Now’s the Time to Plant Hardy Mums

 

For late season color it's hard to beat mums. Also called garden mums or hardy chrysanthemums, these fall favorites come in a rainbow of colors, including red, white, yellow and lavender. Mums make great container plants sitting on the front porch, welcoming the fall season.  

Hardy chrysanthemums are also a colorful addition to your perennial beds and with a little care, will come back season after season. Start by selecting a spot in the garden that receives a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight. Mums planted in less than full sun will grow tall and scraggly, with reduced flower size. Next, amend the planting site with organic material, such as Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost, a locally-produced product that will increase soil fertility and drainage. Mums will thrive in well-draining soil, something our  clay soils don’t do. Plan to mix in equal amounts of amendments to the existing soil, some ten inches to twelve inches deep. The planting hole should be twice as wide as the container and half again as deep. Place your garden mum in the planting hole, making sure the crown of the plant is at the same level it was in the container. Fill in around the plant with amended soil. Next, mix up a solution of Root Stimulator and water the mum thoroughly. Root Stimulator will help the mum plant establish a strong root system going into winter. Plan to water your newly planted mums every four to five weeks through the winter season. Once the ground is cold, you can add a layer of mulch to help preserve moisture and keep the garden soil stable. Come spring, prune off the dead stems and gradually remove the mulch. Planted in the garden now, hardy mums will offer seasonal color as well as pollinator support for many seasons to come.  

 

 

The Best Bulbs for Early Spring Color

 
You’ll see them in early spring, often blooming through the snow. Brightly colored crocus flowers are a sure sign that spring is on its way. Crocus blooms are soon followed in succession by other small bulbs (called minor bulbs) including grape hyacinths and Scilla, then the major bulbs including daffodils, tulips and hyacinths.  

These are hardy bulbs, meaning they will survive our winters and bloom season after season, with just a little care. As a rule, plant bulbs two to three times their height. A two-inch bulb should be buried five to six inches deep. It is possible to influence the bloom time by varying the depth you plant each bulb. Shallow planted bulbs will bloom earlier; deeper bulbs will bloom later in the season. The risk with planting too shallow is the bulb may not survive the winter. Another trick to control bloom time is to add two or three inches of mulch to the bed. This will keep the ground cold and slow bloom time. All bulbs will do best when planted in well-amended soil, in a sunny spot in the garden. Once planted, bulbs will root out, and then stay dormant until the soil warms up in spring. Adding Bone Meal or Dutch Bulb Food at planting time will improve rooting and bulb growth. 

Now’s a good time to purchase bulbs, while there’s a good selection. Wait until after October 1 to plant your bulbs. Crocus “bulbs” are technically corms. They are solid inside like a potato and they have a papery outer covering which is called a tunic. One side is flatter than the other. The flat side goes down, when you plant them. 

Muscari, known as grape hyacinths, are hardy spring bloomers that produce blue or purple flowers that look like bunches of grapes, hence the common name. They will do well in sun or semi-shade and spread naturally. Scilla Siberica  and Scilla Siberica Alba are also good choices for adding early spring color to your garden. . 

For best effect, minor bulbs should be planted in clusters, not lined out in rows.  Check on your bulbs through the winter. They should be watered every four to five weeks, along with the rest of the trees and shrubs in your landscape.   

 

Now’s the Time to Plant

September is a great time to plant and there are a number of reasons this is so. The daytime temperatures are cooler and the soil temperature is still warm, a perfect combination for planting perennials, shrubs and trees. There are fewer insects and diseases to contend with in the fall and you generally have more time for gardening. The weather isn't quite as tricky as it is in the spring and you don't have that "spring rush" feeling to get everything done after winter. There is a great selection of perennials to choose from now, including bearded iris, mums and asters, colorful sedums, blanket flowers and clematis. Edibles such as raspberries, grapes, blackberries and rhubarb can be planted now, as well as flowering shrubs such as potentilla and spiraea. 

The key to fall planting, just like every other time of the season, is to prepare the soil.  The advantage this time of year is the soil is warm and drier, making it easier to add amendments. In our typical clay soils, that means adding organic material to the planting site is key. We stock locally produced bagged soil amendments such as Sheep, Peat and Compost. 

