Keep the grass about 3” long in the early fall and cut
it often so that no more than one third of the grass
blade is removed during each mowing. The height of
3” has been proven to be the right height to help keep out weeds and the lawn is better able to compete with pests and disease. Keep cutting the grass as long as it keeps growing, this means up until the snow flies. The lawn does not need to be cut low on the final cut, bring the height down to about 2.5”. Once the mowing season is over use up the gas in the lawn mower and clean it up before storing. Now would be a great time to take the blade off and get it sharpened for the next mowing season.
It’s one less thing to do in the spring.
Formula for Bulb Success
Here are the keys to success with fall planted
bulbs in our challenging climate:
Pick the right site. Since bulbs are fleshy, they
don’t like poorly drained or heavy soil - they like
lots of sun, especially early in the spring. When
the deciduous trees fill out later and create shade,
that’s okay as long as the bulbs have good sun early in the season.
Plant them at the right time. Even though bulbs begin to come into stores early in September, they can’t all be planted then. The first half of October is the best time to plant them all at once. Narcissus (daffodils) and large-
flowered hyacinths may go in from mid-September through mid-October. But it is important to wait until October to plant tulips and other minor bulbs.
Plant them the right depth. To minimize problems with winter damage
and squirrel digging, it is essential they be planted at the right depth.
Unfortunately, that isn’t always the depth it says on the fancy picture tags. Tulips need to go at least 8 inches deep and can go as much as 12 inches deep. And daffodils should go 6 to 8 inches. That’s the depth to the top of the bulb once it is planted, not to the bottom of the hole. For more details
on planting depth, see our information sheet on Spring Bulb
Spacing and Depths.
Fertilize. Give them a balanced fertilizer (not just bone meal) when you plant them, again when they emerge in spring and right after they finish blooming. Sprinkle food over the bulbs not in the bottom of the hole.
Water. Bulbs are resting when you plant them and watering signals that it’s time to start rooting and preparing for spring. Soak the area when you plant and be sure it stays damp all fall going into the winter freeze up.
Protecting Bulbs From Critters
Critters can make having a successful spring bulb display a bit
challenging. The first step in preventing animals from damaging your bulbs is to understand what they are doing and why. The last step is accepting their nature and understanding that no matter what barrier or repellent you use, the animals are not going to choose starvation. Squirrels are the
biggest problem in fall and tulips are one of their favorite foods, second
only to nuts. Placing a barrier over the newly planted area will help keep them from digging. The barrier can be a board, a large plant saucer or a piece of chicken wire. It only needs to stay there until the ground is frozen. The best preventive of all is to simply plant the tulips 8 to 12 inches deep,
as recommended. To protect crocus (their next favorite), put a double
handful of sharp gravel on top of each bulb when they are planted. The gravel is too sharp for the squirrels to dig through. Another good tip that works is planting your bulbs in the evening when the squirrels have gone
to bed. During the day they sit up in the tree and watch you plant. For
tricks with other bulbs, ask one of our horticulturists or see Protecting Bulbs from Critters.
Bulbs for Naturalizing
Bulbs can be a little confusing, especially when you thought they were all perennial and you start hearing terms like naturalize or perennialize. Bulbs that will naturalize are those that will bloom and multiply for years in the same location. Traditionally, bulbs were naturalized in the lawn, but they work very well in beds with groundcovers and perennials. In addition to selecting the right bulbs to naturalize, it is important to plant them in
well-prepared soil in the right location. Many varieties of bulbs are actually good perennials, but not well suited to naturalizing. These bulbs live on for many years but don’t multiply appreciably. There are also hundreds of
varieties of bulbs that are magnificent for a few seasons, then they start to fade (but the show they put on makes them well worth planting). For more,see our Naturalizing and
Perennializing Bulbs information sheet.
Tips
Now is a great time to spray perennial lawn weeds.
Putting the vegetable garden to bed involves removing the old vegetable plants. If they are free of disease the garden material can go in the compost. If the plants don’t look healthy, recycle them at the city compost area.
Fall is a great time to amend the soil and get it ready for next year’s garden.
Larry Pfarr Outdoor Living & Entertaining Expert
New Look for your Fireplace
Instead of adding harvest garland to your mantel,
try creating a fun-filled display inside your fireplace
hearth combining pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn.
For a whimsical look, use Department 56 Halloween
Villages (the sooty look of the fireplace adds to the haunted look of the houses). Or get creative with carved pumpkins and branches.
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
