Hort Tips

September - Edible

Get a free listing of Pick Your Own Apple Orchards by giving us a call or check out our Apples & More Web site at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/apples/

Plant a cover crop such as oats or annual rye in empty garden areas. Dig in next spring. Factsheet available.

Plant lettuce, spinach & radishes for fall harvest.

Plant garlic in late September. Factsheet available.

September - Ornamental

Overseed your lawn or do lawn renovation in early September. Factsheet available.

Core aerate your lawn.

Plant pansies, chrysanthemums, ornamental kales and cabbage for fall color.

Plant shrub roses.

Plant trees and shrubs. Factsheet available.

Plant lilies and peonies. Factsheets available.

Divide and transplant garden lilies, daylilies and peonies. Most perennials can be divided in the fall. Factsheet available.

Be alert for wasps. Factsheet available.

Start a compost pile with fallen leaves and garden debris. Factsheet available.

Put up a bird feeder. Factsheet on bird feeders and feeding birds available.

September - Indoors

Fertilize houseplants for the last time until spring. Fertilizer can accumulate and cause salt problems in soil when plants are not growing.

Take cuttings of coleus, begonias and impatiens for winter houseplants.

Bring houseplants indoors. Check for insects.

Repot houseplants in the same pot or a pot one size larger. Factsheet available.

October - Edible

Have soil tested. Soil testing booklet available.

Wrap unblemished, green tomatoes individually in newspaper to ripen. Keep at 60 degrees and they will ripen slowly over a period of weeks.

Spread a 2-4" layer of organic matter over garden and dig in 6-8" deep.

Dig up herbs - chives, parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage and tarragon. Shake off soil and pot up using a potting soil. Set in bright, sunny window.

Store leftover seeds in an air-tight jar in the fridge. Add two tablespoons of powdered milk wrapped in tissue as a desiccant.

October - Ornamental

Plant spring flowering bulbs. Bulbs can be planted until ground freezes. Factsheet available.

Check out our Bulbs & More Web site at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/bulbs/ for tips on growing spring flowering bulbs.

Transplant deciduous trees and shrubs after leaf fall. Factsheet available.

Rake fallen leaves from lawn.

Check out the web site, Miracle of Fall at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/fallcolor/ for Midwest fall color information.

Become a Master Gardener Volunteer - Call for application.

October - Indoors

Try a great fall activity for kids. Start a worm bin indoors. Call for a factsheet or check out our worm composting web site at http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/worms/

Give Christmas cactus cool temperatures and 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness to initiate flowering for the holidays. Factsheet available.

Pot bulbs for indoor forcing for holiday blooms. Factsheet available.

Give poinsettias 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness so bracts will turn red for Christmas. Factsheet available.

 

Autumn 2000
Gypsy Moth Alert! | All-America Flower Selections 2001 | Fall-Blooming Perennials Make Your Garden Last Year Round | Tips on How to Avoid Plant Diseases | Bug Bites: Yellowjackets | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Locally Grown: Making Chutney | Consider Using a Humidifier This Fall | Cholesterol Awareness Month | Health & Household Tips | Did You Know?

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