82 GARDEN GATE | The Perfect Autumn Garden | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
northwest
Control weevils Set burlap traps for root weevils under rhododendrons, yews and hemlock now to reduce their
numbers next season. Place a piece of burlap with several folds in it beneath each shrub. During the day, weevils
will hide within the folds. Then, before they make their evening trek into the plant, simply remove the burlap and
“sack” the little invaders. Sticky barriers and parasitic nematodes are also eff ective controls. (USDA zones 5 to 8)
Slug control Prepare your arsenal to battle the slugs. As the wet, rainy months begin, so do the ideal conditions
for slugs in the garden. Adult slugs lay eggs beginning in August and the young hatch after 3 to 4 weeks. These
young fi nd their way into your garden and feast. You can hand pick slugs from your garden if the population is
small. If you’re battling a large population, consider setting out bait and traps to catch them. You can fi nd baits
and traps at the garden center. (USDA zones 5 to 8)
Compost cover Cover your compost pile for the rainy season. Adequate moisture is a key element to successful
composting, but if compost gets too wet, the pile won’t heat up enough and the decomposition process will
stall. Use a sheet of plastic or tarp to cover your pile. Occasionally pull the cover back so the compost doesn’t
dry out. (USDA zones 7 to 9)
Overwinter fuchsias After your tender fuchsias have experienced a light frost or two, it’s time to bring them in for
the winter. Cut plants back to 6 to 8 in. tall. Store them in a cool, frost-free spot like a garage, basement or three-
season porch. Dormant plants still need water, so don’t forget to check them every 2 or 3 weeks. Water when
they need it. In early February, bring them into the light. Feed lightly with a liquid fertilizer. Keep the growing
fuchsias protected until the last threat of frost is gone, and then move them outside. (USDA zones 7 to 10)mountain
Buried treasure It’s a good idea to plant bulbs 2 to 3 in. deeper than you would in milder climates. Mild winter
temperatures can fool some bulbs, like tulips and crocuses, into sprouting earlier than they should. Mulch over
newly planted bulbs after the ground has frozen with pine needles, leaves or bark mulch. This will help keep
the soil from warming up on sunny winter days and tricking the bulbs into sprouting too early.
(USDA zones 3 to 5 at high elevation)
Fire hazard If you live where wildfi res are possible, take the time to clean up potential fuel this fall. Dry leaves
and brush catch fi re more easily than growing plants. If you don’t have a buff er of green plants around your
house, consider planting it early this fall. (USDA zones 5 to 9)
Green but not gone Harvest warm-season vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, before they get zapped by
an early frost. You can ripen fully formed green tomatoes off the vine. Cut them off the plant and place in a
shallow box with newspaper between each row. Store the green tomatoes in a dry place, like a shed, garage
or spare room where the temperature stays between 55 and 70 degrees. Don’t worry about sunlight — they’ll
actually ripen better in the dark! (USDA zones 3 to 5)
Water-wise gardening Rain and snowfall are great helps to gardeners, especially those who garden under
irrigation restrictions. Set up rain barrels so you can collect the runoff from melting snow and spring rain on
the roof of your house. Save it so you can water your garden when it’s dry in other times of the year. You’ll
avoid irrigation restrictions and save money on your utility bill. (USDA zones 3 to 5)southwest
Chill out Put tulip and hyacinth bulbs in a paper sack in midfall. Store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator
to simulate the winter of northern zones. After 6 to 8 weeks, near the end of December to the beginning of
January, it’s time to plant. Plant the bulbs as soon as you pull them out of the cold; otherwise all your eff orts will
have been in vain. A spot with morning sun and afternoon shade will prevent them from getting too hot and not
blooming. Be sure to keep the soil moist and cool with a layer of leaf mulch or compost. (USDA zones 8 to 10)
Bermuda beauty Fall is the time to overseed your Bermuda grass lawn with annual ryegrass. In midfall, mow the
Bermuda grass as low as possible and rake it to expose soil for the annual ryegrass to grow. Spread the ryegrass
seed, water and cover it with a thin layer of compost. Keep the soil moist until the grass is tall enough for its fi rst
mowing. Then reduce watering to every 7 to 10 days. (USDA zones 7 to 10)
Keep an eye open Watch your vegetable crops and fl owers for signs of aphids. Cool weather is perfect for these
garden pests. Be sure to check cabbage and other cole crops. Spray with soapy water. You may need to spray
every few days until they’re gone. (USDA zones 6 to 9)
Plant a tree In hot, dry areas, fall is the best time to plant trees and shrubs. The long cool season gives them
a chance to get established before the heat of summer. Smaller-sized plants, like those in 5- to 15-gallon
