Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2002 PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/gardentips.html Garden Tips December 2001 Marty Johnson, President, Johnson's Garden Centers, KS. Certified Nurseryman GREAT FALL WEATHER Have you ever seen a fall like this one? It is hard to remember a fall with color on the trees like we've seen this season. From early September through October we've had perfect weather for any outdoor activity. I hope that your activities included some gardening. Because of these great conditions, there are a few things you should do to keep your lawn and landscape in top shape. COOL-SEASON LAWNS The cool-season lawns are looking pretty good, but because of the great growing conditions it is very important that fescue and bluegrass lawns receive an application of nitrogen in November or December to replace the nitrogen used during our extended fall season. An application of ferti-lome Winterizer will give your lawn the correct amount of nitrogen for its fall requirements, and will get your lawn off to a good start next spring. I have taken some advice from our Ridge Store Manager, Pat Handley, and used a new organic product on my front yard for my early fall application of lawn food. I applied Bradfield Fertilizer which is an alfalfa-based product. Bradfield does not apply the full one pound of nitrogen recommended by K-State, but it will add some nitrogen and more importantly it will add many trace elements which make a healthier soil. Also available from Bradfield is Corn Glutton Meal which has some crabgrass prevention properties. I may try it for my late fall application and see how it works. I'll let you know. TREE & SHRUB FERTILIZATION Our ornamental trees and shrubs need an application of nitrogen this fall for the same reasons our lawns do. They have used many nutrients during the extended growing season and will benefit from an application of nitrogen. The easiest way to do this is to use ferti-lome Tree & Shrub Food. This is a granular product that goes down on the soil with a fertilizer spreader. No digging required! Also available are the ROSS Tree Fertilizer spikes. They work pretty well but have to be pounded into the ground one at a time. Keep in mind that any tree fertilizer will also green up your lawn, so by using the Tree & Shrub Food you will get a darker green lawn over the complete area, not just where the individual spikes are applied. Which ever way you go, be sure to water in the fertilizer with at least one inch of water. FALL WEED CONTROL Broadleaf weeds germinate in the fall. It does not get any simpler than that. The reason? All summer long, those pesky weeds have been flowering and sending thousands of seeds all around your lawn and landscape. With the fall weather these weed seeds germinate and get ready for next spring when they will grow, flower again, and yes, send out seeds again. By using ferti-lome Weed-Out on lawn areas you will control almost 100% of the henbit, chickweed and dandelions that will be at their finest next spring. Get them now while the are easy to kill. Killing weeds in landscape areas is just as easy now, but just be sure to NOT use any broadleaf weed killer in areas where your ornamental plants are growing. Use Hi-Yield Super Concentrate KILLZALL and only apply it to the newly germinated weeds so that no harm will be done to your favorite garden plants. SPRING-FLOWERING BULBS If you have not taken advantage of the great weather and planted your fall bulbs, do so during the next few weeks. It is not too late to plant any of the spring-flowering bulbs. Be sure to water them in well and use Bone Meal when planting to help aid root development. One thing I'm going to plant this fall is the "Stop the Car" tulip mixture that our bulb supplier, Piet, personally blended. It is a mix of purple and orange tulips which should really "Stop the Cars" as motorists drive by. INDOOR BULB FORCING You can have a beautiful indoor spring garden starting in late January by potting up any of the spring-flowering bulbs into a 6-8" (or larger) pot and keeping the potted bulbs in your refrigerator for 12 weeks. Then as they begin to grow, take the pot out, put into a sunny location and in about 2-3 weeks you will have an indoor spring garden. This is an activity that is enjoyed by young and old alike. WINTERIZE ROSES Under normal fall conditions, we recommend that you mulch your roses around Thanksgiving time. This year that may be too soon. Keep an eye on the weather and wait until we've had several hard freezes before putting your roses to bed this winter. Remember, your goal is to keep the ground frozen, not to protect it from freezing. Winter mulch keeps the soil frozen and prevents the damaging freeze-thaw cycle caused by warm winter days. To protect your roses from winterkill: -Water your rose bush well. -Use a rose collar to hold mulch around the base of the bush. -Fill the collar loosely with organic mulch. Use cottonseed hulls, straw, shredded bark or leaves. -Protection should be about 12" above ground to cover the graft area. -Prune back only the canes that are in your way or will whip in the wind. Leave major pruning until April. -Resist the temptation to remove mulch too early in the spring. Depending upon the weather, remove around the first of April.