Right now, your tomato plants may be reaching for the sky or have already stunted from the shorter days.
If you've been planting since April, you may be exhausted and ready to give up the shovel, or you may not want to stop at all. Wouldn't there be a fresh plum here? What if I break this feather pulp and scatter it all over the west side? How can you have more shade, more light, a fountain, an asparagus...? Yes, gardening is really problematic.
Because every year is different. Continuous experimentation, digging, and making mistakes is what makes gardening exciting.
So here are 30 little challenges to follow if you want to take advantage of what's left of the long days and prepare for success or maybe just surprises next spring. There are a few things to do inside when the day is too hot to be outside or when the full moon is keeping you awake. There are people who can get out quickly when night falls and the bees return home, or early in the morning. Finally, there are some essential tools and plants to follow to nourish your dreams for the year ahead. Most can be completed in 15 minutes.
WITHIN
Order or buy an autumn onion. Get it as soon as possible, before local garden centers and the best mail order companies sell out. Try dwarf lilies (aka reticulata) or grain lilies for early blooms and daffodils for mid-spring (more reliable blooms than most tulips). Alliums come in so many sizes, colors, and flowering times it's hard to choose, but you can't go wrong. Or choose Siberian lilies, about half the size of traditional bearded lilies and slightly more drought tolerant than ordinary bearded lilies. Don't forget to include some species that make pollinators happy.
Write: What exactly did you grow where and when this year? Was it a seed or a scion? For example, I planted Hakurai turnips, which are sweet turnips with a mild radish flavor. But I got them too late and didn't give them enough space or sun. Remember if you can, when and where you planted it; If you like something but didn't go so well, try postponing it to next year. (I personally should plant fewer tomatoes.)
Make a list of gardening tools that need replacing, repairing, sharpening, or upgrading. Maybe you need a new vacuum hose, cage or bird bath.
Defrost and clean out your free freezer to make room for this summer's harvest and find any science projects that might be hiding there. (Depending on the size of the freezer, this can take longer, as I found out when my freezer recently stopped working on a bold portion.) And hey, why not share your older heirlooms in the comments below?
Clean up your seed bank. Seeds generally last longer here in Colorado. But anything older than five years is safe to dispose of, and for the best germination rate, you shouldn't store it for more than a few years. Reserve any bunches of fast-falling plants you think you might want to plant.
Look for mulch. Whether you choose gravel, cedar, or recycled tires, mulch isn't the only secret to less watering. It also insulates plants from temperature extremes, keeping the earth warmer for longer.
Make an appointment for sprinkler system service, repair, or upgrade . Or, if you have a DIY system, evaluate how your current method works (or doesn't work) and order your parts. Consider a smarter and more efficient system.
Call a landscaping company for any renovation work you plan to do in 2023. Their schedule is often set months in advance, especially when the pandemic has turned homes into jobs. Consider three things: the size and complexity of your project. your experience and willingness to devote time to maintenance; and how much you can spend Get recommendations from neighbors and your local garden center. After all, don't waste your time with someone who can't or won't answer all your questions or talk to you like you're a big brain.
If you have medium or large trees that have not been recently pruned, please call a certified arborist to schedule an appointment. You will most likely want to wait until the trees have lost their leaves and are fully dormant to prune or remove branches.
Follow your county's Agricultural Advisory Service website for a) more information on insect pests and diseases; b) use free or low-cost courses; and c) familiarize yourself with new plants before you buy them. For example, some tree species need more wind protection than others, are poisonous to pests, or are a "golden" choice for your garden. The same goes for Plant Select, which showcases the trees, shrubs and flowering plants that grow particularly well in our unique soil and climate.
Go out into the world with your portfolio
Replace the broken one . Has that hose finally come loose and caused a more worrying leak? Did the end of the trowel break, that old rusty metal left in the yard? Get your list from your instrument appraisal job and do your shopping. Thrift stores like Habitat for Humanity ReStore and ARC sometimes have working tools that someone discarded during the upgrade. Here I am looking at you, for me a newborn herb.
Sprinklers just aren't optional for Colorado gardeners, even if you have a sprinkler system, since our temperatures jump above freezing every day. If you're trying to conserve as much water as possible, you still need to plant plants to accommodate them. Try what I call the frugal girl pusher: two buckets on the floor, one with small holes drilled in the bottom. Fill the cubes to the brim with a handful; Take it to your factory and remove the stamp.
Buy trees, shrubs, perennials . There are things to do. In autumn, the earth stores the heat of summer. You'll likely need to dry and repot these purchases immediately to restore vigour, so bring along some good garden soil in the meantime. Perennials and shrubs that are planted in September will sprout again in abundance the following spring and next year. A notable exception. Many conifers, especially dwarf conifers.
