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It ain’t over ’till it’s over . . .

Posted on August 31st, 2007 – 10:03 AM
By Connie Nelson

Even though this weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, the garden season ain’t over. There’s lots more we can — and probably should — do in the garden now and later.

For now, it’s enough to keep on harvesting veggies as they ripen. (Even if you’ve got more than you can handle, keep on a’ picking. It keeps the plants productive. And leaving veggies to rot just attracts wasps.)

If I’m up for it, I usually divide some overgrown plants and transplant them in the fall. (It’s easier to do before the plants have leafed out in the spring, but there are so many things to do then that I like to even out the work load.)

I also stick a few new plants in. Prices on perennials are as low as they go and if you get plants in the ground by the middle or end of September, they should have plenty of time to get established before the ground freezes.

The one late fall chore I hate? Cutting back. I’ve been leaving more and more plants standing during the winter. I think it helps my so-called winter landscape. How ’bout you? Where do you stand on cutting back perennials? What’s your most dreaded fall chore?

This entry was posted on Friday, August 31st, 2007 at 10:03 am and is filed under Weekend to-dos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

9 Responses to "It ain’t over ’till it’s over . . ."

Pat says:

August 31st, 2007 at 10:15 am

I like the idea of leaving the plants until spring to cut back. Especially after the last two years when we have not had much snow cover. We have lost a lot of plants because of that, and leaving more growth will help insulate those plants.

Chris says:

August 31st, 2007 at 11:06 am

Cleaning up leaves. WHAT A CHORE.

Rebecca says:

August 31st, 2007 at 12:33 pm

I actually enjoy the end of year clean up, but I have a small yard. It seems very cathartic to put everything to sleep for the winter. I just pull all the veggies and throw the plants away (I feel bad not composting but most of them have some kind of disease or mold by that time that I figure is best not to contaminate my bin with), and cut back most of the perennials. I leave a few plants standing but I find I just need to pull most of them in the spring if I don’t cut them down in the fall so it’s just easier to do it all now. Then all the mulched leaves go on top of the beds.
The one chore I really dislike is pulling down any trellised vines- particularly the green beans. They weave in and out of the trellis and it drives me nuts pulling it out. The worst was last year I had morning glory vines that I grew up my downspout, but they got taller than I expected and grew up onto the power line above. My husband came home to find me standing on my deck railing pulling the vines off the power line- he about had a heart-attack on the spot ;) I wisely chose not to replant them this year.

Debi says:

August 31st, 2007 at 5:13 pm

I’ve been leaving the perennials alone till spring, and pulling the annuals. My husband then helps me cover everything that needs to be covered with leaves. I’d prefer more snow so that I don’t have so much to mulch, but it’s been so dry. Also, I’ve been advised not to cover anything until later in the fall. So by then I’m just glad to be outside doing something!

Has anyone noticed more sap falling off their trees this year? We have some poplars along the street, and they have really been messy this year! I watered, good soaking waterings, so my tree hasn’t been effected by turning color earlier then some of the neighbors trees. But the sap has been horrible this year!

dodacrazy says:

September 1st, 2007 at 1:47 am

Hello ladys gota give all three ah A for your good hearted spirit say could you come over and give my yard a once over ? BTW love da smiles it is all about some fun …I’m goin join up wiff the green girls and watch dem work

Peter Hoh says:

September 1st, 2007 at 5:30 pm

Are you still thinking about a September plant swap? I have somelovely blackberry lilies potted up and ready to share.

deb w says:

September 2nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm

Some things must be dealt with in the fall and some things can wait. I am with Connie where I leave the perennials to collect snow and leaves for cover from the winter elements. Other things require my assistance if I want to ever see them again (tea roses, butterfly bushes, contorted figs).
I have a bleeding heart that has gotten as big as a rain barrel that MUST be divided this fall. I have to work up enough energy to clear out the boulevard flower bed as a failed attempt to beautify (killed by dog pee), where only the phlox survived along with a healthy crop of creeping charlie.

bsimon says:

September 4th, 2007 at 1:23 pm

On the ‘cutting back’ subject, I’ve never cut perennials back. I figure nobody cuts back the ones in the wild, so why do they need cutting back in my yard? The sedum are particularly interesting in the spring & summer as the new growth shoots up amongst last year’s dried heads.

One thing puzzling about this season is that it looks like the perenials I bought at the Friends School sale are finally - FINALLY - taking. After months and months of diligent watering, with nothing to show for the effort, I’m finally seeng growth from the prairie wildflower assortment I planted. I can’t make sense out of it; everyone else’s coneflowers are done blooming, mine are finally sending up new growth. Maybe if this season lasts as long as last year’s I’ll have summer perennials blooming in October…

Jaime Chismar says:

September 4th, 2007 at 11:39 pm

I noticed this with some of my plants too… You think some perennials just like cooler weather? I transplanted cone flower last year and it *did* bloom later than I expected. This year, however, it was the first to fade.

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