October may provide brilliant color in the landscape but it also signals an end of another growing season. Let’s look at some of the things needed to be done in the landscape.

photo credit: daviza

Dahlias can remain in the ground until after frost. Cut off the stems six inches above the ground and lift carefully, for the tubers are brittle and break off easily. Discard any that do. Place the clumps in flats, stem side down, and let them dry off before storing.

Just before storing cut off the fine roots and cut the stem back to within an inch or two of the crown. They are best stored in a cool place (about 40 degrees) but may be stored at a warmer temperature if covered with peatmoss or sand. Line the storage boxes with paper. A dusting of sulphur before storing will prevent rot. Be sure to tie labels to the clumps so you will know what is what next year.

Tuberous begonias are lifted after the foliage has yellowed, but don’t remove the foliage until it is dry. Remove the dried stems and clean off the dry soil. Store the tubers in flats in a warm place (50 to 60 degrees) and cover them with peatmoss. They need good circulation of air to prevent rot.

Cannas should be lifted after the first frost and stored in a cool place. To prevent shriveling cover them with dry peatmoss or sand. Many, however, no longer store canna roots over winter, preferring to buy live plants each spring.

Lift Gladiolus corms as the leaves begin to turn yellow. After lifting, cut the foliage to within three inches of the corms and then let them dry off in the sun if possible for a little while each day. When completely dry, dust them with an insecticide to prevent thrips injury. Store them uncovered in a cool place.

Ismenes (Peruvian daffodils) must be lifted very carefully to preserve the root system. So, dig deeply. Spread out the plants indoors to dry. Remove the tops but not the roots. Store them uncovered in a place where the temperature will not go below 50 degrees.

Montbretias may be left in the ground if given a heavy covering of leaves. If lifted they should be removed from the ground in clumps with the soil clinging to them. Don’t let the soil dry out.

Tuberose bulbs should be lifted in clumps and dried off for storage in a warm dry place. Divide into single bulbs during the winter or use a second year without dividing the clumps.

In The Greenhouse

Repotting is one of the round-the-year jobs. When in doubt about the need for repotting, knock the plant like the watermelon peperomia out of the pot. If the ball is well covered with roots it is time for repotting. Don’t repot flowering plants that have flower buds forming. Soak new flower pots in a tub of water for at least a half hour before they are used.

photo credit: audreyjm529

Freesias that were potted and placed in the coldframe should now have several inches of growth. Bring them into a cool part of the greenhouse before frost. For better results give them a weekly feeding.

Watering.

Don’t just turn on the hose and water everything in sight. Water plants when they need it. When in doubt give the pot a sharp knock with the handle of your pocketknife and if the pot rings water is needed. A dull thud indicates the soil is still damp. Soil in benches that feels dry and somewhat crumbly needs a thorough soaking with the hose or watering pot.

Find out more as Thomas Fryd shares his experiences on landscaping and gardens at plant-care.com. Get cleared up on watermelon peperomia.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Garden, backyard oasis, backyard projects, garden, gardening, home improvement, landscaping

Landscape tools are very important when it comes to landscaping projects. Landscaping projects can help improve the look of your yard considerably, but there is a good deal of work required.

photo credit: quinn.anya

Many tools available can help make these jobs easier, or in some cases, even possible. There are a few basic groups of tools that can help you perform a multitude of task. They are listed below.

• Group 1 is the shovel.
• Group 2 is the rake.
• Group 3 is the lopper, shear or pruner.
• Group 4 is the garden cart or wheel barrel.

The first tool group is the shovel, which is a flattened piece of metal attached to a handle. The main use for a shovel is to move material from place to place. There are many different variations of the shovel. The main types are the rounded or pointed tip shovel. This type digs into material well, and is perfect for digging holes in the ground. The second type is the flat shovel. This one has a wider surface area, and is perfect for scooping from rock or gravel piles. The last shovel is the narrow shovel. These are perfect for digging in tight quarters or for making small holes in the ground.

The second tool group is the rake. There are two main varieties. The bow rake is a thick and sturdy rake, and is used to move heavier items around, such as rocks. The second type is the leaf rake. This has long prongs that flex, pulling leaves along without damaging things under, such as grass.

