Just because a freeze is portend does n’t mean you have to say arrivederci to your wampum , peas , and other fall craw . cloche ( case-by-case plant natural covering ) , cold frame , and other instrument for retain warmth from the background during a cold night can unfold the growing time of year .
time of year - extend creature are useable commercially , or you could construct your own . A two - l soft crapulence bottle with the non-white charge card bottom take away makes a great works defender for a small plant . Punch a few holes in the sides with an awl to improve ventilation . Large flora can sometimes be saved from a hoarfrost by covering with a clean , upside - down refuse can .
For rows of plants , you could employ floating quarrel covers , such as remay , which as made from spun polyester or similar material . These breathable cover will do a better job of hoar protection if they are turn up over to double them up and increase their heaviness .
With the right equipment , it also is potential to protect crop from frost wrong by sprinkling them with water on cold nights until the temperatures rise above freezing . As ice forms , it actually gives off heat , so the headstone is to keep crank forming slowly all dark long on those first few below - zero nights . That can be accomplished with a sprinkler system set up with nozzles that make a light-headed mist of water . apply too much water will drown the plants or form too much ice that can break the plants .
dark-green tomatoes can be harvested before a frost and ripen indoors . The caper is to beak them at the mature green degree , that is , when tomatoes are mostly green with a hint of red . Wrap in newspapers , and pack one or two layers deeply in shallow boxes , and store in a coolheaded place .
fetch them out to board temperature as you need them . At 65 to 70 degrees F tomato will mature in two week . Sort through thestored fruitfrequently to take away ripe fruit and discard anything that is starting to waste or mold .
There ’s still plenty of prison term to get a cover crop going to protect your valuable garden dirt from corroding by fart and water over the wintertime . In addition , a cover harvest will pawn up remnant atomic number 7 in the soil and recycle it to subsequent crops when it decomposes .
Oats are a undecomposed option for mosthome gardener . They ’re inexpensive and quick to establish , as well as break over the wintertime leave a kill residuum that ’s promiscuous to contain next bound . To inseminate , remove or till in craw refuse , and rake or rototill the grunge to create a good germ bed . Evenly spread four to five pounds of oat per 1,000 square feet of garden , then cover thinly with soil . Using even higher seeding rates will make a quicker and thick cover that will avail suppress weeds .
You may be surprised at how long the oats stay unripened into tardy fall , as it direct a hard frost to kill them . Winter rye whisky , wintertime wheat , and compounding of these grasses plus hairy vetch are other wintertime cover crop possibilites , but these will overwinter and require tilled land next leap .
September is a good calendar month to landscape with fall mums , which are uncommitted in a rainbow assortment of colors . Bronze , reddish , yellow , and white are among the more pop choice . The key to successful planting is right site preparation . opt a gay , well - drained spot . Dig and undo the soil to a profundity of eight to ten inches in a hole twice the diameter of theplant ’s pot . Mix organic matter such ascompost or well - moulder manureinto the dirt .
If you want to attempt to winter your mums , once plant life tops die back after blooming or hard frost , cut the root word even with the ground . Apply a blockheaded layer of straw or barque mulch at the end of October , removing it in the natural spring as the frost leave the ground . If we have a balmy winter , or you be in a mild emplacement , chances are better that they will last .
If you moved your houseplant alfresco for the summertime , it ’s time to bring them at bottom . A gradual reintroduction to the indoors is best as sudden change in temperature , light , and humidness can be traumatic to plant , resulting in yellowing leaves , leggy growth , and mayhap dieback .
set about bringingplants indoorsbefore night temperature dip below 45 degrees F ( 40 to 50 degrees F for tropicals ) , scrutinize first for pest problems . To avoid cushion , expose plants to reduced lighting step by step . Do n’t overwater . Repot if necessary .
Other activities for September : dig and storage summertime bulb ( gladiolus , dahlia , cannas , and others ) when they mature;plant tulipsand daffodils ; take cuttings from geraniums , impatiens , and coleus before frost to steady down indoors ; order ail for October institute to harvest next year ; pick your own Vermont - grow apple .
EXTENDING THE SEASON AND OTHER SEPTEMBER GARDENING TIPS
By Dr. Leonard Perry and Dr. Vern GrubingerExtension Nursery and Greenhouse Crops SpecialistUniversity of Vermont
