You know the old saying, “you snooze, you lose!” Well, there’ll be plenty of time for snoozing during the winter months ahead. Right now there’s still work to be done in our Northeast gardens. But you had better hurry – because for some chores, it’s “last call” time!
After a killing frost has blackened the foliage, it’s time to dig and store all tender bulbs.
Photo Credit: Donna W. Moramarco
Before a frost, pick all green tomatoes for windowsill ripening.
Photo Credit: Donna W. Moramarco
- Finish all plantings of spring-flowering bulbs now! Daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, crocus all need to “set roots” before the ground freezes. Add some bone meal or bulb fertilizer to the soil at the time of planting.
- Dig and store all tender bulbs like dahlias, cannas and elephant ears after they’ve been hit by a killing frost. Here’s quick how-to: Once the foliage has been blackened by a frost, carefully dig (use a digging fork for best results) and lift the bulb out of the ground. Use a hose to wash off any soil and place the bulb in the sun for several days. (Some people refer to this process as “curing.”) It’s then time to store the bulbs for winter. Use flats or crates and fill with some peat moss, perlite, vermiculite or sawdust. Place the bulbs in the flat and cover with some additional material. Store your bulbs in a cool, frost-free location like a crawl space or basement. It’s wise to check them periodically over the winter and look for signs of rotting or shriveling.
- If you haven’t brought your houseplants inside by now, it could be too late. Early frosts are unpredictable, so don’t get caught with your plants down. Check for any unwanted six-legged creatures before you bring anything back into the house!
- No surprise, you still have some green tomatoes left on the vine. Pick them now, and you’ll enjoy windowsill tomatoes later. Select those that are blemish-free and wipe them with a soft cloth. Wrap each tomato in newspaper and line them up, single-layer deep, in a cardboard box or flat. Find a cool, dark spot (like a closet) to store them until ready to use. One by one they’ll ripen on your windowsill. Granted, they won’t be the same as vine-ripened tomatoes, but some will say they’re better than nothing! (A couple other options for those greenies: pickle or fry ’em!)
- If you’re still finding grubs feeding on your lawn’s roots, then there’s still time to treat. But do it now and use a fast-acting insecticide. (Ask your local garden center for help.) Once soil temperatures begin to cool, grubs stop feeding and go deeper into the soil for the winter months.
- And last call for fertilizing houseplants until late February! (This is done to allow plants to rest a bit during winter.)
Winter may be coming around the corner before we know it, but it’s still too early to throw in the trowel just yet and mark the end of the gardening year. Let autumn’s cool, crisp weather give you renewed energy after the heat and humidity of our long summer – and keep your garden in healthy shape.