The third tool group is the pruner, shear or lopper. These cut, trim and clip things to size. Small pruners cut through small, but tough, material. Long grass shears are used to trim materials such as tall grasses or shrubs. Loppers are powerful tools used to cut through thick and tough material such as tree limbs.

photo credit: fotogail

The wheel barrel or garden cart is the fourth group of tools. Both of these items are used to transfer large amounts of heavy and/or bulky material around. Garden carts roll on two wheels, which reduce its maneuverability, but increase its stability. Wheel barrels are the opposite, balancing on one wheel and having better maneuverability and less stability.

If you plan to undertake any landscaping project, whether big or small, you will need some tools. The basic tool groups listed and explained above will give you the ability to perform many tasks outside, and successfully complete your project.

If you are working on any landscape project, make sure you have the right landscape tools and all the landscape supplies to do the job right. Jeremy Szechenyi’s blog, hubpages.com will give you all the information you need.

Technorati Tags: backyard, backyard oasis, garden, garden cart, home improvement, landscape tools, landscaping

Most planting is done in the spring, between the time the frost leaves the ground and the time the leaf buds break on deciduous trees and shrubs. You may plant evergreens a week later as they do not usually start new growth as early as deciduous plants.
photo credit: cliff1066™

In the fall, plant evergreens, herbaceous perennials and bulbs before the middle of September. Plant deciduous trees and shrubs a little later, when their leaves are ready to fall.

Care on Arrival

When the shrubs arrive from the nursery, unpack them and report immediately any discrepancy in the order or condition of the stock.

If the material cannot be planted immediately, dig a trench and pack the roots close together in it, covering them with earth packed down firmly to exclude air. Evergreens that have the roots tightly balled and burlapped may be stood in the shade and sprinkled with water but not soaked.

Digging and Filling the Holes

Dig the holes before you prepare the plants to go in them. It is very important to keep the roots moist at all times, and they will dry out if you have them lying in the sun or wind while you dig the hole.

Dig the holes wide enough that the roots can be spread out naturally, and deep enough that 3 to 4 inches of good topsoil can be placed in the bottom and still allow the plant to be set about 1 inch lower than it grew before.

Hold the plant in place while you fill in good topsoil over the roots. Gently shake the plant up and down two or three times to help settle the earth around the roots. Then tamp the soil down firmly.

Soak it with water and as soon as it has settled fill the hole with soil; leave a saucerlike depression around the plant to hold future water, which it should receive at least once a week until it is established.

When planting evergreens do not remove the burlap from the roots. Place topsoil in the bottom of the hole to hold the ball at the right height. Remove the cord or nails that hold the ball together and roll the burlap back gently into the bottom of the hole, where it will rot in time. Then add soil and water as above.

Bracing

Small trees should be staked and large trees guyed with wires at the time they are planted to avoid being swayed by the wind. Make sure that the stake does not rub the tree and that wires and ties do not chafe it.

For small trees from 8 to 10 feet tall, drive a 2 x 2 inch hardwood stake (about as long as the tree) firmly into the bottom of the hole before planting the tree. Place the tree 2 to 3 inches from the stake so that the roots are not scraped. After the tree has been planted, tie the trunk to the stake about a foot from the ground and again every 3 feet, using a piece of rubber hose between them in a figure 8 and then making a loop around the two.

For guy-wiring larger trees, drive three or four short stakes into the ground about 5 feet from the tree on opposite sides. So that the tree will not be scraped, run the wires through a piece of hose placed around the tree 8 to 10 feet from the ground.
photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Pruning

Prune deciduous shrubs and trees at planting, to balance the roots they have lost and to train their shape. When pruning  trees remove some of the branches close to the trunk. Leave the main leader going straight up, with branches 6 to 12 inches apart ascending but alternating evenly around it. Remove broken branches and any that are crossed.

When pruning shrubs, remove weak, twisted or broken branches at the base. Also, cut back the strong canes to a point just above a leaf bud that points outward, so that the new branches will not cross.

Technorati Tags: garden, home improvement, landscape, landscaping, plant care

Do you want to get some work done along with play? Well, the ingenuous solution is to make lawn care a combined family activity. There are numerous benefits of doing this. 
photo credit: alan(ator)

You, as a family get to spend time together and that too in a productive way. When you involve your kids in lawn care along with you, it is a great way of establishing rapport with them.

