Philadelphia County Cooperative Extension

For the busy gardener or the procrastinator, this season can be the final opportunity to complete chores around the garden before the ground freezes. This is my checklist:

Clean Up – Remove spent stalks, vegetables and fruit that may have fallen on the ground. In the case of fruit trees, remove mummies (fruit that has dried still attached to the branches). Asparagus foliage should be cut down to soil level and added to the compost pile after it has turned brown and withered. Otherwise you will be providing borers with an ideal place to winter over. Disease free plant material can be added to the compost pile.

Soil – Add compost and/or manure to beds or areas of the garden where heavy feeders, such as tomatoes and asparagus, have grown the previous season.

Weed – If you had problems in the garden with any of these pests: Harlequin Bugs, Wireworms, Flea beetles, Cutworms, Squash Bugs or Weevils, remove the weeds. This is an excellent time to weed because once pulled out by the roots, weeds will not regenerate as quickly as they did in the spring and summer. Weeding is an arduous task. However it does impart a very rewarding feeling once completed.

If you’re working on a raised bed (5’x10’) or an area with weeds less than 12” high, you may find sitting or kneeling on a Garden Kneeler or Bench makes the job easier. Kneepads provide comfort to your knees if you are able to get up and down from a kneeling position easily. If you’re working on an area with weeds higher than 12”, use a cultivator. It will enable you to hack those weeds down and remove the roots. I suggest you use one with a straight edge on one end and two or more prongs on the other. Remember to bend your knees when you’re pulling on those roots, to reduce the wear and tear on your back.

CORN GLUTEN MEAL – If you are weeding an area that you aren’t going to plant seeds in the following season, use corn gluten meal as the second line of defense against weeds. Corn gluten meal is feed to livestock. It also coats seeds and prevents them from germinating. Therefore, it can be used around flowerbeds, shrubs, trees and to create weed free paths.

MULCH, MULCH, MULCH – The importance of mulching can’t be stressed enough. Mulch is any material that will cover and protect the soil from erosion (being washed away by the action of the rain, or blown away by wind, if the soil is in a very dry state). Ideally, mulch will protect the soil, add nutrients, and improve the texture of the soil as it breaks down. In the summer, mulch keeps plant roots cool. In the winter, it prevents the soil from thawing and freezing, which damages plant roots.

After weeding your ornamentals (annual and perennial beds, shrubs and trees) mulch to a depth of 2-3” with crushed dry leaves, dry grass clippings, wood chips, salt hay, plain cardboard or newspaper (avoid the color and glossy paper). These are the most readily available and inexpensive mulches in our area. Once the ground freezes you may add another 2-3” of mulch to ensure the soil stays frozen until spring.

Mulch your lettuce and you should be able to harvest it during the month of November and possibly December if we have a mild fall. Adding a row cover will protect lettuce from a sudden freeze and will further extend your harvest.

If you’ve planted parsnips in your garden, you don’t have to harvest all of them now. Just mulch them with a 10” layer of crushed leaves, topped off with a 2” layer of salt hay. This will prevent the ground from freezing and you will be able to harvest them well into mid-winter. If you feel like experimenting, add a row cover. You may have total access for the entire winter.

Dried Crushed Eggshells – Rinse your discarded eggshells and put them in a paper bag to dry. Crush them (wearing shoes) and sprinkle them liberally under newspaper or cardboard before using either of these materials as a mulch. The sharp pieces of shell will discourage slugs from using the dark moist environment as a habitat. Diatomaceous earth or crushed oyster shells (available at garden centers) can also be used for this purpose.

Cutting Back – Don’t cut back all of your ornamental perennials, grasses and herbs. Leave enough to provide food and shelter for birds and beneficial insects. Ornamental grasses need their roots protected during the winter. They can be cut back in the spring. Plants that remain in the garden add interest to the winter landscape.

Protective Covers – Roses and fig trees in exposed areas will need additional protection. A cage made of chicken wire as tall as the plant can be erected for roses. Fill with leaves and cover the top with plastic to keep moisture out. Very young Fig trees, can be treated like roses for the first three or four years. However, as they grow taller this is not practical. At this point the cage can be erected to extend as far up the multiple trunks as possible and filled in with leaves. New growth will be produced each spring.

An alternative to building a wire cage is the “Bush Jacket”. A non-woven, cloth-like product, the Bush Jacket wraps around shrubs, hedges and plants on trellises. Made of spun bonded polypropylene, the Bush Jacket allows plants to breathe but protects them from drying wind. It can also be filled with mulch for roses. It is available in two sizes (5’x7’ and 5’x 12’) and can be cut to fit smaller shrubs without unraveling.

Before you pull up all your vegetables during your fall garden clean-up, think about leaving some of those cold-hardy crops in the ground to over-winter. Some vegetables, like greens and root crops, can survive Philadelphia’s winters. Kale, brussel sprouts, collards and parsnips actually taste better after a frost. Next year, think ahead to winter by planting your favorite cold-hardy varieties in late summer and fall. Here are some guidelines to make winter harvesting work:

Mulch: Mulching is the single most important step you can take to assure a healthy harvest into the winter. Mulching prevents damage to plants that occurs from heaving, the freezing and thawing of the ground. It also prevents soil erosion and adds organic matter to your garden. Mulch very thickly (6-12 inches) all around plants, and mulch any bare soil. Salt hay, leaves, buckwheat hulls, or straw make excellent mulches.

