Welcome to the September meeting here at Gilberg’s Perennial Farms. I wish to thank Cindy Gilberg for hosting us this month and her staff for all the assistance they provide.

There really is no other place to talk and see first perennials as they can be purchased and growing in their gardens exactly what to expect in your landscape.

As the days of late summer grow shorter, with the season change will bring the colorful leaves, cool temperatures and new landscape features. The traditional fall mums usually dominate for late summer and fall color. There are many other choices to bring back or renew/add new fall blooming perennials - Asters, Rudbeckia (Purple Cone Flower), Buddleia (Butterfly Bush), Black-eyed (Rudbeckia goldsturim), Sedum - Autumn Joy or Ruby Red, Heliaxithus (False Sunflower), Liriope Muscari (Lullyturf), Colchicum Autumnale (fall Crocus), Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo) and a wide selection of ornamental grasses which add motion to the landscape.

The Aster is gaining in popularity as a great fall bloomer. The name Aster comes from a Latin word for “star” and refers to the appearance of the individual flowers. The Aster can add a good white true blue or purple or pink into the fall color scheme. Many breeding work is to improve the compact and brilliant color in Europe. They are called Michaelmas Daisies because they reach their peak bloom naturally about St. Michael’s Day, September 29th. The Alpine or Rock Aster stay more compact. Wild asters if not pinched like mum can grow as tall as 4-6 feet tall and can be considered weedy. Asters also like sunny locations, perfect draining and do not survive well in wet soils through the winter.

The willowy plumes and long thin leaves of many ornamental grasses can add a unique/constant motion to the landscape. During winter months the motion of the grass and plumes is one of the only movement and attractions in the landscape. When it snows or ice Jack Frost takes over is really picturesque. Ornamental grasses are nothing new, but the interest in them has increased greatly in recent years. Most perennial grasses are easy to grow and require little care. They require full sun to grow best in well drained soil. Ornamental grasses require little care other than cutting back in early spring. Few pests bother them.

Early fall is a great time to renovate perennials and reorganize/design the landscape/flower bed. As in a lawn, the soil temperature is warm - sun is good. Night temperatures are cooling down and ideal for good root growth and moderate foliage growth. As a general rule of thumb, plants shouldn’t be replanted any less than three to four weeks before a killing frost, usually done by October 15 is good so that too much moisture from fall rain rots new root development.

How to divide most perennials - dig up the perennial with as much as possible root ball, break the root ball into clumps/parts with a sharp knife or spade. Start at the top, by the base of the plants stems and work downward through the roots. Look for points where the root ball breaks naturally. If weeds have the soil surrounding, try and note and keep weeks out and not part of the root ball. Re-work or renovate soil by adding organic matter or ProMix, sand/Perlite to existing soil. Mulch and plant about 1” higher for settling and prevention of root rot.

The mulch is especially important for the newly planted small plants because freezing and thawing can push plants up.

Now is also time to consider the Pansies for all and winter color and planting those spring blooming bulbs, Tulips, Daffodils, Narcissus, Crocus.

Last year a new Rose - the “Flower Carpet”, introduced to America, a triple crown award winter. This bright pink rose can be enjoyed seasonally longer, with a glossy green foliage that will last into some of the early winter months. Something every garden enthusiast should have in their landscape the Rose in the Pink Pot.

While some perennials will thrive for decades in the same spot without being disturbed, most will benefit from being lifted and divided every five to seven years. A good way to tell when a perennial needs to be divided is if it begins to die out in the center, if flowering has decreased, or if the plant has grown too large for its space.

To divide perennials, lift the plant out of the ground with a spading fork or shovel and break clumps from it using your hand or a sharp knife or spade. Discard the old, rotten or diseased pieces. Replant your new divisions and remember to keep them well-watered until established.

Bearded irises are prized perennials with showy, fragrant flowers every spring. They have big sturdy rhizomes, which are fleshy, thick underground stems and give rise to roots and leaves. They produce fewer blossoms in succeeding years because their rhizomes eventually become overcrowded and starved for nutrients.

Dividing the iris clump and replanting allows them to produce abundant blossoms once again. If borers are a problem in your area, your plants will gain renewed strength to resist their attacks. Borers, pink larvae with brown heads, devour rhizome tissues, which leaves a wound open to infection.