Also, by giving them lessons on how to build a beautiful and clean lawn, you are instilling valuable lessons of responsibility in them. Kids anyways yearn to help parents with outdoor tasks as it makes them feel grown up. If you present lawn care as an exciting venture, you will have a devoted bunch to help you whenever you want them to.

However, even though the idea seems great, is it as simple to put in operation as it sounds? Well, it could be if you put some thought in to it. Family lawn care can become a problem if you are always neck deep in your work and do not find the time to spend time together with your family.

To get rid of embarrassing situations later, the best idea would be to go in for some planning. Begin by delegating particular tasks to everyone and also fix schedules which you can follow with your work. This way, you won’t have to bear the stigma of broken promises later.

If you are wondering how to assign tasks to your children, make a decision based on their age.

• With younger children, you could ask them to go to the garden store and get the seeds for grass planting.
• On the other hand, if your children are older, they could lend a hand in sowing the grass seeds. You have to exercise great caution when it comes to handling fertilizers, especially the chemical ones irrespective of the age of your child.
• It is better not to let kids deal with fertilizers even if they are older because of the possibility of dangerous consequences.

Similarly with lawnmowers, you need to be careful when kids are around. It would be advisable to keep kids away from lawnmowers. Since this equipment can be hazardous, do not let them even lay a hand on the lawnmower unless you are around to keep an eye on them.

If you have very small kids who are persistent about their desire to help you with the mower, you can indulge them by seating them on your shoulder and asking them for instructions to help you operate the lawnmower. After some time, you can take them to the house while you keep on with your lawn mowing work.

Thus, by making lawn care a family task, you not only have an entertaining time but also get quicker results in any front yard landscape designs exercise. Isn’t that great?

Technorati Tags: home improvement, landscaping, lawn care

You can truly get a lawn that is absolutely beautiful by being devoted to your lawn care , but it isn’t always easy to find the time to do it.It is because of this reason, that many people invest the money in getting help from professional lawn care specialists.
photo credit: ToddBlm

You can still have a nice lawn though, even if you just have a few hours to devote to it. The guide below will provide you with some shortcuts to lawn care help and proper maintenance.

Weed Control, Fertilizer, and Mowing Your Lawn

Doing the above, of course is the best thing that she can do if you want a great looking lawn. However, that brings us right back to our first problem – time.

If you can manage to spend a few hours after work, on weekends, pulling leaves, fertilizing, and managing your lawn then you are way ahead of the rest of us.

If you can’t find the time however, and you would really like to enjoy a decent looking lawn in a relatively quick timeframe, then you need to follow the tips that we have located below.

Water Your Lawn

Like all things, grass needs water to grow. Make sure that you give your lawn a good deep watering a minimum of at least a couple times a week. This is an essential part of good lawn help and maintenance that should not be forsaken.

A good sprinkler system is by far the easiest and best way to give your lawn the water that it needs. If you need your lawn look nice, this is a really great way to get it that way, even if you have a house full of guests that may inspect it.
photo credit: sflovestory

Just water the lawn both the morning before the party and lightly the morning of the party. Take note of the word “lightly” because you want your lawn to have plenty of time to dry before guests arrive. Providing your lawn with these two shots of water, well speed up the greening effect on it.

Mow Your Lawn

Another essential tip of proper lawn care is mowing. Don’t concern yourself with making sure all of the clover is pulled up, or try dealing with all of the crabgrass before you mow it. If your party is tomorrow then you really do not have enough time to take care of the uneven texture of your lawn.

Here’s all that you need to do: on the afternoon of the day before your party, give the lawn a nice mowing, weeds and all. Don’t forget that you need to do it in the afternoon, because you want your lawn to be nice and dry after the morning water.

The thinking behind this tip is that you are trying to make your lawn appear as if it is all green and groomed, and the slight differences in the texture won’t be noticed.

It is always possible of course, the somebody may take a close inspection of your yard and notice some stray clippings, but that’s getting kind of petty. When pressed for time, the end result is worth it. Besides, mowing the lawn the day of the party will leave your yard that great fresh mown smell.

Technorati Tags: gardening, home and family, home improvement, landscaping, outdoors