containers, will establish themselves faster than bigger plants. Even though they’re smaller to start, they’ll
soon take off and you’ll never know their humble beginnings. (USDA zones 4 to 9)- Mild temperatures
- Consistent moisture
- High elevations
- Short growing season
- Early snowfall
- Hot temperatures
- Dry conditions
fi
nd your region
GG14967_83_BONUS.indd 82GG14967_83_BONUS.indd 82 6/26/2019 12:39:26 PM6/26/2019 12:39:26 PM82 GARDEN GATE | The Perfect Autumn Garden | OCTOBER 2019 | ISSUE 149
northwest
ControlweevilsSetburlaptrapsforrootweevilsunderrhododendrons,yewsandhemlocknowtoreducetheir
numbersnextseason.Placea pieceofburlapwithseveralfoldsinit beneatheachshrub.Duringtheday,weevils
willhidewithinthefolds.Then,beforetheymaketheireveningtrekintotheplant,simplyremovetheburlapand
“sack”thelittleinvaders.Stickybarriersandparasiticnematodesarealsoeffectivecontrols.(USDAzones5 to8)
SlugcontrolPrepareyourarsenaltobattletheslugs.Asthewet,rainymonthsbegin,sodotheidealconditions
forslugsinthegarden.AdultslugslayeggsbeginninginAugustandtheyounghatchafter3 to4 weeks.These
youngfindtheirwayintoyourgardenandfeast.Youcanhandpickslugsfromyourgardenif thepopulationis
small.If you’rebattlinga largepopulation,considersettingoutbaitandtrapstocatchthem.Youcanfindbaits
andtrapsatthegardencenter.(USDAzones5 to8)
CompostcoverCoveryourcompostpilefortherainyseason.Adequatemoistureis a keyelementtosuccessful
composting,butif compostgetstoowet,thepilewon’theatupenoughandthedecompositionprocesswill
stall.Usea sheetofplasticortarptocoveryourpile.Occasionallypullthecoverbacksothecompostdoesn’t
dryout.(USDAzones7 to9)
Overwinterfuchsias Afteryourtenderfuchsiashaveexperienceda lightfrostortwo,it’stimetobringtheminfor
thewinter.Cutplantsbackto6 to8 in.tall.Storethemina cool,frost-freespotlikea garage,basementorthree-
seasonporch.Dormantplantsstillneedwater,sodon’tforgettocheckthemevery2 or3 weeks.Waterwhen
theyneedit.InearlyFebruary,bringthemintothelight.Feedlightlywitha liquidfertilizer.Keepthegrowing
fuchsiasprotecteduntilthelastthreatoffrostis gone,andthenmovethemoutside.(USDAzones7 to10)mountain
Buriedtreasure It’sa goodideatoplantbulbs2 to3 in.deeperthanyouwouldinmilderclimates.Mildwinter
temperaturescanfoolsomebulbs,liketulipsandcrocuses,intosproutingearlierthantheyshould.Mulchover
newlyplantedbulbsafterthegroundhasfrozenwithpineneedles,leavesorbarkmulch.Thiswillhelpkeep
thesoilfromwarminguponsunnywinterdaysandtrickingthebulbsintosproutingtooearly.
(USDAzones3 to5 athighelevation)
FirehazardIf youlivewherewildfiresarepossible,takethetimetocleanuppotentialfuelthisfall.Dryleaves
andbrushcatchfiremoreeasilythangrowingplants.If youdon’thavea bufferofgreenplantsaroundyour
house,considerplantingit earlythisfall.(USDAzones5 to9)
Greenbutnotgone Harvestwarm-seasonvegetables,liketomatoesandpeppers,beforetheygetzappedby
anearlyfrost.Youcanripenfullyformedgreentomatoesoffthevine.Cutthemofftheplantandplaceina
shallowboxwithnewspaperbetweeneachrow.Storethegreentomatoesina dryplace,likea shed,garage
orspareroomwherethetemperaturestaysbetween 55 and 70 degrees.Don’tworryaboutsunlight—they’ll
actuallyripenbetterinthedark!(USDAzones3 to5)
Water-wisegardening Rainandsnowfallaregreathelpstogardeners,especiallythosewhogardenunder
irrigationrestrictions.Setuprainbarrelssoyoucancollecttherunofffrommeltingsnowandspringrainon
theroofofyourhouse.Saveit soyoucanwateryourgardenwhenit’sdryinothertimesoftheyear.You’ll
avoidirrigationrestrictionsandsavemoneyonyourutilitybill.(USDAzones3 to5)southwest
ChilloutPuttulipandhyacinthbulbsina papersackinmidfall.Storetheminthecrisperdrawerofyourrefrigerator
tosimulatethewinterofnorthernzones.After6 to8 weeks,neartheendofDecembertothebeginningof
January,it’stimetoplant.Plantthebulbsassoonasyoupullthemoutofthecold;otherwiseallyoureffortswill
havebeeninvain.A spotwithmorningsunandafternoonshadewillpreventthemfromgettingtoohotandnot
blooming.Besuretokeepthesoilmoistandcoolwitha layerofleafmulchorcompost.(USDAzones8 to10)
BermudabeautyFallis thetimetooverseedyourBermudagrasslawnwithannualryegrass.Inmidfall,mowthe
Bermudagrassaslowaspossibleandrakeit toexposesoilfortheannualryegrasstogrow.Spreadtheryegrass
seed,waterandcoverit witha thinlayerofcompost.Keepthesoilmoistuntilthegrassis tallenoughforitsfirst
mowing.Thenreducewateringtoevery7 to 10 days.(USDAzones7 to10)
KeepaneyeopenWatchyourvegetablecropsandflowersforsignsofaphids.Coolweatheris perfectforthese
gardenpests.Besuretocheckcabbageandothercolecrops.Spraywithsoapywater.Youmayneedtospray
everyfewdaysuntilthey’regone.(USDAzones6 to9)
Planta treeInhot,dryareas,fallis thebesttimetoplanttreesandshrubs.Thelongcoolseasongivesthem
a chance to get established before the heat of summer. Smaller-sized plants, like those in 5- to 15-gallon
containers, will establish themselves faster than bigger plants. Even though they’re smaller to start, they’ll
soon take off and you’ll never know their humble beginnings. (USDA zones 4 to 9)- Mild temperatures
- Consistent moisture
- High elevations
- Short growing season
- Early snowfall
- Hot temperatures
- Dry conditions
fi
nd your region