We have had beautiful weather—cool nights and bright, warm days. The rains have not cooperated though; so, keep watering. Regardless of rainfall or temperatures, the angle of the sun changes every day as we head to the fall equinox. With less daylight, deciduous trees and shrubs slow chlorophyl production and the leaves lose their green tint. Autumn colors are starting to show.
My meadow has loads of goldenrod, some fading and others just blooming, along with many types of asters. You don’t need a large area to enjoy this late autumn show. Asters and goldenrod bloom shortly after beebalm and phlox. With some vigorous persuasion, I have been able to keep these vigorous native plants in balance in my perennial beds. I cut back the goldenrod or pull out clumps that have become too thick through the growing season.
Plants continue to grow underground into October. New shrubs or perennials planted now will send out roots to help the plant get established before winter. Come spring, the fall-planted purchases will start growing above the soil surface and have a full season to grow. Garden centers have great deals on trees, shrubs, and perennials now because the plants have a better survival rate when planted in the ground compared to being stored in their pots within an insulated hoophouse. You get a deal; the plant doesn’t die; and the garden center doesn’t struggle with old inventory. Everybody wins.
Yes, plants keep growing in the fall. What should the Lazy Berkshire Gardener be doing now—besides watering this year, that is?
Study the plants growing in your gardens. Can you identify all of them? One friend didn’t know she had a beautiful large hydrangea because she didn’t see it in bloom. It was out of her view during the daylight hours, and her evenings were focused on other things. If we don’t know what should be there, we may not notice what shouldn’t be there before it takes over.
That is the case with sneaky, weedy vines. Fall is a great time to study the leaves, fruit, and form of vines that crop up and, uh-oh, suddenly strangle our gardens. The vines have fruit and may be changing color now. You will notice that a tree—usually a green mass “over there”—has different-shaped leaves of different colors. Guess what? You actually have a tree with a vine growing through its branches.
In September, I weed out new sprouts of bittersweet that appear in my vegetable garden. I have two-foot-tall tendrils emerging under my Norway spruce trees. I can see where the vines have wrapped around birches and pines in the hedgerow between our property and the neighbor’s. Pull out the new sprouts and cut back the mature vines to the ground now and before the fruit forms if possible. If already fruited, bag up the vine and put in the trash.
Vines left to grow will overwhelm the trees or shrubs underneath. Fruiting bittersweet vine will destroy a tree in just a few years. To control now, don’t worry too much about the vines that have travelled up the tree trunks. By cutting off the vine at soil level, you cut off its food supply and the tree can grow uninhibited until next spring.
Know the differences among invasive hardy kiwi and bittersweet versus the native, wild cucumber, grape, and Virginia creeper. Some vines make nice ground covers and pretty fall accents without destroying their supports. Of course, you can have too much of a good thing. Some vines will grow up anything and through anything apparently.
Besides vines that seem to explode in September, apples have also had a great growing season. Wild apples have appeared all over the Berkshire backroads and highways lately. We have an apple tree of unknown lineage that we have kept for its interesting shape but just recently learned that the fruit tastes pretty good! Apple varieties ripen at different times from mid-August through October. The fruit on a single tree also ripens at different times. Outer fruit with more sun exposure will ripen faster than inner fruit with less sun exposure. Select apples by gently tugging the fruit. A ripe fruit will drop easily into your hand. A lazy gardener tries not to force nature. Let things ripen in their own time.
More mid-September tasks:
Pick fall squash before a frost (which may not be for two weeks according to the latest forecasts). Frost will weaken the outer shell of squash and shorten the storage life. Cure your fresh-picked squash in a warm, dry spot for a few days to harden the shell before moving to a cooler long-term storage location.
Take cuttings of annual herbs and root in evenly moist but well-drained soil in clay pots. Translation: Use a houseplant potting mix and water daily so cuttings are damp but not soggy. Keep pots in a southern window to enjoy fresh herbs through the winter. Clay pots wick away moisture, making them ideal for most herbs.
Gather seedheads of favorite annuals and perennials on a dry day. Store these in a spare envelope where they can dry fully through the winter. Mark the envelope with the storage date and mark your calendar on the ideal date to start the seed for new plants next spring.
Shop for spring-flowering bulbs like daffodils, tulips, allium, and crocus now. These bulbs need cold temperatures to bring on the flowers next spring. Buy them now while stores have the most choices, but wait to plant in sunny outdoor locations in mid- to late October.
Don’t rush to pick your carrots, turnips, or beets. These will keep in the vegetable garden into November without added attention from you. Phew. We need to rest.
I call myself the Lazy Berkshire Gardener because I don’t want to work too hard in my gardens. I want to enjoy them. I find it easier to observe my landscape and let the compost happen, the water pool up, or daisies to self-sow. I look for ways to do the minimum task for the biggest impact. For example, mulching is better than spraying and much better than weeding all season. I look for beautiful, low-maintenance plants that thrive in or at least tolerate my garden conditions. Plus, I am willing to live with the consequences if I miss something.
