Picking cucumbers is easiest when they’re grown on trellises: they take up less space, are cleaner, the fruits are straighter because of gravity and they have fewer diseases and insect
problems. So if you didn’t grow
cucumbers on a trellis this year, check out these beautiful garden accents
now so you have them ready for next
season. On ground or on trellises,
remember to keep cucumbers well watered and
fertilized up to the first frost.
Harvesting cucumbers depends on what you are going to do with them. Sweet pickles are picked when they are very small, about 1” to 2½” inches long. These dainty little pickles make great holiday presents and hostess gifts.
For crunchy dill pickles let the cucumbers
grow a little; they should be about 3” to 4” long and should be firm to the touch. Fresh slicing pickles should be harvested when the fruit reaches 6” to 8”. These slicing cucumbers can be peeled, but that’s where a lot of the vitamins and minerals are stored. The burpless types of cucumber can stay on the vine until they are 12” long; they have very tender skins and few seeds.
Too Late to Plant? NOT AT ALL!
Modern container-grown and balled and burlaped nursery stock can be planted now and well into the fall. The nursery methods used today provide the homeowner with quality, strong- rooted plants that establish themselves in just a few growing seasons. Fall is an excellent time to plant because the weather is cooling off and fall rains provide needed moisture. When planting nursery stock follow proper planting procedures and don’t plant too deep. Find the root flare and plant so it is at ground level. Some plants, like rhododendron, should be planted slightly above the surrounding grade; that allows water to move away from the trunk.
Root stimulating fertilizers can be used on newly planted nursery stock, but don’t use stronger, high nitrogen fertilizer on these plants until spring. If rains fails to fall, water so that the ground is wet going into winter. Keep your hoses out as long as possible.
Evergreens do much better with a good soaking even if they
are established in the landscape.
Lawn Seeding and Sodding
This is the best time of the year to seed a new lawn or repair an existing lawn, and this “window of opportunity” remains open through the first half of September. The cooler temperatures and warm soil help
grass seed take off and become well established by late fall. Sod, too, does very well in these conditions; the cooler weather promotes rooting and you
don’t need to water as often.
When seeding a lawn, preparation is key. The soil should be loose and the grass seed needs to make contact with it. The smoother the surface of the area to be seeded, the smoother it will be when you walk on your new lawn or mow it. Once the soil is prepared, choose a good blend of grass seed varieties–more variety means the lawn is better able to fight off diseases. Even if one variety gets infected, the others will be free of damage.
You can put down grass seed using a rotary fertilizer spreader or with your hands. Just remember that a grass seed is not a blade of grass–it’s a grass plant, and each plant needs room to grow. Many times people put down grass seed too thickly and the seeds form a thick mat, choking themselves out and rotting. Six to eight seeds per square inch are enough. Once the seed layer is down, cover it with a thin layer of peat moss and water regularly. Cut your new lawn when the grass is about 3” tall, removing less than a third of the blade.
Did You Know?
Roughly 25% of all prescription medicines in the
United States are derived from plants.
Tip
Pick tomatoes when they are turning color; any tomato will ripen on its own once half to three-quarters of it has changed color. If the sun is allowed to shine on fully ripened fruit, it breaks down the aromatic compounds which give the tomato its flavor. Never put tomatoes in the refrigerator.
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.
