Late-summer TLC for your garden
Remember your first time? The first time you rode a bike, drove a car or tried your hand at cooking? For some of us, our big first was learning to use a computer and its software. But with the right knowledge and some good advice, we learned how. And, as it goes, we likely learned how to do some things better than others.
Gardening is the same. Learn a little, save a lot of time and enjoy the fruits of your labour. This is what we’re here to help you do — we share information to help you succeed in your garden.
The tricky part of gardening is understanding what it means when the seasons change and also how your attention and efforts must change, as well.
So now we’re in late summer and here is what you need to know for three areas of your late-summer garden.
1. Lawn. Days are shorter, evenings cooler and this is ideal for grass. The next five to six weeks are the best time of year to sow a new lawn or thicken an old one. The weather works in favour of seed germination and root development, which is also good for growing sod.
Prepare the area with threeto five-centimetres of lawn soil or triple mix. Broadcast quality grass seed over the area, rake it smooth and step on it to firm the seed into the soil. Water it well.
Keep it reasonably wet until germination, which should occur in 10 days to two weeks. Fertilize later this fall. More details next week.
2. Veggies. These need a number of jobs:
á Get weeds under control. A tomato plant does not enjoy competing with deeply rooted weeds for water, soil-borne nutrients and sunlight. No matter what food crop you grow, make sure the garden is as weed free as possible.
á Water. If we run into a prolonged dry spell, where less than two cm of rain falls in a week, water veggies deeply but infrequently. We never water more than once a week. Drying soil drives plant roots deeper, making them more drought resistant. This is true for flowering perennials also.
Avoid watering tomato plants now as the blight is lurking and will be promoted by wet foliage.
Herbs. Allow these to dry more deeply than vegetables. For those growing in a garden or garden bed, water only once every two weeks in a drought. Exception: basil, which needs water weekly.
Mulch. This is a good time of year to apply a layer of cedar bark mulch, clean straw or even several layers of newspaper to insulate the soil from weeds and the drying effects of the sun. Your mulch will break down over time, adding organic nutrients to the soil.
á Harvest. Pick your vegetables and herbs before they mature into seed-producing machines.
Remember that a pea plant is not programmed to produce food for humans: It is programmed to produce seeds for reproduction. This is true for all plants, including tomatoes, peppers and the like. Pick, eat and be healthy. And keep picking. 3. Perennials. Many of your returning flowers have finished flowering. Cut the finished flower stem off now as many will rebloom later in the season, producing flowers in September through November. This works well for veronica, salvia and delphiniums.
Yes, Toronto gardeners, you can enjoy garden-fresh flowers for another three months. Plant garden mums, asters, hydrangeas, rose of Sharon, sedum, perennial hibiscus and even the native goldenrod now.
A special note on goldenrod, which was considered a weed not long ago. Experts like Doug Tallamy, who wrote the book “Nature’s Best Hope,” tells us that goldenrod is one of the most successful perennial plants for attracting pollinators and insects that are favoured by foraging songbirds. The pollen, by the way, is sticky and therefore does not contribute to the airborne pollen that causes humans to sneeze.
Whether you know a lot or a know a little, the benefits of gardening are always huge. And a little bit more knowledge can go a long way.