Preparing Bulbs Of Roses And Perennials

This is an interesting month for gardeners everywhere but particularly so for gardeners here

. October is one of the best planting months of the entire year.

Careful soil preparation is essential, for all bulb plantings, especially for bulbs that bloom for several years before being replanted. Loosen the soil deeply and incorporate liberal amounts of bone meal, blood meal or other slow acting, long lasting fertilizers. In planting, set the bulbs on a cushion of either topsoil without fertilizer, or sand. This will cause immediate formation of roots and eliminate air pockets around the bulb. Fill around the bulbs and soak thoroughly. The proper depth of plan ting can be gauged by covering the growing point with soil to a depth of twice the greatest dimension of the bulb. Daffodils and tulips are both easy to force for indoor bloom. In purchasing bulbs for forcing, make sure to ask for forcing varieties.

Bulb-Tuber Storage

The summer flowering bulbs are lifted and stored at the time the spring flowering ones are being planted. The gladiolus, dahlias, tigridias, caladiums, tuberous begonias and other tender bulbs should all be dug as soon as their foliage dies back or is killed by frost. Frost usually gets the gardens here from the third to last week in October. If the top growth of these tender plants is killed by frost, it should be cut off immediately, just above ground. Allow the roots to dry for a few days after being dug and then place them in cool storage until planting season next April or May. It is best to divide most of these just before planting - they usually store better in clumps as dug.

Chrysanthemums require great quantities of water to produce their tremendous crop of flowers. Keep them watered. After the tops are killed by frost, cut them off from four to six inches above the soil and clean up the area.

Roses

Rose plants should be storing food to increase their cold resistance just as soon as their peak period of bloom is over the first half of the month. Another of my "experienced" backyard landscaping ideas. Roses like other hardy perennials enter their dormant season as they begin to store food; therefore, do not fertilize in October. Leave them alone so that their activity will slow down. Remove old blooms and especially the "hips" (seed pods). After a killing frost, it is well to help defoliate the plant by picking off the hanging and inactive leaves. This is a sanitation measure and removes any place that can harbor black spot spores or insect eggs for the winter.

As soon as a frost stops garden growth, remove debris and put it on the compost pile. Vines that have outgrown their bounds may be trimmed and tied to their supports. This will prevent wind and snow damage. Do not begin heavy pruning yet. Be sure to protect any pruning wounds made now with an elastic weatherproof paint.

Perennials

Old stalks of perennials should be removed, and compost notwithstanding, should be burned. Plants as well as seeds of hardy perennials may be planted now. Many hardy annuals whose seeds need freezing may be planted - poppies, larkspur and cornflowers are among this group. Seedlings may need some protection from cold weather later on.

Ground covers usually transplant easily during early fall. There is much interest in this area in the use of grass substitutes. Continue to water the garden, for dry freezes may cause a great deal of damage to plants. Gather the everlastings for drying and storing before they are killed by frost.

by: Keith Markensen.

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