September 2001

Ornamental

Seed a new lawn or renovate a poor quality one early in the month.

Fertilize established bluegrass lawns. Use a slow release formulation.

Plant trees, shrubs, perennials and ornamental grasses.

Start the dormant period for your winter-flowering amaryllis. Place it in a cool, dark location and let it dry, so the foliage will die back. Keep dormant until early December and then water.

Fill in old annual borders with hardy mums, kale, flowering cabbage or pansies.

Bring begonias, coleus and geraniums indoors. Lift plants, knock soil from roots, pot in soil mix or take cuttings. Geraniums can be lifted and stored upside down in a paper bag until spring.

Move houseplants indoors gradually before nighttime temperatures are consistently in the 50's. Check for insects. Isolate from indoor plants for 2-3 weeks to avoid spreading insect or disease problems to indoor plant collection.

Repot houseplants every 2-3 years. Knock the plant out of the pot and remove most of the soil. Cut off dead (brown) roots. Repot in a pot one size larger. Place plant in pot and fill with potting soil and water.

Harvest gourds when shells become hard or brown. To preserve the color of ornamental gourds, wash them in a solution of one cup borax with three cups water. After curing, ornamental gourds can be rubbed with a water base wax.

Force poinsettias into bloom by placing them in a cool, dark place each night with no light for 14 hours for 8-10 weeks.

Edible

Sow a green manure crop, like oats or annual rye, in vacant garden areas.

Make a seeding of radishes for late-season use.

Pinch off tomato blossoms so plant will put energy into ripening tomatoes.

Plant garlic in late September. Plant the cloves with the points up about 3-5 inches apart and 2 inches deep. Harvest next August.

Pick apples at a local orchard.

Have your soil tested every three to five years. For soil testing booklet with listing of local laboratories call 773-233-0476.

Start a compost pile with fallen leaves and garden debris.