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This week we’ve talked a lot about getting ready for fall. Every morning I’ve noticed a slight nip in the air as the cooler months of October and November approach. The summer seemed to zip by much too fast.

Starting your preparations for the coming fall and winter months about six weeks ahead is a good idea. We’ve talked about getting your lawn ready, however don’t overlook your containers, container plants are an overlooked group this time of year. Here are a few suggestions for your containers:

1. Annuals: You can extend the life of your annuals by rooting them in either water or a potting mix such as vermiculite, perlite, or soil-less potting mix. You’ll need to strip all but the top few leaves off the stem, keep the potting medium moist at all times, and keep the plants out of direct sunlight. After a few weeks you should have a dense mass of roots that you can pot and grow as houseplants. Although this doesn’t work with all annuals, it’s a fun experiment during the winter months.
2. Tropical Plants: Many tropical plants make great houseplants throughout the winter months. It’s a good idea to get ready now, because in Utah the temperatures can drop suddenly. Woody tropical plants can easily winter indoors—or in the garage if it doesn’t drop below freezing.
3. Perennials: You may want to consider transplanting perennials from your containers directly into your garden. Trim the roots a bit to stimulate the growth of new feeder roots and trim the top growth a little once you’ve planted them in the garden.

Feel free to stop by any of our Western Garden Centers if you have any questions about getting your container plants ready for winter.

I’ve noticed a nip in the morning air the last few days. Utah lawns have different needs in the fall than in the summer. Making a few adjustments as summer comes to a close and the fall season approaches will keep you lawn lush and healthy as it prepares for the snow and cold of winter.

Watering: It’s time to cut back on watering the lawn in September. You should only need to water every six or so days through the month, tapering off to no water in the months of November and December. If you live outside of the Wasatch Front, you may not need to cut back until November. Deep watering will encourage root development and make the lawn more resistant to drought.

Fertilization: A fall fertilization can help stabilize your lawn for winter and give it a jumpstart in the spring. Any of our gardening experts at Western Gardens will be happy to help you determine what’s best for your lawn. Utah State University suggests fertilizing in the fall once every three years.

Reseeding: If your lawn has taken a beating over the summer and has a few bare spots, now is a great time to reseed. Use the same mix used to start the law, spreading it directly on the areas that need the growth.

Mowing: As the cooler weather of fall kicks in, your lawn will begin entering dormancy. Dormant lawns need no mowing.

This is a wonderful time of year to kick back and enjoy your yard as the temperatures during the day start to cool. Feel free to stop by any Western Garden Center and talk with any of our expert gardeners for advice on the best way to prepare your landscape for winter and prepare for a beautiful spring next year.

Late summer is when your garden might start looking a little tattered around the edges. The hot summer months of Utah can take their toll.

You can stimulate new growth in perennials by cutting them back a bit, and many varieties will come out with another fresh flush of flowers. This will help tidy up your garden’s appearance and give you an opportunity to trim off any brown or dead foliage.

Rake some good organic matter (manure or compost) into the brown spots in your lawn, watering well during the day for a couple of weeks. You can cut back on the watering once you see green growing again.

Look for signs of insect attack (we’ve discussed a number of things to look for in previous posts). Pay particular attention to under leaves. If you discover something and don’t know what it is, clip off the leaf and bring it by any Western Garden Center and we’ll help you determine the best course of action depending on the pest.

Don’t neglect your vegetable garden. Make sure and hoe down any weeds before they have a chance to go to seed. They also take up moisture and soil nutrients that are needed by late summer crops.

Late summer is a great time to enjoy your landscape. Be sure and stop by any Western Garden Center and speak to one of our expert gardeners if you have any questions about helping your garden prepare for fall. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook.

Summer might not be over yet, but cooler days are not far off. Let’s talk about some late-summer gardening ideas that will help next spring start off right:

1. Prepare your lawn for cooler days and nights: Right now is a great time to establish a lawn. If you are sowing seeds for a new lawn, use a lower nitrogen, higher phosphorous fertilizer (any of our expert gardeners at Western Gardens can help you pick the right one). If you have an established lawn go with a higher nitrogen formula.
2. Refrigerate your flower bulbs: If your tulips and hyacinths came up a little short last year, it might be that they needed a little more chill time. If you purchase bulbs now and place them in the vegetable bins of your refrigerator for six to eight weeks before planting, you’ll have particularly beautiful flowers next spring.

Summer winding down in Utah doesn’t mean the end to what you can do in the garden, stay tuned for more late-summer gardening tips and be sure to follow us on Facebook.

Although most people believe that pruning should be left for the spring and early summer, there are a host of shrubs and plants that need attention all summer long and into the fall. As you’re puttering around your yard this weekend, here are a couple of pruning projects for your yard.

Summer Pruning: Shear deciduous or evergreen hedges. Prune mature climbing roses that are more than three years old, and rambling roses after they bloom. Prune dogwoods, maples, walnuts, and yellow-wood if needed. Prune summer-flowering shrubs and trees as blossoms fade.

