Piles and Piles of Produce
The piles of produce on the kitchen counter tell the story. The summer garden harvest is over.
Unless you are lucky enough to be growing in grow tunnels, the hard freezes earlier this week put an end to the tender summer crops like tomatoes and peppers. It was sad to see—I had been enjoying of the biggest harvests in recent seasons. But, honestly, I’m ready for the break!
Cameron Rees, General Manager
Little by little, I’m processing my piles for long term storage. I don’t do any canning; I just freeze things. It’s easy to do and easy to use later. I’ve been roasting a lot of the tomatoes this year, and I really like the extra flavor it gives. I’m doing the same with some of the peppers, too. The rest are just getting a quick slice or chop, a flash freeze on a cookie sheet and then getting tossing in a baggie for future use. I’ll miss the fresh produce from the garden, but I’ll have plenty of fresh frozen produce to get us into next year.
Even though our veggie gardens are shut down, there’s still plenty to do out there. Planting conditions are still prime, and the nice weather in the forecast should give us some good days to deal with falling leaves, frozen back gardens and other late fall projects.
We’ve moved most of our plants into their overwintering houses, so the lot looks a little bare. But we still have plenty to choose from and we’re still available if you need some help. Just come on by if you do!
—Cameron
“thymely” advice: It’s Time for Winterizer!
It’s beginning to feel like winter is creeping up on us. Shorter days, cooler temps, and winter winds tell me that it’s about time to start thinking about preparing my grass for the winter.
Even the most established grass needs a little preparation each year. Fertilome Winterizer is a late fall fertilizer application designed to help lawns store more food for winter survival, and to encourage thick, rapid growth and rooting in the spring. Think of it as paving the way for lush, healthy spring turf.
Fertilome Winterizer helps keep your grass healthy. You’ll also notice your yard will look much greener during the winter months. It’s an important application for your lawn and the third application of the season in our 3-Step Lawn Program.
Timing is important when it comes to applying Winterizer. Early November is ideal in our area, so that means now is the best time.
What if it snows?
White weather in the forecast? That’s fine!
Any applications made before the snow will still be 100% effective. Snow covering your lawn will have no negative effects on the fertilizer. In fact, as it melts, it will help carry it into the soil. There it will still be available as warmer weather returns and your lawn resumes growth.
We here at Skinner Garden Store are here for you and will gladly try to answer any questions you may have. Stop in today and let one of our outstanding Plant People help you with your winterizer needs.
Time Change Equals An Hours Change
As Daylight Savings comes to an end, we’ll all be setting our clock back one hour. That means it will be getting dark and hour earlier, and we’ll be shutting down an hour earlier too. Starting on Monday, November 6, and continuing on through the winter months, we’ll be closing at 5 p.m. each day.
Is the Season Over? No!
Even though the recent hard freezes put an end to the growing season, the gardening season keeps plugging on. That means there are still things to do and there’s still time to get things done.
Keep planting! – Planting doesn’t stop until the ground freezes up, and that won’t be for a long time yet. Remember, as long as you can dig the hole, you can plant.
Stay on top of leaves. – Fallen leaves can be stunningly beautiful, but eventually, those leaves need to be dealt with. On lawn surfaces, keep them cleaned off by mowing or raking regularly. Mulch leaves with your mower and allow them to filter back into the lawn as much as possible. That provides valuable organic matter and recycles vital nutrients. If you have to rake your leaves, don’t bag them and throw them in the trash. Put them on a compost pile or scatter them over landscape beds as mulch.
Mulch as needed. – A lot of folk ask me if it is important to mulch plants for the winter season. I always tell them, no...it’s important to mulch plants for ALL seasons. Mulch should be around trees and over landscape beds at all times, maintaining about a 3” layer. As it decomposes and thins out, add some more. The decision to add mulch should be driven by the need to maintain that layer, not the time of the year. Having said that though, if it’s thin now, add some!
Prune or cut back plants? – Should you cut things back in the fall? That’s a questions we get asked all the time, and the answer almost all the time is no. As a general rule, do most of your pruning towards the end of the winter, not now. Later winter/early spring is when we want to cut back perennials and ornamental grasses, and that’s also when we want to do most of our tree and shrub pruning as well.
Protect tree trunks. – This one is simple, inexpensive, and can save the life of your young tree. Putting trunk guards onto trees for the first few winter seasons helps prevent winter sunscald damage as well as protecting the thin bark of young tree from hungry rabbits and rodents through the winter months. Put them on now, remove them next spring, and then save them in your garage to be reused again next year.
Protect trees from deer. – Deer can destroy a young tree in seconds. If there is any concern about deer damage, get your trees protected ASAP! Your best bet is building cages around your tree. Use 6’ tall, welded wire fencing, and build cages 3-4’ in diameter. Put them around your young trees, use 2 or 3 metal t-posts to secure them in place and then you can relax.
Winter Porch Pot Workshops
This year has been a blur! Spring and Summer came and went and now we are into Fall and soon Winter. Though I don’t look forward to the cold I do look forward to the Christmas cheer and all the lights and decorations! With that being said, its almost time for our Annual Winter Porch Pot Workshops!
If this is your first-time hearing about it here is a quick intro. The event will run for four days, from November 16-19. In the workshop, you will make your own arrangement in a 12” container where we provide the basics (including the pot) for a fee. Registration is required and classes are limited. It is a fun experience and we have a lot of repeat attendees.
Email me or give us a call today at 785-233-9657 to get more info and to register. We look forward to seeing you!