In cold areas, divide bearded irises in early fall, so the new plants will have plenty of time to become established before freezing. Use a spading fork to loosen the soil around and under the clump, taking care not to cut into the rhizomes growing near the edge. Lift the entire clump out the ground and shake off or wash away any soil clinging to the rhizomes and roots.

The clump will consist of older, spongy rhizomes with lighter-colored young ones growing from their sides. Cut the yound rhizomes away with a sharp knife. Discard the older pieces and any undersized or diseased parts. Extract and kill any borers you find.

To reduce moisture loss, trim the leaves to about one-third of their original height. Each division should consist of a vigorous, firm rhizome and a fan of healthy leaves. To help prevent infection, soak the rhizomes for about half an hour in a 10 percent solution of household bleach, followed by a dusting of powdered sulfur. Lay the trimmed plants in a shady place for several hours to allow the cut ends to dry and heal.

Always plant bearded irises in a sunny location with good drainage. If you are replanting in the same direction as the old clump, first check for any inch-long, shiny-brown borer pupae that may be hiding in the soil. Destroy them or they will emerge in the fall as moths and lay eggs on or near the plants.

Dig a shallow hole or each division, forming a low mound in the center to set the rhizome. Space the divisions 12 to 18 inches apart. Drape the roots gown each side of the mound and firm the soil around them. The plants will quickly form a natural-looking clump if grown in groups of three. Arrange them in a triangle with the fans of two of the divisions pointing outward, and the fan of the third pointing toward the space in-between. Cover a fresh rhizome only lightly with soil. Those that are planted too keep are much more susceptible to borers and rotting.

Bearded irises are heavy feeders, so remove some of the old soil and add twice as much compost, or compost plus fresh soil. At the very least, work in an inch or two of compost or well-rotted manure. Also give the plants a light application of a 5-10-10 fertilizer, which is half the amount recommended on the label. With many perennials, it’s best to avoid fertilizers with a high ratio of nitrogen, which can lead to excessive leaf growth that is susceptible to disease and damage from early frosts.

Water the young plants at once to settle the soil around the roots. If the weather is hot and sunny, temporarily shade them by placing a shingle on their south side. If there is no rain, irrigate every 10 days or so throughout the summer. Don’t over-water because too much moisture makes the rhizomes vulnerable to rotting.

In regions with cold winters, apply a mulch of evergreen boughs or salt hay in last autumn to prevent alternate freezing and thawing of the soil, which can heave the plants out of the ground. Be sure to remove the mulch in early spring because a permanent mulch locks in too much moisture.

Some say nature saves her biggest show for fall, but I feel you need to appreciate each season Mother Nature has to give us. After the summer heat, it is good to take a deep, cold breath and hold it and release, enjoying the stillness of glittering October sunlight. With the changing colors in preparation for winter, enjoying our countryside and the awe-inspiring extravaganza and to be proud to be an American in America!!!

Some may think a little differently about all those falling leaves that cover your lawn and garden as a mess. I don’t think of fallen leaves as a burden, they are a valuable resource to gardeners that use them wisely.

No matter how much leaves contribute to the soil, though, they don’t do the grass any good if they are left to lie where they fall. If you allow piles of whole leaves to remain on the lawn, they’ll mat down under winter’s relentless rain and snow and smother the grass. The solution is to either remove them entirely or simply make them small enough to break down without stifling the growth of the grass.

Fall gardening is graced with a new season with a wide range of temperature, colors and opportunities. The mum is still king with the large range of fall colors and with the Sedums, Asters and ornamental grasses. As you are removing - you do not need to miss color in the garden - the Pansies are a cool weather plant that will tolerate the temperature changes and go well below freezing and pop right back up. This year there are some great varieties beyond the usual with new names as Halloween from last year but also Trick or Treat and Black Springtime.

But if you have not already done so to get your Pansies in, it is time to remove and clean up those summer beauties. Take note of what did well and not so well. Get those spring bulbs planted with the possible Pansies planted right on top to keep color in the landscape all mulched in and ready for winter.

After that first frost or freeze, the top growth of annuals and vegetables will become unsightly and need removal and laced in the composted pile or picked up from curb service.

