Garden calendar fall-winter - Special Issue: Fall/Winter Garden Guide

Sunset, Fall-Winter, 1994

desert, prune roses.

* Between winter rains, water trees and shrubs deeply every three weeks, more often if the temperature is above 70 [degrees].

Mountain Regions

* Order seeds and spring plants early for the best selection.

* For a splash of indoor winter color, shop nurseries and florist shops for pots of cyclamen, primrose, and Johnny-jump-up.

Throughout the West, fall is prime planting time for spring-blooming bulbs, wildflowers, lawns, and--in milder climates--cool-season flowers and vegetables. In winter, gardeners stay busy caring for house plants and living Christmas trees, and--except in the coldest climates--planting bare-root roses and fruit trees.

This calendar provides gardening recommendations for the West's five major regions in the seven monthly checklists that follow. For specific information about your climate zone, consult the Sunset Western Garden Book.

September

This is a transitional month for people and plants. As summer fades to autumn, children head back to school while gardeners head back to work--digging up summer-flowering bulbs, planting spring-blooming bulbs, revamping the lawn.

Pacific Northwest

Planting

* Replace harvested crops with a last batch of seeds for fall and winter salads. Include leaf lettuce, mustard greens, Oriental leaf crops, radishes, rocket, and spinach.

* Spring-blooming bulbs show up in nurseries around Labor Day. Shop right away to get a good selection of healthy bulbs. For strongest growth and earliest flowers, plant immediately.

* Plant perennials, shrubs, and trees this month. Fall rains should soon water for you, and plants will have winter to build a strong root system to sustain next year's bloom. Shop nurseries for trees, shrubs, and ground covers with beautiful fall berries.

* Overseed, repair, or start lawns this month. When repairing a lawn, first rough up bare spots with a rake, then scratch in grass seed, cover with mulch, and water as soon as the soil surface starts to dry out. A good seed blend for mild parts of the Northwest contains perennial rye, fine fescue, perhaps bentgrass, and some Kentucky bluegrass as a quick cover to prevent erosion.

Fertilizing

* Give flowering annuals a last shot of fertilizer early in the month, and water well.

* Feed roses lightly after their fall bloom flush.

* Fertilize lawns with 1/2 pound actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of turf at midmonth.

Maintenance

* This is the last good month to dig and divide overgrown clumps of spring-flowering bulbs. Separate them, dry them, and replant after amending soil.

* Dig, divide, and replant Pacific Coast native irises and their hybrids and selections.

* Dig up, dry, and store gladiolus corms for winter.

* Lift out and divide crowded perennials after bloom, then amend beds and replant.

* Put a layer of organic mulch (like coarse compost or straw) around shrubs and half-hardy perennials to minimize frost damage to roots.

* As cooler weather stimulates lawn growth, mow the grass weekly, and apply at least an inch of water per week if rain doesn't do the job for you.

* Start a new compost pile with the spent plants of summer annuals and vegetables you pull out of the garden.

Northern California

Planting

* Bulbs to plant now include anemone, crocus, daffodil, Dutch iris, freesia, homeria, ixia, leucojum, lycoris, oxalis, ranunculus, scilla, sparaxis, tritonia, and watsonia.

* Buy hyacinth and tulip bulbs and store them in the crisper section of your refrigerator (they need at least six weeks of chilling to bloom well). Store the bulbs in a well-ventilated paper bag away from apples. Plant after Thanksgiving.

* In the fog belt, plant cool-season vegetables now. If you live in a warm inland valley, plant at the end of the month.

* After midmonth, sow California poppies, clarkia, and African daisies (Dimorphotheca); or set out transplants of calendula, Iceland poppy, larkspur, nemesia (near the coast), pansy, snapdragon, stock, and viola.

* As the weather cools, plant perennials such as campanula, candytuft, coreopsis, delphinium, dianthus, foxglove, gaillardia, geum, Mexican evening primrose, penstemon, phlox, salvia, and yarrow. Near the coast, set out cinerarias and monkey flower.

Fertilizing, Maintenance

* Apply high-nitrogen fertilizer to annuals, perennials, roses, and fall-planted vegetables.

* Prevent citrus fruits from drying out as they mature by giving trees deep soakings during warm fall weather. Do not prune trees now; pruning stimulates growth that can be damaged by winter cold.

* Dig, divide, and replant overcrowded perennials that have finished blooming. Use a spading fork to lift and loosen clumps of agapanthus, candy-tuft, coreopsis, daylily, Mexican evening primrose, and penstemon. With a spade or a sharp knife, cut clumps into sections through soil and roots. Before replanting, weed and amend beds.

* Rejuvenate cool-season lawns that you use; replace those that you don't use with drought-tolerant ground covers, perennials, or shrubs.

* Start a compost pile with weeds and leftover plant debris from the fall harvest. Compost will be ready for spring planting.