Transition time
It is now officially fall and here in Southwest Florida we are now entering our annual dry season. Yes, it will also cool down and the humidity will go away after a few fluctuations and some weak cold fronts.
Hey, did you notice, no hurricane troubles for us. The season is still open, however, so don’t lock up the storm shutters just yet.
A watchful eye on container plants will be needed now because we are used to all the recent rains. It only takes a couple of hot sunny days to dry up the potted plants and hanging baskets.
The lawns may show some need for sprinklers before long. Keep in mind we still have watering restrictions. Guidelines are always in danger of a schedule change.
Garden centers, box stores and other commercial stores will be stocked full of winter annuals and perennials. Pentas, lantana, impatiens, marigolds and geraniums, just to name a few.
I have had marigolds for a couple of weeks. A second planting around the mailbox, because the first planting died of thirst, just before we were blasted with all the September rains.
A big pot of impatiens is a must, even though they do require more water than some of the other plants. I am waiting to find some white alyssum to spread around en mass. The pale lavender is pretty but the white seems to be a better accent for my use.
These plants need at least half a day of sunlight.
I always like to find some scented geraniums but they are hard to find. Some of the local plant sales have vendors that do sell the scented verities. I think my need for geraniums stems from being a northerner for so long.
I have a large clump of red geraniums that have been growing well in the ground for three years. A nice lady insisted I take some cuttings when I had stopped to admire her large patches growing in her front yard. They are leggy, but healthy and I do have to trim them back as the summer heat and humidity weakens them. The cuttings are give aways and useful at the Garden Club’s annual sale in March.
I also have a lot of other trimming and pulling of unwanted greens to do. I do well in the heat until the first of August. I am not a good outdoor person for the next 6 weeks. I am starting to come out of my self-imposed air conditioning hibernation. Talking to other gardeners and reading some gardening magazines helps propel me back into action.
I will also be watching for local plant societies and clubs to start their season of plant sales. It is also a good time to try some vegetable plantings. Try some radish, squash, tomato or carrots. I do not have a lot of room for veggies so like to visit the farmer’s markets in the area. I am just sure I could never grow carrots as sweet as they offer.
The two vegetables I can do well are tomatoes and bell peppers. I still have two summer tomato plants that are not really doing much right now. The August heat does not encourage them to do much when it is so hot 24 hours a day, day after day. I have learned when they are good and healthy by now, I can fertilize them and they will respond in a few weeks.
Sometimes I feel sad when the summer tomatoes have produced themselves into straggly weak vines filled with tomatoes. I feel like a slave driver and pick the tomatoes, of any size and put the plant out of its misery.
I have two green peppers just about ready to pick. I have mine planted in the big black pots from the garden center. Keeps out any nematodes. I can also move them around if necessary.
Mulching is still necessary to control weeds and enrich the soil as it breaks down. This month and next is fall fertilizer time. Lawns, trees, plants etc. A granular fertilizer needs to be watered in to get down to the roots. Slow release fertilizers are good for hanging baskets and pots. Read directions on anything you buy.
This month is a good time to prune some more. It is better to prune most things a little at a time instead of hacking then down once a year. A gardenia should have been pruned earlier, however I do spot prune mine whenever I see a place I want to trim.
Roses are another plant you want to be careful about pruning time.
There are a lot of gardening things to do now so get busy and soon you will realize how nice and comfortable it is to be out gardening.
Till we meet again.
H. Jean Shields is past president of the Garden Club of Cape Coral.