Generally, most perennials need to be pruned/trimmed to about 4” to 6”. The Peonies cut back all the way to the ground and I personally would not place in the compost heap/pile to avoid possible spores of botritis, a fungal disease. I personally enjoy the Artemosia - the grey foliage which gives a certain fluorescence of winter accents. The leaving of ornamental grass foliage in place until late winter/early spring can give movement and has been very picturesque in some snow and ice landscape. Once your garden/landscape is cleared, bulbs planted, the mulch will help with temperature and ground movement from sudden freezing. It helps to minimize damage of the freeze, thaw cycle. Also helps reduce moisture loss which when the water is turned off and you leave it up to Mother Nature is sometimes long in between waterings.

Mulch will also give your garden landscape a nice and tidy clean look like a frame for a picture.

Depending on rainfall, (this year is a real guessing game) and Mother Nature, try to be considerate of especially newly planted trees, shrubs and perennials, along with those Pansies and bulbs. Be sure it is a slow watering to allow water to seep down and make the most of your water use.

Mulching is a popular fall activity, but it too, must be times correctly to be of maximum benefit. Just s water replenishment too early in fall can induce soft, late, weak growth, mulching too early can keep the soil unnaturally warm and interfere with the onset of dormancy. Low night time temperatures in fall will cool unmulched soil faster than mulch-covered soil. This will move the entire plant into dormancy more rapidly and result in less winter dieback. Once correctly applied, mulch keeps soil cooler next spring, even delaying budbreak by just enough to avoid damages from late frosts.

Mulch does wonderful things: it controls weeds, reduces mower damage to trees, conserves moisture, reduces soil temperature fluctuation, prevents frost heaving of small plants and adds organic matter and nutrients. Do your deep, late-fall watering before the last application of mulch; that ensures that the moisture gets into the plants roots and stems. Let the mulch layer then keep it in the soil for you. Happy Fall Gardening!

When planting trees and shrubs, dig a wide hole. Width is usually more important than depth. The first new roots that develop will be in the upper portion of the soil where aeration is good. The American Forestry Association suggests digging holes at least 5 times the width of the root ball, but only about the same dept as the root ball.

Searching for flowers in November
We are not in a climate where plants can be expected to flower every month of the year. However, some gardeners try to extend the season of flowers as long as possible. For gardeners striving for flowers in November, there are a few plants that may actually accommodate them in most years. These plants do not have extremely showy flowers and, therefore, need to be positioned in a location where they can be seen more closely. However, when they are used, the surprise of finding their interesting flowers in the garden after leaves have fallen and cold winds are beginning to blow can provide some pleasant moments.

The plant most likely to provide this November surprise is a small tree which may sometimes be grown as a large shrub that is known as American witch hazel. This is a native plant and the same one from which the commercial extract was made that was used for many years as a popular toilet water and after-shave lotion. The bark and leaves have also been used for other purposes because of the astringency of the extract. Forked branches of this plant were used by some early American pioneers as ‘divining’ rods for seeking water or minerals. The person considered skilled at this process was called a water witch, and it is form this process that the plant received part of its common name. Leaves are somewhat similar to the hazelnut, which consequently gives the other part of the witch hazel name.

This plant is not commonly found in landscapes although it may be found growing naturally in wooded areas. It is not as common in Missouri as in parts of the eastern U.S. It is an under-story plant, which means that it can grow in moderate shade, similar to conditions required by flowering dogwood. It also adapts to sunny locations where plants tend to become more compact. Botanically this is Hamamelis virginiana and, although there is another witch hazel species native to Missouri, this is the only one that flowers in fall or during mild spells in winter if flowering was not completed earlier. The other species, Hamamelis vernalis, is generally more shrub-like and flowers in late winter or very early spring.

The flowers of witch hazel are not highly showy, but have a fragrance that adds to their interest. Flowers have four yellow strap-like petals that open along the stems at leaf axils, usually after most of the leaves have fallen. They may start to flower in October and continue into early December, but weather most often controls duration of bloom. The flowers are extremely hardy and petals actually curl up during cold weather to apparently protect themselves. They unfurl again when warmer days arrive.

As a shrub it needs substantial space in shade or light shade, but it can also be pruned to grow as a single-stemmed small tree. Although the flowers are unique and leaves have a bright yellow fall color, these plants have little other ornamental value during the rest of the year.

