never got around to checking them.....every single tuber was ok. Never got them planted until mid June and I still had a wonderful crop!

I've never heard of Rusty Hart....darn.

here's one that bloomed non stop...lovely one

Oh that one is very pretty!
I have one similar to that one.
Thanks for the tips on the tubers.
Rusty told me to NEVER wrap them in plastic.
He told me to layer them in a tub of pineshavings.
I didn't know how/dare to cut them up so i stored mine whole last winter.
Were do you get your Dahlias from?
Are there any Dahlia vendors in mid west Mich.?

Isn't that strange...I've had outstanding luck with saran wrap and not good like at all the other way (they dried up!)

In the spring the Fulton Street Market has vendors selling tubers...from the local dahlia society. I've never gone, but I have seen their advertisement. They aren't there for many Saturdays - I've always wanted to go, but never have.

I washed, cut and wrapped some of mine today and found that the necks of several are broken...then the tubers are no good. Maybe the ground was too wet when I dug them...always something!

I still have roses to cone. Wher I have the most risk is I have a number of daylilies to plant.

Hopefully. I can work out a protection scheme (mulch) yet.

sarv
Thanks for the tip on the Fulton Street Market and the local dahlia society. I'm going to look into that.

rankinfile
Most perennial tubers like daylilies can be planted well into Nov.
but the sooner the better.
I have never mulched my daylilies.
I think they could get crown rot that way.
I've never used cones on roses.
Roses die more from dehydration than the cold.
Roses need to be watered well into late fall if its dry.
A good way to protect them is spraying them Wilt-Pruf during the Fall but they have to be sprayed on days when its at least 40º and then mid winter if we get any 40º days

Hey sarv look what I found out....

"Yes, we sell our excess tubers at the Fulton Farmer's Market in GR. We will be there from 8-noon on the first two Saturdays in May.
I will add you to my emailing list.

Yes, we all belong to the Grand Valley Dahlia Society www.midwestdahliaconference.org/GVDS
We will have our next meeting on Tuesday evening the 27th of October at 7:30 PM. We meet at Frederik Meijer Gardens in their downstairs classrooms. We will be giving demonstrations on how to cut up and store dahlia tubers over the winter. We would love to have you attend."

Doc (Richard W. Peters, MD)

If I can get somebody to switch days with me at work I'm going to try to go.

I would love to go just to learn about there care but its a bit far for me on a work night !!!
Gloria

OH Cr....how exciting....are you going? Wouldn't you know I have a dinner outing that night, but it is right by the FM Gardens....I'd love to see what they suggest.

Gloria - where is Sanford?
Last year when I dug up my first Dahlia I couldn't see any eyes so I left them whole, so I need to learn how to cut and divide them. I'm also hoping maybe they'll have some tubers for sale.

Three potted roses to plant in the garden today and I will be DONE
except to harvest a few things still growing in the garden.
Back to work tomorrow after my 2 week vacation. ugh.

sarv, I actually have to work that night so IF I can switch shifts with somebody I will go.

BTW I looked at some info on the Am. Dahlia Societies website last night and either way for storage is recommended.

hi guys!! I'm hoping to attend the meeting at Fredrick Meijer Gardens. wosh one of you could go too!!
Birdie

Hubby weed whacked all my perennials down while I sucked up leaves with the mower. Blanketed the whole bed with leaves for winter. I do cut my roses back to fit under cones. They are all cut back now but I won't put the cones on till mid November probably unless it turns icy sooner. I have good luck with cones with absoultely no winter die back or blackening of the canes. We get a lot of wind here and without the cones they'd dry up and die to the graft or worse. Plus, without the cones on the rabbits and deer have a field day in the winter chewing on them.

I'd still like to put some fall fertilizer on the lawn around the house and probably have one more mowing in a week to suck up the last of the leaves. The maples are taking longer to lose theirs. The Ash trees are about bare. I like ash leaves because they are small and dried up dead when they hit the ground.........perfect for the garden beds.

The chickens keep trying to help me. THey were pecking and scratching around the roses while I was cutting back the canes. They are so funny. I'm glad I got most everything done. IT's hard working outside in the cold. We had some hot chile to eat when we came in. Still have to clean out the garage and finish up on the pole barn and get the boat home.

