To-Do List for October

Ornamentals

Continue watering, especially evergreens if soils are dry.

Nuts or seeds of woody plants usually require exposure to 3 months cold before sprouting. This may be provided by outdoor planting in fall or "stratifying" in an unsealed bag of damp peat moss placed in the refrigerator.

Container grown and B & B trees and shrubs can be planted. Loosen the soil in an area 2 times the diameter of the root ball before planting. Mulch well after watering.

Plant spring bulbs among hostas, ferns, daylilies or ground covers. As these plants grow in the spring they will hide the dying bulb foliage.

For best bloom later this winter, Christmas cactus, potted azaleas and kalanchoe may be left outdoors until night temperatures drop to about 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spring bulbs for forcing can be potted up now and stored in a cool, frost-free place until it is time to bring indoors, usually 12 to 15 weeks.

Cannas and dahlias can be dug when frost nips their foliage.

Allow the plants to dry under cover in an airy, frost-free place before storage.

Transplant deciduous trees once they have dropped their leaves.

Plant tulips now.

Trees may be fertilized now. This is best done following soil test guidelines.

Lawns

Seeding should be finished by October 15.

Broadleaf herbicides can be applied now to control cool-season weeds such as chickweed and dandelion.

Continue mowing lawns until growth stops.

Keep leaves raked off lawns to prevent smothering grass.

Now is a good time to apply lime if soil tests indicate the need.

Winterize lawn mowers before storage.

Vegetables

Sow cover crops such as winter rye after crops are harvested.

Harvest winter squash and pumpkins before frost. For best storage quality, leave an inch or two of stem on each fruit.

Dig sweet potatoes before a bad freeze.

Gourds should be harvested when their shells become hard or when their color changes from green to brown.

A few degrees of frost protection may be gained by covering tender plants with sheets or light-weight fabric row covers.

Continue harvesting tender crops before frost.

The average first frost usually arrives about October 15-20.

Fruits

Store apples in a cool basement in old plastic sacks that have been perforated for good air circulation.

Persimmons start to ripen, especially after frost.

Monitor fruit plantings for mouse activity and take steps for their control if present.

Place wire guards around trunks of young fruit trees for protection against mice and rabbits.

Fall color season begins.

Begin peak fall color in maples, hickories and oaks.

End of peak fall color.

Source:  Missouri Botanical Garden

Posted:  9/26/2014

Carrot Cake on the Lighter Side

Carrot Cake and Constant Comment Tea

Carrots planted in early August for a Fall Harvest are sweeter than those planted in the Spring, in my opinion.  Last year's carrots were pulled up about mid-October.  Of course, it is easier to buy those wonderful little carrots in the store and they will continue to be popular. But carrots fresh from the garden are more special.  With a good scrubbing, they may not even need to be peeled and are good to eat plain or in salads.  

Many of the smaller and odd-sized ones can be shredded easily to be used in a delicious carrot cake.  Many carrot cake recipes have more fat and sugar than needed for a good dessert.  This one has less oil and sugar and is made with whole wheat flour that gives a more substantial, healthier option to this classic dessert.  Enjoy this easy to make cake without a guilty conscience!

Ingredients:

¼ cup canola oil, plus more for cake pan

1 cup whole wheat flour, plus more for cake pan

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup packed light brown sugar

⅓ cup low-fat plain yogurt

1 cup shredded, packed carrots 

cream cheese frosting or sprinkle with confectioner's sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush and 8" square glass cake pan with oil.  Place a waxed or parchment paper in the bottom; brush with oil, and dust with flour.  Set aside.

Whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl.  Set aside.

Whisk eggs, sugars, yogurt, and oil until smooth in small bowl until smooth.  Gently mix egg mixture into dry ingredients until moistened; mix in carrots.  Scrape batter into prepared 8" square pan.

Bake about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool slightly.  Turn out of pan on rack to cool completely.  Transfer to plate and dust with confectioner's sugar for a lighter dessert.

For a layered cake with cream cheese frosting:

1 cream cheese bar softened to room temperature

1 cup confectioner's sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Beat with hand mixer until fluffy.  Cut 8"x 8" cooled cake in half.  Smooth out about ½ cup of the frosting on top of one layer then place other half cake on top.  Frost sides and top evenly.  Sprinkle walnuts on top, if desired.  

For more information about growing carrots see:  extension.missouri.edu/p/g6201-9

Source:  Beti Pearson, Hickory County Master Gardener and Missouri Master Naturalist.

Posted:  9/19/2014

Butterfly Gardening and Your Gardening Personality

Master Gardener's Road Trip 

A great way to spent a hot day on Aug 28, 2014 was with members of the Master Gardeners of Hickory County attending an event sponsored by the Barton County and Four Seasons Master Gardeners.  The event was titled:  Flying Flowers in your Garden and Your Gardening Personality.  The speaker was Lenora Larson who is a member of the  Miami, Kansas Master Gardeners, the Idalia Butterfly Society, and the Kansas Native Plant Society.  She is an informative speaker with a great sense of humor that kept everyone cackling the entire time! 

The workshop provided great information on how to create a better butterfly environment.  A hand-out pamphlet, "How to Convert your Beautiful Garden into an Even More Beautiful Butterfly Garden" contained a wealth of information and included links to help create a better environment for butterflies.  Missouri has a lot of different kinds of butterflies but unfortunately they are becoming less common because of the plight of the Monarch butterflies - migratory butterflies that are dying in record numbers.  Creating a better butterfly environment will not only help our butterfly population and bring these beautiful creatures into our gardens, but will also aid the Monarchs in their migration to and from South America. 

