KRAUTTER’S KORNER NEWSLETTER – OCT 2016
One year ago our Garden Center burnt down. People keep asking me about the fire. I thought it was time to put the story down in writing. It will now be posted on Naturalgardennews and be part of the archives forever. Life has many ups and downs and many turns in the road. The only thing for sure is that change is inevitable and things happen.
We have a nice selection of house plants displayed in the foliage house. Add plants to your home and grow your own fresh air. Plants remove toxins from the air and toxins are building up in today’s work places and homes. Synthetic building materials, carpets, furniture and fabrics are causing much of this problem referred to as ‘Sick Building Syndrome’. To read more about this refer to the chapter ‘Indoor Gardening’ on page 257 in my book ‘12 Steps To Natural Gardening’. All of our house plants are on sale fat twenty percent off.
12 STEPS TO NATURAL GARDENING
By now most of the people reading my emails own my book. Many of you have said how much you like it and I appreciate this. I hope you keep reading it and refreshing the subject matter as you perform the various tasks in your garden. Remember I have put everything I know into concise short chapters. We will be closed after Thanksgiving and will re-open again in March of 2017 celebrating our 73rd year in business. If you like my book, believe in the importance of the organic method and have witnessed the fantastic results of growing organically; please consider buying a book for a friend and give it as a Holiday or Birthday gift. I will sign all books for you up until Thanksgiving Day. After that the book can be purchased on Amazon.
EVERGREENS, TREES AND SHRUBS
Evaluate your back yard and see what plants need to be replaced, and what projects need to be accomplished to make your outdoor living area more functional and more aesthetically pleasing. Many foundation plants are overgrown. Often these overgrown plants could be better utilized in the back yard. With cool nights and with moisture on the leaves, powdery mildew becomes a problem. Check for Scale on Euonymus and Woolly Adelgid on Hemlocks. Both can be controlled by spraying with All Seasons’ Oil. Pull mulches an inch away from the bark to allow the trunks to harden off for winter. Feed evergreens in late October. By this time, the plants’ top growth become dormant but the roots continue to grow. It is very important in an organic garden to develop a good strong root system. Don’t neglect to feed late this month.
ANNUALS
Light frosts can kill plants early but if you watch the weather forecasts, covering with a towel will gain some extended flowering time. I have seen annuals in full bloom up until Thanksgiving. If you want to keep them going you have to keep feeding them with Nature’s Source. We will be handling Remay cloth for winter protection. It can be used year after year so it is a good investment. It allows rain to penetrate and light to filter through. It is used commercially by many growers.
HOUSE PLANTS
By early October all tender house plants should have been brought in. Spraying the soil and the plant with an organic product such as Neem Oil or Earth-tone Insect Control will insure a clean insect free plant. To insure greater bud set, Camellias, Indoor Azaleas and Zygo Cactus should be kept out until Thanksgiving, bringing them in only on nights when there is a chance of frost. Create fresh air in your home or office by filling enclosed areas with indoor plants. They will remove the harmful air-borne toxins. Plants will add humidity and beauty to the indoors and help reduce mold.
PERENNIALS
Top dress with Fundy Blend or Dark Harbour Enriching Mulch. I like alternating these products. The greater the diverse mix the greater the results. Continue to plant, transplant, divide, deadhead, and cut back dead tissue. Make sure your perennial beds are filled with lots of fall color. Develop new beds to add more perennials to your property. Add grasses and fall blooming perennials to your existing beds. Great splashes of color can be added with Chrysanthemums. All perennials are on sale at twenty percent off.
LAWNS
If you haven’t fertilized your lawn yet this fall, make sure you do so as soon as possible. The organic lawn program is paying off. This is the consensus of people who are following the program. Those who have followed every step of the program, claim their lawn never looked better this year despite the drought and heat. The 5-year organic lawns are the best lawns on the block. Cool weather, rain and microbes breaking down organic material into nutrients create great sustainable lawns. If your lawn is in poor shape and you have concerns about applying poisonous pesticides, switch to our organic program. Take a look at my lawn in the front of the red brick house as you enter the nursery. If my mother were alive, she would be very proud of her organic lawn. Years back when we followed a chemical program she always complained her lawn had so many problems that she felt like the shoemaker’s daughter who never had a decent pair of shoes. This year I have done very little to my lawn. It is the richest green lawn on my road and I am sure it cost me the least amount of money. Once the food web takes over, the good grasses take over and the lawn is beautiful while costing less. It takes 5 years but the results are amazing if you stick to the program, you will be happy with the results.