The exchange starts with a friend . Aside from being cheap, these little guys might not be as ignored as the rest of the big department stores. And watching these treasures bloom will remind you that gardening is both social and solitary.
Treat yourself to courtly art . Winter is coming and it's mostly gray and brown. This is the perfect time to start shopping for outdoor metal or stone hardware. If you think garden art is boring, look for plants that offer winter color and interest. Try a red-twig dogwood or a tall ornamental grass. O light golden tree of life. (Landscape snobs call them "everyone" because everyone has them, but there's a reason for that: They're easy to keep happy.)
Deep. Root: irrigation. If you're planting a tree this fall, remember that drip irrigation is what they need most. So find a watering can that goes into the ground near your roots but not over them, or something like a TreeGator that you quickly fill with a hose, and then get on with it.
intake manifolds. I upgraded my foam vacuum bug hoses to Melnor rigid hoses and tried the 25 and 50 foot versions. Durability is yet to be determined, but they are definitely easier to set up, transport and store.
Lamp! Although mail order companies have a wide selection, you should check with local independent garden centers first. Running one of these companies is not for the faint of heart. It's very seasonal and rising utility and equipment costs can hit them hard. A second option would be online retailers that focus on the Midwest region.
Don't forget to visit public gardens in the area, like the Denver Botanic Garden and its smaller counterparts in your own city. They often celebrate the end of summer by selling plants. And while you're at it, become a member!
In the garden
Deadhead, deadhead, deadhead (unless it's a rose whose hips, that pod of fruit that forms at the base of an old flower, are decorative). In 15 minutes you can make a large rose bush or three smaller ones. Deadheading continues to thrive as the season draws to a close. Proceed with the head rinse.
The Fight Against Locusts . If locusts have become a nuisance in your home, check out EcoBran, a low-strength insecticide that USDA studies show doesn't harm bees or birds. Can't get it? Bookmark the page and set a calendar alert to receive it early next year. It is most effective when the shrimp are young. And if you have plantings where new pests seem to be thriving, try thinning those areas (they seem to regard my volunteer lemon balm as their nursery).
Blocks or removes harmful parasites . Les gilets jaunes ne manquent pas de sucre à cette période de l'année, donc s'ils essaiient d'écraser vos mercredis Wine Down en plein air ou vos soirées en levellx de gris, prenez quelques des pièges-delo. Manifestation. Be aware of areas where other wasp nests can be seen. But if you don't mind these wild predators in the garden, just mark their location and leave them alone for now. among its victims are locusts. And be careful not to harm the beneficial parasitic wasps and bee mimics.
Clean your bird bath. Enough talked! And if the birds aren't coming to visit, try an inexpensive solar powered fountain. Birds like noisy water, one of the gardeners told me.
Do your weed . Grandma's seeds smell my friend and they don't answer. If we're lucky enough to have a torrential downpour, get outside and dig things up by the roots.
Speaking of digging. If you've got a new bed planned, start ripping that floor or that cake and you're done. Yes I said go. I learned this technique by having terrible tone and being lazy. Simply breaking up that mat of roots and mud and then letting it sit for a week or three will make your next digging session easier as time, sun and (hopefully) rain will further degrade it. The same applies to opening holes for new shrubs or trees.
Start with a fall shrub and perennial fertilizer . A fall-specific plant fertilizer tells plants it's time to stop blooming and rooting while they still can. it continues to feed microorganisms that help make soil nutrients available for plant roots. I've had great success with Yum Yum Mix Winterizer, which was developed by a Santa Fe landscaper.
Clean the garage . Yes, I know, the worst job in the world. Garages have become an integral part of our culture where we throw away old things and abandon projects to forget. But do you really want to do this work in bad weather? Instead, if you have a three-day weekend, and maybe even days, to finish what you left unfinished, accept it now. find the rake Sharpen the spikes. Chase away the chaos! overload? Take care of a small space at a time or rent it all out.
Wash windows and screens . Second worst job of all. But now comes the time of the open windows, the time of the falling trees. Divide and conquer again, a single window. Clean the chains, lubricate them as needed and check the operation of locks, seals and cranks while you have time to assess condition and fix any problems before the wind and snow make them worse.
For her. Get some air first. Go. The wind cut flowers . Stand in the sun and eat a small light tomato warmed by the sun. If you can, do the things on this list at a meditative pace, in the beauty of the sunrise, or when you feel the cool night air blowing off the mountains. You live here in rock, sand and clay and in incredible and lasting beauty. Look at that. No, really look. Put aside your to-do list and plans for next season and enjoy the last bounty of summer. Celebrate all the things you improved a little and let go of the rest. be small Lie on the floor and look at an insect.
That's what you're in the garden for. to remember your small, humble and glorious country. Be a part of what is happening under heaven.
i love the world
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