SEPTEMBER
Spruce up the landscape by planting Fall Pansies, Flowering Cabbage & Kale, Garden Mums, Fall-Blooming Perennials as well as Trees and Shrubs.
Test your lawn pH to determine if you need to apply sulfur this season. Sulfur should be applied at a rate of 1-2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft.
Pick up your Spring Flowering Bulbs like tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, and more! An Auger for the drill will also help make planting easier.
Plant cool-season salad greens (arugula, lettuce, radishes and spinach) in cold frames.
Apply Superphosphate now to coax stubborn plants into bloom next year.
Aerate, re-seed and apply Fall Lawn Food, such as Sunnyside 8-16-8 to the lawn. Keep grass seed damp; water every day if necessary. You will also want to check for grubs. Increased activities of skunks, raccoons and moles as well as brown patches that peel back easily are an indication of grub activity. Apply Bonide Grub and Insect Control Granules to control the grubs.
Treat houseplants with Systemic Granules and Spinosad Soap now to get rid of any insects before bringing them into the house prior to the first frost.
Clean out garden ponds and pools and begin to cut back perennials.
OCTOBER
Plant bulbs. Fertilize with Bone Meal or Dutch Bulb Food and water in well.
Divide daylilies and spring-blooming perennials, including iris and peonies. Don’t be tempted to prune your spring flowering shrubs like forsythia, lilac, spirea or viburnum or you will destroy next year’s buds.
Rake leaves from the lawn and lower the mower blade. Check your compost pile. Now is a good time to add Compost Maker to help break down brown leaves and lawn clippings.
Dig up summer-flowering bulbs, such as dahlias, cannas, tuberous begonias, and gladiolus after the frost kills the top growth. Treat them with Bulb Dust, pack them in Peat Moss, and store them in a ventilated area for winter.
Fertilize your trees with Jobes Tree Spikes or Baicor Tree Feast after the leaves fall. Fertilize shrubs with Ferti-lomeTree and Shrub Food. Spray hemlock again with Bonide All-Season Spray Oil.
Set up bird feeders. Clean out birdbaths, refill and purchase heaters for the winter.
End of October- Clean up and destroy diseased rose leaves and debris surrounding shrubs and perennials. Mound 10-12 inches of mulch around roses to protect from winter damage.
Apply Sunnyside Gardens’ Winterizer to the lawn.
Remove annuals, roots and all, and add to your compost pile, but do not add any diseased material to it.
Cut back perennials unless they feature ornamental seed heads and Fertilize with 8-16-8. Prune long raspberry and rose canes back to a height of three feet. Clean up your beds and gardens to avoid harboring insects and diseases over the winter.
Pot hardy spring bulbs (crocus, daffodil, hyacinth,and tulip) and place in a cold frame or cool garage (40 degrees) or sink into the ground and mulch. Keep evenly moist.
Update garden records, noting successes and failures, gaps in planting, future planting and landscape changes.
Water all landscape plants well and mulch before the winter cold sets in.
Spray evergreens with Wilt Pruf or wrap with burlap for protection against wind and cold weather.