Cold frames: Cold frames are simply south-facing covers that insulate crops that need more than mulch. You can buy them at a garden center or make your own. For a makeshift cold frame, arrange concrete blocks or bricks in a rectangle around the plants and use a sheet of glass, an old window sash, or heavy clear plastic as a lid, slanting it to prevent water from collecting. You’ll need to check the frame and vent it to maintain a good temperature. As the winter temperatures become more constant, you can leave the lid on, but remember to water often.

Cold-hardy vegetables: In future seasons, look for cold-hardy varieties of your favorite cool-weather crops. Here is a selection of vegetables that will continue to produce throughout the winter: broccoli (cold frame), brussel sprouts, carrots (8-12 inches mulch), chard (cold frame or heavy mulch), collards, kale, mache (a type of lettuce), parsley, parsnips, scallions, spinach, and turnips.

Roasting concentrates the flavors of vegetables. Choose from onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, parsnips, beets, and whole garlic cloves. Brush vegetables with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a 475-degree oven until tender. Watch carefully and turn occasionally. Roasting will warm you up and relieve the chill of late fall and early winter!

Rosemary is a hardy evergreen shrub in areas where winter temperatures stay above 5 degrees F. Since the last two winters were mild, my Rosemary has survived because it’s location is somewhat protected and provide a unique microclimate.

Rosemary leaves resemble needles that are about one inch long; opposite; narrow, thick and leathery. The upper surface of the rosemary leaf is dark green with a prominent vein running down the center of the leaf. The leaves have a pungent, pine scented fragrance.

Rosemary flowers are pale blue, one half inch long with an upper and lower lip; the flowers grow in clusters of two or three along the branch. Generally, I find the blue flowers form at the same time as yellow Daffodils bloom in late March or early April. After the flowers are pollinated by the bees, very small spherical nutlets are formed.

Rosemary can grow approximately five feet high outdoors and two to four feet tall as indoor plants in pots. For growing outdoors, plant rosemary in hardiness zone 7 to 10. Maintain a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.0. The soil should be well drained. Situate plants in full sun.

The flavor of Rosemary harmonizes with poultry, fish, lamb, beef, veal, pork, and game. Rosemary enhances tomatoes, spinach, peas, mushrooms, squash, cheese, eggs, and lentils. Rosemary is best known as a symbol of remembrance, so don’t forget the Rosemary!

The summer is gone and has taken most of the colorful annuals with it. But bright spots can be created in the winter garden. Many shrubs, perennials, annuals and bulbs have interesting winter bark, fruit, foliage and flowers.

Choose locations that are noticeable and easily maintained. Create a winter display in an area you frequent in the non-growing season. Keep in mind how you’re going to get water to the area. Remove plant parts that have passed their prime and will detract from other areas.

Avoid areas that are exposed to drying winds. Plants will loose moisture to the air and may dry out in exposed locations. Keep beds and containers mulched.

Use good design practices. Place tall stuff in the back and shorter stuff in the front. When arranging container plantings, remember to combine materials that will add height, fill in the middle ground and give a trailing effect.
Plan for winter interest whenever you choose plants. A well-planned garden has eye appeal at all times of the year. Pick plants that can offer something in more than one or two seasons.

Plants to include in the winter garden:
Bulbs: Crocus, Scilla, Snowdrop and Winter Aconite
Perennials: Christmas Rose, Hen-and-Chickens, Sedum, Vinca, and Yucca
Annuals: Pansies, Ornamental Cabbages and Kales
Shrubs: Arborvitae, Juniper, Red or Yellow Stem Dogwood and Yew

Create some bright spots in your garden to make the long winter a little shorter.

As the holiday season begins, we all get in the mood for festive seasonal plants. They brighten up the dreary days and add interest to our tables. Visit grocery stores and nurseries to see what varieties are available. There are Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus, Paper White Narcissus, to name a few. Forcing is the art of encouraging plants to bloom out of season. Taking care of forced plants is the same as taking care of other houseplants. First of all, enjoy them. Keep them evenly watered, as wet as a wrung out sponge. Give them a fair amount of light. Remember, for forcing they have been given optimum conditions.

Plants that are made to bloom early and out of season will not reliably bloom the following year. Sometimes you can get the Poinsettias to keep growing by cutting them back, transplanting to a larger pot, and putting them outside after the danger of frost has past. Some plants are encouraged to bloom by imitating the day length. For example, Poinsettias need 14 hours of uninterrupted darkness to bloom. To get a Poinsettia to bloom, put the plant in a room where it gets only natural light. That means, starting in September, the plant gets no artificial light after the sun goes down until the sun comes up. Keep it this way until the flowers (bracts) start to turn colors. If you keep the plant happy, it will continue to bloom into the spring.

Whatever plants you have, good cultural practices are a must. Know how much water the plant needs, give it the right amount of light and fertilize sparingly. Given the right conditions, plants will give you pleasure for years to come.

November 2, 2002 Compost Training Pennypack Environmental Center 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

November 9, 2002 Compost Training Kensington Library 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

November 9, 2002 Compost Training Cobbs Creek Comm. Center 10:00a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

November 9, 2002 Compost Training Cecil B. Moore Library 1:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m.

November 9. 2002 Container Gardening 4601 Market St 2nd fl. Penn State Office

November 13, 2002 Compost Training Temple Univ. Conf. Ctr. 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

November 13, 2002 Compost Training Southwark Free Library 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

November 25, 2002 Fall Clean-up of the Garden Nicetown-Tioga Library 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.

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The Garden Post November/December 2002