Autumn isn’t the time to rest on your laurels
Protect your plants now to avoid regrets next spring
We’ve all been guilty of the should-have, would-have, could-have syndrome in our gardens. It goes something like this: I should have put a wrap around the trunk of my new apple tree in the fall, which would have prevented those pesky rabbits from gnawing through the bark, then I could have been enjoying a glass of wine rather than swearing at oversized rodents. Unfortunately, prevention is far too often forgotten when it comes to fall gardening.
I think the main reason for this is we think of gardening as a seven-month pursuit — even though it’s a twelve-month activity for the insects, diseases and critters that feed on our plants. True, mites won’t be dining on your plants on a frigid January day, but that doesn’t mean they’re out of the picture. Like us, they’re just on hiatus until they find the weather more conducive to gardening. However, I am not a fan of giving pests the same winter respite we give ourselves. I recommend every gardener stock up on four essential products for the fall: wraps, repellents, horticultural oil and lime sulphur. And that you put them to use! Here’s what you need to know.
Wrap it up
Wraps and repellents are vital to keeping hungry rabbits, mice, voles and deer from making a buffet out of your plants. Starting in mid- to late October, place tough plastic wrap around the base of tender-barked trees. Wraps provide great protection, but have to be removed in spring to prevent the growing and expanding trees from being strangled. Hang on to the wraps to reapply each fall.
Now, while trunk protectors are great for keeping rodents at bay, they won’t do a thing in your battle against deer. Instead, repellents, such as Bobbex, can be applied to tree canopies to leave a bad taste in the mouths of deer that feed on them. Just remember to reapply regularly, because their effectiveness diminishes over time.
Pest control
There are a number of much smaller pests that overwinter on the bark and buds of trees and shrubs. Mites and mildew are two. Horticultural oil and lime sulphur are two very effective dormant-season products you can use to control these and other micropests in their winter homes. Horticultural oil is a highly refined mineral oil that coats pests, essentially suffocating them without harming trees and shrubs. Lime sulphur does much the same thing, but provides a thicker coating and controls a broader spectrum of insect pests. These products are often sold as a kit to be used together. Just remember that whether used in combination or alone, they should be applied after the leaves have fallen off. Otherwise, you risk causing severe leaf damage that can affect the overall health of your plants. It is possible to use horticultural oil and lime sulphur during the growing season, but only on certain plants, at certain times and at specific rates of application.
So this fall, don’t fall prey to procrastination. Pests will always be an annoying part of gardening, but a lot can be done at this time of year to help keep them at bay. Trust me, the effort you put in will be worthwhile. Instead of moaning, “Should have, would have, could have,” your mantra will be “Did, done and gone … in search of a nice bottle of wine!”