Fall: Trim long rose canes (If they remain, the winter wind will damage them and surrounding objects as wind whips them).

An August afternoon in Utah is the perfect time to pull out the clippers and give the yard the once-over. If you have any questions about summer pruning, please feel free to stop by any Western Garden Center and visit with one of our expert gardeners. We’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.

Thrips attack and discolor the buds of flowers (especially roses) causing them to open poorly or not at all. Thrips belong to the insect order Thysanoptera and are so tiny they often appear to be nothing more than little black specs moving over your flowers.

Most Thrips are minute (.5mm) but can grow up to 1/8″ long. There are over 600 different species in North America and many species in Utah. Some thrips have wings and are adept at flying, sometimes capable of flying for many hours. Others are entirely wingless and crawl or jump to move around. All have slender bodies, short antennae, and six short legs.

Not all thrips cause plant damage, some are actually helpful because they attach aphids, mites, and even other thrips. They have unusual asymmetrical mouthparts that combine piercing and rasping elements, enabling them to saw through plant tissues, and then suck out the juices. Females with saw-like ovipositors cut slits into flower stems to lay their eggs. There are usually several generations each year. In the course of feeding, it is possible they will transmit fungal and bacterial plant diseases in the same way mosquitoes transmit malaria.

You can use Imidacloprid (Hi Yield Systemic Granules) on non-edible plants. It takes about a week to enter a rose’s system, which is when it starts to poison the sucking thrips. Apply at the first sign of damage, and repeat every six weeks until mid August. For vegetables, try Bonide Hop Pepper Wax (a repellant) or Spinosad (a bacterial control). Apply to the flowers and stems three times at weekly intervals. Be sure to follow the “days to harvest” label.

Make sure and follow current label instructions of any pesticide used, as sometimes label directions change. And don’t forget, you can always stop by any Western Garden Center and talk to one of our expert gardeners.

A couple of days ago we were talking about the vegetables you might be harvesting from your garden. Today we’re going to pick up where we left off. I love fresh melons, watermelon and cantaloupe in particular, so let’s start with the melons:

Melons: Pure melon flavor is short-lived and best enjoyed fresh. The more mature the melon, the less time it will keep in the refrigerator, though you can try freezing. You should harvest most muskmelons when the stem separates easily from the fruit. the skin between the netting turns from green to yellow when fully ripe. Honeydews soften slightly on the flower end of the fruit when ripe and change slightly in color. The belly of a watermelon turns from greenish white to buttery yellow or cream at maturity; also watch for the curly tendrils where the stem meets the melon to turn brown and dry.

Onions: Onions can store for months if handled properly. Wait until the tops fall over, then gently dig up the whole plant and dry in a protected place. Keep the dry, papery outer skin on the onion, removing it doubles the rate at which the onion will decay. Cure bruise-free onions for up to a month in a well ventilated, dry, shady spot. Be sure to store onions in mesh rather than plastic bags.

Peas: Regular harvesting is vital because peas left too long on the vine aren’t as sweet and can impair the growth of immature pods. Pick bright green mature peas daily,but be gentle when pulling beans and peas from vines. Rough picking can jostle flowers and damage vegetation. Some gardeners even snip peas off with pruners or small scissors to be extra careful.

Peppers: It’s up to you when to pick your peppers. Most peppers start out green and turn different colors as they mature. Harvest sweet peppers, such as bell peppers, and hot peppers at the degree of color you desire. And take care when picking because it’s easy to damage pepper plants. Pick pimiento peppers when they are fully red and harvest hot Hungarian wax and sweet banana peppers when fully yellow, turning red, or fully red-depending on preferred hotness.

Spinach: Baby spinach is all the rage for a reason, the smaller leaves maximize flavor. Most spinach tastes really good when it’s about 3″ long. Cut, don’t pull, so you can ensure multiple harvests.

Summer Squash: Summer squash are prolific producers. Unless you want squash big (and tasty) as baseball bats, you should pick them frequently. Small zucchini and yellow squash (6-8″ long) and scalloped squash (3-6″ long) have the best flavor. Tasty fruits have tender rinds (they should puncture easily with a fingernail) and soft seeds.

I’m hungry for dinner already.

If you have any questions about harvesting the vegetables in your garden, please stop by any Western Garden Center and one of our expert gardeners will be happy to help you determine the perfect time to start enjoying the fruits of your labors.

We have a couple of tomato plants right outside our kitchen window that remind me when it’s time to make a pass through the garden. I thought I might share some other harvesting tips so you can enjoy your backyard garden when your vegetables are at their peak.

Beans: Pay attention to the pods. Fresh, juicy, bright green pods indicate tasty broad, lima and green shell beans. Snap beans should snap easily and have crisp pods with pliable tips. Make sure you harvest before the beans begin to bulge.

Broccoli & Cauliflower: Both need to chill out for the best flavor. Pick them in the morning, cool them down immediately with ice or water, and then refrigerate. Harvest compact, white, smooth cauliflower heads. Select blue-green broccoli heads and harvest them before the small, yellow flower buds open.

