"Newsletter"

Hello Plant Lovers,

September Chores

One of the best times of the year to plant perennials is in fall up to the first good frost. The shorter days, cooler temperatures and more consistent moisture encourage new root growth. Continue to water newly planted plants until snow covers them. Plants establish quickly and with the aid of a little mulch will come through the winter nicely ready to put on a great performance next season.

Remove Perennials Now from Outdoor Containers

Many of you have found perennials to be excellent container garden components. If you want to save them, like the hosta in the image to the left, remove them from your pots now and plant them in the garden. Fill the remaining void with cool season annuals like ornamental cabbages or kales, mums or rudbeckia. See our Fall Plant List for fall plants we grow, or visit Pots 'n Stuff for ideas for planted containers.

Succulents

Succulents, like those shown below, were a hot item this past year. They winter over beautifully in a sunny window but make sure you hold the water. In fact, don't water them at all until the fleshy leaves get a bit spongy.

Tropicals

As September wears on the chance of frost increases with the average first frost occurring in early October. That means it's time to think about a strategy for dealing with the tropicals you used in your pots. Some are tender and will have to be moved indoors before frost if you want to use them again next year.

Many tropicals, like hibiscus, gardenias (Brilliant Hibiscus shown below) and fig trees, can be held over successfully if you keep them in a sunny window and will benefit from a winter rest period - less water, minimal fertilizer feeding and relatively cool room. Normal watering and fertilizing can resume late March or April.

Some tropicals like dahlia and cana overwinter as tubers and should be removed from the pot after a frost. After removing leaves and stems, they should be stored in a moist medium like sand or peat in a cool, dark place. A refrigerator vegetable bin will work IF you don't have a self defrosting unit which would end up desiccating the tubers, killing them. It also works only if you don't eat vegetables during the winter - a cool corner of the basement is a more practical location.

Sign Up for Fall Planting Classes

If you haven't already, sign up now for our Fall Planting Classes. You get 15% off the retail price of plants you plant in your own container during the class. To RSVP, call 920-869-2045 or email us at jan@mayflowergreenhouse.com.

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