Monarch Caterpillar on Native Milkweed

The workshop attendees learned that to survive and thrive, the butterfly needs nectar plants and host plants - nectar plants for the adult butterfly and host plants for the caterpillar and cocoon stages to feed on.  The nectar plants can be from a wide variety of flowering plants that flower from as early and as late in the growing season as possible to benefit the largest group of butterflies.  

Monarch on Marigold  (Tagetes patula)

As gardeners, we all have a variety of beautiful flowering plants in our yards and gardens. Unfortunately, many are unsuitable for butterflies. The issue seems to be that most plants we consider for flowers are hybridized and do not provide nectar.  That's right…they are nectar sterile!  I had no idea!  I assumed all flowers buds had nectar.  Knowing this, I will surely be attuned to what varieties I will plant in the future.  As I looked over the flowers that I had chosen, I realized that I could have had the same flowers and colors by simply planting the native variety of those plants attracting more butterflies to our yard.  A case in point: I planted some hardy marigolds having no idea they were sterile.  If I had just planted more of the native variety of marigold, Tagetes patula, I would have provided more of the nectar the butterflies needed.  Luckily, we had some varieties of marigolds and zinnias that did attract a few Monarchs in my yard.  We can do better and still have the beauty!

Monarch on Zinnia

I encourage everyone to look at your flowers and to see if they are attracting butterflies or bees. If they are not being visited, this could be an issue that is easily remedied. The link to the Missouri Conservation Dept. provides a good list of native nectar and host plants that will last throughout the growing season.

After the event's morning session, we took a brunch break with the pot-luck items that we all provided.  The afternoon session focused on landscaping principles.  The speaker's approach focused on a person's personality and not the standard that you see in most gardening books. The idea is to find out what your unconscious gardening personality is and by being conscious of your unconscious personality, you will be better able to create a one of a kind landscape. This was accomplished through a series of visual pictures on different elements of a landscape and a self-quiz as to what you like to do if given choices. 

This was a great workshop and provided much useful information!  Traveling  by carpool was ample time to chat with fellow Master Gardeners and share other perspectives on related issues.  Butterflies have specific needs that must be met as does all wildlife.  The presentation reviewed their biology and habitat requirements with an emphasis on garden design.  Additional information can be found at:

Monarch Watch

North American Butterfly Association

Missouri Wildflowers Nursery

Source:  Keith Pearson, Hickory County Master Gardener
Posted:  9/13/14

To-Do List for September

Ornamentals

Cuttings of annuals can be taken now to provide vigorous plants for overwintering.

Herbs such as parsley, rosemary, chives, thyme and marjoram can be dug from the garden and placed in pots now for growing indoors this winter.

Except tulips, spring bulbs may be planted as soon as they are available. Tulips should be kept in a cool, dark place and planted in late October.

Begin readying houseplants for winter indoors. Prune back rampant growth and protruding roots. Check for pests and treat if necessary. Houseplants should be brought indoors at least one month before the heat is normally turned on.

Perennials, especially spring bloomers, can be divided now. Enrich the soil with peat moss or compost before replanting.

Divide peonies now. Replant in a sunny site and avoid planting deeply.

Lift gladioli when their leaves yellow. Cure in an airy place until dry before husking.

Poinsettias can be forced into bloom for Christmas if they are moved indoors now to a sunny windowsill. Each night, they must be kept in a cool, dark place where there is no light for 14 hours. This must continue until proper color is achieved in 6-10 weeks.

Lawns

Cool-season lawns are best fertilized in fall. Make up to 3 applications between now and December. Do not exceed rates recommended by fertilizer manufacturer.

If soils become dry, established lawns should be watered thoroughly to a depth of 4-6 inches.

Begin fall seeding or sodding of cool-season grasses. Seedbeds should be raked, dethatched or core-aerified, fertilized and seeded. Keep newly planted lawn areas moist, but not wet.

Lawns may be topdressed with compost or milorganite now. This is best done after verifying.

It is not uncommon to see puffballs in lawn areas at this time.    

Newly seeded lawns should not be cut until they are at least 2 or 3 inches tall.

Vegetables

Egyptian (top-setting) onions can be divided and replanted now.

Sowing seeds of radish, lettuce, spinach and other greens in a cold frame will prolong fall harvests.

Keep broccoli picked regularly to encourage additional production of side shoots.

Pinch out the top of Brussels sprout plants to plump out the developing sprouts.

Harvest herbs now to freeze or dry for winter use.

Tie leaves around cauliflower heads when they are about the size of a golf ball.

Pinch off any young tomatoes that are too small to ripen. This will channel energy into ripening the remaining full-size fruits.

Sow spinach now to overwinter under mulch for spring harvest.

Fruits

Pick pears before they are fully mature. Store in a cool, dark basement to ripen.

Bury or discard any spoiled fallen fruits.

Paw paws ripen in the woods now.

Check all along peach tree trunks to just below soil line for gummy masses caused by borers. Probe holes with thin wire to puncture borers.

Miscellaneous

Autumn is a good time to add manure, compost or leaf mold to garden soils for increasing organic matter content.

Monitor plants for spider mite activity. Reduce their numbers by hosing off with a forceful spray of water.

Seasonal loss of inner needles on conifers is normal at this time. It may be especially noticeable on pines.

Source:  Missouri Botanical Gardens

Posted:  9/5/2014