Bagged amendments make it easy to take home and place in the garden. Amendments should be incorporated into the planting site at a 50:50 ratio with the existing soil. Prepare a spot twice as large as the container your plant came in and half again as deep. Remove the plant from its container and break up the root ball. Place the plant in the planting hole just below grade, enough to form a slight depression in the soil. This will help keep water from running off too quickly.  Even though the temperatures during the day are generally cooler so there's less moisture loss, it's important to keep your plants watered as fall deepens into winter.  All plants will handle winter weather better, if they are well hydrated. In early winter, add a 2" to 3" layer of mulch to each plant. This will hold in the moisture and keep the ground cold and stable through the winter. Soil Pep is a good choice for winter mulch. Plan to water all of the plants, trees and shrubs in your landscape every 4-5 weeks during the winter.  

 

Now’s the time to plant grass seed

 

Turf grass wears out for any number of reasons; wear and tear, age, soil compaction, insect activity, fungus and now is the best time to fix these problems. Sowing grass seed now has the advantage of cooler temperatures so it’s easier to keep the area you’re reseeding moist and there are generally fewer weeds. Plus, your new grass has all of the fall into early winter to establish. Start by cleaning up the areas you want to seed. A leaf rake will do a good job of removing the dead grass and thatch. Step 2: work in some Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost to bring the area to grade and enrich the soil. This will help the new grass establish deeper roots. 

Step 3: apply ferti-lome New Lawn Starter, to promote root growth once the new seed has germinated. A four-pound bag of New Lawn Starter is enough to fertilize one thousand square feet. With the soil prepared, you’re ready to select the right grass seed for your lawn. Most lawns in our area are “cool-season” grasses. They do best when the temperatures are cooler. That’s why fall is the right time to seed or over-seed your lawn.  We recommend you choose seed that will work in our area. We get our grass seed from the Greely, Fort Collins area. Our lawn seed selection includes “Colorado Perfect”, “Flowerbin Blue Blend” and “Emerald III” and "Perennial Rye". Colorado Perfect features a blend of quick germinating Perennial Rye, Fescue and Blue Grass. This by far is our most popular grass seed. It will develop quickly, does well in sun and light shade and over time, will blend in with most turf grasses grown in the area. 

Five pounds of Colorado Perfect grass seed will cover approximately one thousand square feet. Once you've made your seed selection, apply the seed by hand or with a spreader. Cover the new seed lightly with one-quarter inch of Sheep, Peat and Compost and water thoroughly. You should plan to water enough every day to keep the seed bed moist, because letting the seed dry out will reduce the germination rate. Once the seed has sprouted, you can begin to water deeper and less frequently.  Grass seed planted now will continue to establish into winter and be ready to green up next spring.  If you’re not sure which seed to select or how much seed you’ll need, stop in. We'll  be glad to help you make the best seed choice for your lawn.  

 

 

 

 

Planting and caring for Bearded Iris

  

We’ve just received our shipments of bearded iris rhizomes, so it’s a great time to add to your collection, while stock is fresh and there’s a good selection of colors.   As you're shopping for bearded iris, you may notice some boxes are labeled "Blooms Spring and Fall". These are "reblooming" iris, that is iris that have been developed to produce blooms in the spring and again in the fall. Whether you choose the reblooming varieties or not, there are certain things to do to ensure the success of your iris for many seasons to come. First, iris need to be planted in a sunny spot in the garden. Second, iris need to be planted in well-drained soil. It’s important to take the time to improve the planting site by adding organic material in the form of compost and peat moss. These amendments should be mixed about 50:50 with the existing soil.  Next, add some Dutch Bulb Food, working it into the soil. 

You’re now ready to plant your iris rhizomes. There is a “front and back” to iris rhizomes, a toe and a heel. The leaf indicates the heel side. Iris will grow in the direction of the heel, so keep that in mind when you're planting, especially if they're going to be growing along a path or fence. Another important factor to remember when you're planting your iris rhizomes is to avoid planting too deep. Iris do their best when planted so the top of the rhizome is right at the soil level or just thinly covered. If you plant iris too deep, the leaves may develop but chances are the plant won't bloom. 

If you didn’t divide your iris this spring, now’s the time. After a few seasons, Iris will become crowded and stop blooming, so it’s important to dig and divide iris every so often in order to reinvigorate the plant. Irises grow in clumps and can be lifted using a garden fork. 

Once out of the ground, cut or break apart the rhizomes into sections, each with a healthy set of leaves and firm, tan/white roots. Next, cut the leaves back in a fan shape to about a third of their length and mark them with the name of the variety. You are now ready to plant your iris, following the same guidelines outlined earlier in this article. Your iris will establish themselves through the fall and early winter and be ready to bloom for you next spring and in some cases, again next fall.