Brenda

Brenda I didn't mean one shouldn't ever use cones.
I've just got too many roses to do that since most are big 5' x 5' - 10' x 10' hardy shrub roses and ramblers.
Yup those deer (and rabbits) like to munch on my roses but fortunately its not a big problem here.
Does anybody know if you can put down lawn weed killer this time of year?

Colors sure are starting to look pretty.
Here's a pic in my front yard

wow cr love the leaves color change hate the winter Sanford is just N. of Midland about 10 miles. ;0)
Gloria

Hey gang...temps warming into the 60's by Monday!
I'm so glad I can get more work done outside.
I DO NOT work outside in 40º temps!

me either i have to have it warm and i have lots of peony/s coming next week!!! :)

stinker!

CR, I did the melody series dahlia's this year, boy are they nice.. no staking with big blooms.

I have a dinner plate dahlia that I planted three years ago about 2' from the foundation of the house, and it keeps coming back each year bigger and better. So I just wack it down and leave it alone.

Lavender Perfection

Dori whats up with the skunk?!
I hate those things!

Dan, WOW you have a Dahlia that
is winter hardy?!! Thats amazing!
Is it the one you posted a pic of?
You might have to eventually divide it
and send me a tuber or two. :o)
Must look inot the Melody Series!
Where did you get them from?
Do they ever have Dahlia co-ops around here?

That is the picture of it. I wouldn't say it's winter hardy, it's so close to the foundation of the house that the heat from the house doesn't let the ground freeze down that far, if any. Pretty neat huh!

You are more than welcome to a tuber!

I got the melody series from a co-op here on Dave's ( the co-op wasn't the greatest) they tuber's slowly took off then went like gangbusters. They make great cutting flowers to. I alway's had a vase or bowl of them going. I'm going to try to save some of those tubers this year.

You know it's beautiful today, kinda cool, but sunny. I think I will start a fire in the fire pit and play in the garden today. Crank up some tunes, and have at it.

I'll check it out and see if I have any pictures of them.

SUNS OUT !!!! we got the pontoon all set and covered for the winter . The deck is all most all cleaned up and stuff put away can't do it all or I won't have any where to sit this winter with a fire in the chimmania (sp) I love it when its snowing with the firer going !!! well back out side I go ;0)
Gloria

pools covered and will drain it soon!!! yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

why don't you put a LOT of hot water in it for one last swim!!! LOL
Gloria

oh your funny!!!!!

LOL

Another gray, cloudy day here today but looking forward to those
60º temps we're suppose top be getting by Monday.

Dan I only have 2 varieties of Dahlias.
The one above (pink one, non of the yellow ones survived)
gets about 4 ft. and needs no staking
but the other one does. Its white with lavender tips.
I didn't get any pics of it but its real pretty.
More of the formal style blossom.
Maybe we could swap some tubers if you dig any up.
I haven't dug mine up but plan to this coming week.
If you'd like to trade send me a d-mail.

Hey Dan I just looked up the Melody Dahlias and they all look like
short, smaller blossom size, container Dahlias.

Hey look at this nifty no stake/no tie way to support Dahlias!
You could use this on other flowers that need support too.
This method would be cheaper than other plant supports
which can be pricey sometimes.
http://www.dahlias.net/dahwebpg/Support/NoStake.htm

Aren't those great! yea, they are not that small, it's a full 4-6" flower. The beauty is they are smaller to the ground and need little if any staking. Lets try trading tubers this fall and see what happens.

Love the tomato cage Idea!! will use it.

Been hunting for Dahlias tonight...he-he.
Found this site that is a big supplier, "Accent Dahlias"
with a 1200 picture gallery, plus a dial up dahlia list so you don't get bogged down, downloading pics forever.
I'm ordering several.
It seems I like the big fluffy ones...just like I like my roses.
The Dahlia on their home page is like HUUUGE!
http://www.dahliasuppliers.com/accent/index.htm

P.S. Thier thumb-nail list is cool because when you click on the thumbnail it doesn't pop up in a new window. Makes viewing go much faster.

This message was edited Oct 17, 2009 10:17 PM

you find some that big and i will buy some!!!

Dori that big ones name is Sir Alf Ramsey and is available at Accent Dahlias (link above) but its $10.
Its description says: "able to leap tall buildings" LOL
I'm so going to get it!

This message was edited Oct 17, 2009 10:29 PM

LOL i would love them that big!!! reminds me of dr seuss flowers