LAWN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OCTOBER
Apply one bag of Lobster compost per 1,000 square feet. Put the compost in a wheelbarrow and spread by hand as if you were feeding the chickens. Cornell has shown that compost suppresses disease. Compost adds microbes, carbon and nutrients to your soil. Fungus problems are a rarity on a well maintained organic lawn. Continue to seed bare areas and heavily weeded areas. Dead grass needs to be removed and bare spots need to be re-seeded. Seeding should be done prior to the end of October. If done later, soak seed, apply hay over the bare areas and use Jonathan Green naturally insect resistant seed formulas. Our lawn renovation program is written up in my Book “12 Steps To Natural Gardening”. If seeding in late October, soak seed overnight and hang in a piece of cheese cloth to dry. Germination will be sped up by one week. Follow the rejuvenation program in my book. Do not water your lawn in the evening. Fertilizing is very important in the fall. If not done yet, fertilize with an organic lawn food. Keep up with the program. There is something important to do each month. Follow our Organic Lawn Program located in my book at the end of my chapter the “Organic Lawn” or pick up a free 12 Steps To Natural Gardening calendar.
ROSES
Top Dress with a light layer of Cow Manure, Lobster Blend to Dark Harbour Enriching Mulch. In our organic approach, our focus is to add microbes to the soil and to promote a deeper root system. Remove fallen leaves if black spot was a problem.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
If you have some bare spots, fill them with our large selection of cool crop seedlings. Extend your vegetable garden well into the fall and even into the winter season using a cloth covering called Remay. Once crops are harvested remove plants to avoid insects or disease and compost them. Add some of your compost to the area. Top dress the area with a light layer of cow manure. This will feed the microbes in your soil and help develop a strong food web. Keep the bare areas cultivated allowing birds to feed on grubs and hidden larvae. Cultivate frequently to keep weed seeds from developing yet allowing existing seeds to germinate. This is an effective weed reduction technique for next year’s crops.
MOST ASKED QUESTION
Whenever I plant my fall bulbs, squirrels and other rodents dig them up. What can I do about it? Buy yourself a small roll of chicken wire. It is very inexpensive and cuts very easily. Cut pieces to match your planting area and lay directly on top of your planted bulbs. You can throw on a light layer of mulch to cover the chicken wire. Remove it once the ground freezes. There are repellents as well. Squirrels often are just looking for a good place to bury their acorns, and they enjoy the soft ground you prepared for them. There is a heavy crop of acorns this year which many people consider to be the sign of an upcoming cold winter.
GARDEN TIP
Pruning takes place all year round and is important once again this fall. You need to get involved in the process and you need to understand the principles involved. Proper pruning can save you a lot of money and improper pruning or lack of can cost you a lot of money. So try to create some time and attend our Pruning lecture on Saturday10:00 are November 14th. It will be well worth your time.
It’s always difficult to get people to plant in the Fall. The enthusiasm just isn’t there. The weather is changing and gardens also need to be changing. Fall is for planting. Examine your needs and do as much Fall planting as you can.
EDITORIAL
There is no part of our country where the Fall colors are so intense as in the Northeast. People travel world wide to see them. We often take them for granted but it is a spectacle that can take your breath away. The exciting part about a Northeast garden is that it changes with each season. Through the use of a mixture of plants, the season can be extended. Fall colors are bright yellow, orange, shades of bright fiery reds and purple hues. Cool nights and short days help trigger the Fall Color process. This phenomenon takes place as the leaf abscission layer starts to form, breaking down chlorophyl and unmasking an incredible array of fall colors. Fall is a great time to live in the Northeast.
I have come up with my top twenty plants for fall color. I have listed plants that are readily available. There are many more native plants that give great fall color in our forests. If we consider all the varieties within the species, my list becomes even larger. An example would be the Maple. There are many varieties with excellent fall color ranging from bright yellow to fiery red. These plants can be individually researched for greater detail.
TOP 20 FALL FOLIAGE FAVORITES
Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
Acer (Maple) Palmatum varieties, rubrum, griseum, sacharum
Cornus florida -Cornus kousa (Dogwood)
Euonymus alatus (Burning Bush)
Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgo Tree)
Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)
Pyrus calleryana (Bradford Pear)
Berberis thunbergii William Penn, (Barberry)
Oxydendrum (Sorrel Tree)
Fothergilla gardenii (Fothergilla)
Hamamelis x intermedia ‘Arnold’s Promise’ (Witch Hazel)
Itea virginica (Winterberry)
Betula nigra ‘Heritage’ (River Birch Tree)
Enkianthus campanulatus (Redvein Enkianthus)
Koelreuteria paniculata (Goldenrain Tree)
Stewartia koreana (Korean Stewartia)
Styrax obassia (Fragrant Snowball)
Cercidiphyllum japonicum (Katsura Tree)
Gleditsia triacanthus ‘Shademaster’ (Honey Locust)
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum)
Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood)
Quercus palustris (Pin Oak)
Tilia cordata ‘Greenspire’ (Littleleaf Linden)
