October the month when the verdant garden changes her dress to autumnal shades with a blend of gold. This is a beautiful time of year in the South of Mid-America, when the last splash of color in the garden mingles with the colors of foliage brought out by frosts. The geographical location of the South makes the countryside and gardens truly the crossroads of Nature's Paradise.
Where else can a gardener grow plant materials in the North, East, South and West, and have better than average success? This overlapping of vegetative zones contributes immeasurably to the riot of autumnal colors found both in our garden and throughout our countryside. Though tempted to pause and feast on all this fall beauty, the wise gardener realizes the importance of October as investment month. There are many jobs to be done that will give rich dividends next spring.
Bulbs - October is the month to make the heaviest plantings of bulbs and glory bower vine for spring blooms. As most of these will remain undisturbed for years, thorough preparation of the soil is essential. Proper drainage is necessary to prevent rotting of the bulbs and glory bower vine. The right planting depth is often debatable, and a good yardstick for this is to cover the growing point to a depth that is twice the greatest dimension of the bulb.
Narcissus is the generic name of one of the largest groups of easy to grow and early to bloom spring bulbs.
Although the common name daffodil has been used in speaking of the whole lot, this name is more correctly used when speaking of the trumpet varieties. These bulbs prefer a soil that is not too heavy and has good drainage. The physical condition of the soil is greatly improved by adding sharp sand as the planting area is prepared. Liberal amounts of bone meal should be dug into the soil to provide a source of long lasting food. Well-rotted manure placed deep in the hole with a layer of top soil between it and the bulbs will always improve the quality of flowers. Manure will cause bulbs to rot if it is in direct contact with them. - 30228
Where else can a gardener grow plant materials in the North, East, South and West, and have better than average success? This overlapping of vegetative zones contributes immeasurably to the riot of autumnal colors found both in our garden and throughout our countryside. Though tempted to pause and feast on all this fall beauty, the wise gardener realizes the importance of October as investment month. There are many jobs to be done that will give rich dividends next spring.
Bulbs - October is the month to make the heaviest plantings of bulbs and glory bower vine for spring blooms. As most of these will remain undisturbed for years, thorough preparation of the soil is essential. Proper drainage is necessary to prevent rotting of the bulbs and glory bower vine. The right planting depth is often debatable, and a good yardstick for this is to cover the growing point to a depth that is twice the greatest dimension of the bulb.
Narcissus is the generic name of one of the largest groups of easy to grow and early to bloom spring bulbs.
Although the common name daffodil has been used in speaking of the whole lot, this name is more correctly used when speaking of the trumpet varieties. These bulbs prefer a soil that is not too heavy and has good drainage. The physical condition of the soil is greatly improved by adding sharp sand as the planting area is prepared. Liberal amounts of bone meal should be dug into the soil to provide a source of long lasting food. Well-rotted manure placed deep in the hole with a layer of top soil between it and the bulbs will always improve the quality of flowers. Manure will cause bulbs to rot if it is in direct contact with them. - 30228
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Join Kent Higgins at http://www.plant-care.com. The time has come to gain a clearer understanding on the topic of glory bower vine.