Along with the fall flowers of witch hazel, a possible herbaceous perennial to accompany it with fall flow4rs is the toad-lily. This member of the lily family belongs to the plant genus Tricyrtis. The two species used as landscape plants in our climate are the common toad-lily, botanically Tricyrtis hirta, and the Formosa toad-lily, Tricyrtis formosana.

The common toad-lily often begins flowering in October, but usually continues into November. The plant has arching stems that may be two to three feet long that produce flowers at the leaf axils in clusters of two or three. Each flower is about one inch in diameter and is whitish or pale purple covered with darker purple spots. Flowers are held very close to the leaf axils along the stems and face upward as the stems arch somewhat horizontally and downward.

For those more serious about extending toad lily flowers into November, the Formosa toad lily is the better choice. Flowers are also purplish with darker purple dots on them, which are held in terminal clusters as well as in leaf axils. This species starts flowering later and has flowers that are very long lasting. Plant size is about the same as the other toad-lily.

For that little fall accent, consider these plants good companions. Both are suited to moist, but well-drained soils and grow in shady spots. While both of these plants are not commonly available they can be found from nurseries specializing in more unusual plants. Perhaps they are not for every landscape, but both are without equal for unique November bloom.

With your water be sure and blow out and winterize your irrigation system. Be sure to allow water to drain out of hoses, coil up and bring into the garage to prevent freezing and Mother Nature’s winter elements. Be sure to turn off water from within the house and open valves and drain out water from the faucet.

Clean up and place all liquid fertilizers and chemicals in a high/out of children’s reach and in a non-freezing location for the winter.

FALL GARDENING CHECKLIST
The American Nursery and Landscape Association (Formerly American Association of Nurserymen) suggests the following general guidelines for all yard and garden maintenance. For advice tailored to your specific growing zone, clip this list and review it with your local garden center.

• Rake leaves onto compost pile or shred and use for mulch.
• Fall is garden clean up time. Trim back spent perennials (except roses).
• Chop up debris and compost. Pile loose mulch-such as pine needles, straw or leaves on tender plants that require protection - roses, young seedlings, strawberries and perennials.
• Harvest cold-sensitive vegetables before frost. Dig beets, radishes and carrots when ground cracks at plant stem. Plant cool weather vegetables: kale, hardy onions, collards, cabbage, garlic and potatoes in some area. Mulch well.
• Evaluate your lawn. Some parts of the country can apply broadleaf weedkillers if necessary. Fall is the time for one last now in most areas. Set mower blade to highest setting. Fescue lawns can be reseeded now; summer grasses can be over seeded with rye in mild-winter regions. Drain gas and oil from all power equipment to prevent starting problems in spring.
• Remove broken, diseased or damaged branches from trees and shrubs.
• Plant new trees in fall. Give the new transplants an extra watering before winter sets in.
• Enjoy fall annuals - mums, asters, and pansies - in warmer regions. Cut back mums after they bloom. Deadhead pansies for prolific blooms all season long.
• Plant daffodils and other spring flowering bulbs when soil is cool.
• Direct sow wildflower seed that requires cool temperatures - larkspur and poppies, for example.
• If a live (not cut) Christmas tree is in your plans, dig its hole before the ground freezes and mulch well.
• Continue to feed the birds with seed and suet - they’ll rid your trees of pest larvae, eggs and insects.
• Let the grass grow as tall as you did during the summer until the last now of the year. AT that time, lower the mower height.
• Water just one inch or less each week if you are not receiving rainfall.
• Fertilize from mid-September to November, based on recommendations for your area. You can ask the experts at your local garden center if you have any questions.
• Collect leaves within one week of heavy rains. Collect leaves completely before the first snowfall.
• De-thatch, aerate or re-seed if necessary.
• Use lime based upon the results of a soil test.

Fresh Baked Apples

• 4 medium apples
• ½ cup raisins
• 2 T. brown sugar
• ½ tsp. Ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp. Ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup apple juice or water.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Core apples and place in 2-quart casserole. Combine raisins, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spoon mixture into center of apples. Pour apple juice or water around apples. Bake in 350 degree oven 40-45 minutes or ‘til apples are tender, basting occasionally with apple juice or water from casserole dish. Serve warm. Yield 4 servings.