Cabbage: Cut cabbage heads off at the stalk when they feel solid and hard to the touch.

Carrots: Here’s a crop that gets better with age. Sugars increase as carrots grow for up to four months. Dig the full-size variety when they are about an inch in diameter (if the roots are cracking, you’ve waited too long). If they are cracked, they will be bitter.

Corn: Corn tastes best fresh from the garden, but if you can’t eat it right after harvest, cool the ears on ice and then refrigerate them. Harvest the corn about three weeks after the first silks appear. You’ll know the corn is ready when theears fill to the end with kernels and the silks and green husks appear dry.

Cucumbers: Frequent harvesting of cucumbers helps the vines produce new fruit. Pick bright green, firm slicing cucumbers when they reach 6-9″ long with a quick, upward snap. Quickly remove and compost any yellow, puffy, or overripe fruit.

Lettuce: Hot weather is a lettuce crop’s worst enemy, because it causes bolting (the formation of seed heads) and bitter tasting leaves. Luckily, you can often harvest tasty leaves from both head and leaf lettuce plants right up to bolting. Make sure and harvest in the morning to preserve the crispness it acquires overnight and be sure to immerse lettuce immediately into cold water after cutting; then rinse and refrigerate. The best time to harvest is when the outer leaves are 4-6″ long and when the heads are moderately firm.

Next time we’ll talk about melons, onions, peas, and peppers (to name just a few). For dinner last night we had the most wonderful stuffed green peppers. Yum.

If you have any questions about harvesting the vegetables in your garden, please stop by any Western Garden Center and one of our expert gardeners will be happy to help you determine the perfect time to start enjoying the fruits of your labors.

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Scale insects are some of the hardest to control. These pesky little critters appear on many plants as somewhat flattened bumps. They are usually on leaves, stems, twigs, and bark. Underneath the shells are small, immobile, soft-bodied insects (the shells are made of wax and cast skins). The shells are not attached to the insects, if you remove them the insects will remain attached to the plant.

Females lay their eggs underneath the shells and young scales, called crawlers, are active and mobile—usually moving from their mother’s shells to find suitable feeding sites. The crawlers will usually settle down in one spot where they will construct their own shells and remain for the rest of their lives—feeding on plant sap.

Sometimes you can tell if you have an infected plant because it will feel sticky. The sticky substance is called honeydew, which consists of the sugary waste of scale digestion. Some species have both male and female, the male being more mobile, but other species are only females—capable of reproducing without fertilization. There can be multiple generations each growing season.

The shell makes control difficult. If there aren’t too many, you may want to physically remove the shell and apply rubbing alcohol to the exposed insects. Try to control the immature crawlers with insecticidal soap (Natural Guard). Master Nursery Pest Fighter Oil is useful for smothering over-wintered scales in the early spring. We also suggest Imidacloprid (Fertilome Systemic Insect Drench). It’s best to apply in the spring. It creates poisonous sap on non-edible plants for up to 12 months.

Don’t forget to follow the label directions, as they are always the most up to date. If you have a scale infestation and would like to speak with one of our expert gardeners, feel free to stop by any Western Garden Center—we’re happy to help.

Winston Churchill wasn’t talking about spider mites, but he could have been. These pesky little insects feed on the underside of leaf tissue, causing a yellow/green mottled appearance. Weakened plants appear unhealthy, are more susceptible to other insect and disease damage, and often prematurely lose their leaves.

More closely related to tics and true spiders than insects, the most common Two-Spotted Mite (tetranychus urticae) does just as much damage. If they didn’t do so much damage, they would be very interesting little creatures. They winter over in the egg state and in the spring the hatchlings disperse into open foliage and flower buds where they penetrate the plant tissue using sharp mouth-parts.

There could be multiple generations doing damage in a growing season. Motionless while feeding, they are easily disturbed and move quickly in the loose webbing they create as shelter. The webbing is very fine, but backlighting the leaves will make it easier to see on infected plants.

Check for mites by shaking the infected foliage over a sheet of white paper. They may be temporarily stunned by the fall, but will shortly begin to run around in circles looking for “their leaf.” Look for tiny spots no larger than the period at the end of a sentence.

Persistence is your best friend when trying to get rid of spider mites. You can kill/remove a lot of mites with a strong jet of water, but take care not to strip the plant of foliage. Use Neem Oil (Fertilome Triple Action Spray) or Permethrin (Fertilome Fruit Tree Spray) as a liquid spray on edible plants. Imidacloprid (Fertilome Tree and Shrub Insect Drench) is stronger on ornamental plants, but may not be used on edibles. Adult spider mites are comparatively easy to kill, but the eggs are not affected by the sprays. Therefore, treat at least three times in a row, at exactly seven-day intervals. The goal is to kill the hatchlings before a new generation of eggs is deposited.

Remember to follow current label instructions on any pesticide you might use. The label is always the most current.

If you have any questions about eradicating spider mites in your yard, stop by any Western Garden Center in Utah and one of our expert gardeners will be happy to help. Be sure and mention that you read the blog and follow us on Facebook.