PANSIES, MUMS, AND CABBAGES...ITS TIME!!!

With the cooler temperatures it is time to go ahead and plant your pansies, ornamental cabbages and kale, snapdragons, curled leaf parsley, Swiss chard, and fall mums. Remember to add some fresh new organic mix and fertilize with a slow release fertilizer. Plant your flowerbeds nice and full to get that instant look.

Don't forget...Botanica Gardens at 1601 Rebsamen Park Road in Little Rock is having their huge Fall Extravaganza....big savings!!!!!!! Check it out at botanicagardens.com.

DIVIDING HARDY MUMS

Don't be tempted to divide your mums in the fall. They respond best to being split in the spring, just as they're starting to grow. Dig up the plant. Discard the center of the clump and replant the vigorous outer roots. Don't repeatedly remove sections from the edge of the clump to give away, or you'll be left with just the old, woody center, which will grow and flower, but weakly.

Have a great weekend..........

Chris

To Plant or Not to Plant.....

If you are like me your are a very impatient person. Right about now you want to plant your pansies and add some fall color. But I would wait if I was you. Right now our temperatures are still in the 90's. This is hot for pansies. If you plant them now, they probably will survive, but they will stretch and grow leggy. When pansies grow leggy, they usually never rebound. So be patient and wait until around mid-October. Save your money and you will be grateful next month........

FEEDING THE BIRDS

The birds will soon begin their winter migrations. Give them a helping hand by providing them with some food for their long journey. No one likes to travel on an empty stomach, and you may even persuade a few of them to stick around for the winter, if they know they have a reliable food source!

Make me dinner and I will show up as well.....

SEPTEMBER GARDEN TIP 3

One last effort at weeding will help to improve the appearance of your garden throughout the winter.

Continue to watch for insect, slug, and snail, or disease damage throughtout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem.

Don't rebark your flower beds just yet. Wait until Febrauary as I do. At this time all oak trees should have dropped their remaining leaves. Fresh bark will help with your weed problems and will improve the appearance of your landscape by 500 percent. Don't be cheap and rebark every year.

SEPTEMBER GARDENING TIPS

Great weather today................

Mark your perennials with permanent tags, or create a map showing their locatins so you'll know where and what they are when they die back at the end of the season. This will help you to avoid digging up something your intended to keep when you plant bulbs and plants this fall and next spring.

Fall Chores-Start Now...LAWN CARE.

With Fall just around the corner here are a few lawn chores that will need to be done.

1. September is one of the best months of the entire year for seeding or sodding new lawns.

2. If the lawn needs thatching, it can be done during the early fall.

3. Over seed old lawns with fresh seed to help fill in the bare spots and crowd out weeds and mosses.

MORNING SHOW:

Segment One: "Too Late to Prune Roses?"

Now that autumn is just around the corner, you may be thinking that it is too late to prune back your roses........well if you think not? Then think again. This is the perfect time of year to lightly (about 12 inches) prune back your roses to get them ready for another flush and therefore flowers for the fall season. You don't want to prune to far back because if you do, then it will take your plants too long to flush out before the first frost sets in.

This is also the perfect time to fertilize your roses for the last time with a high in phosphorus fertilizer. This will help promote more new growth and new growth means more flowers. You have to love that!!!!!!!!!

Segment Two: "Black Spot Control"

Black spot is a nasty fungus that attacks roses, causing circular black spots with fringed margins to form on the foliage. Infected leaves eventually turn yellow and drop, leaving the plants severely damaged and nearly nude. Because the spores are spread by splashing water, the fungus is worse in periods of rain and high humidity.

Here is a perfect homemade fungus-prevention spray

Mix:

1 gallon water (not chlorinated)
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon detergent (dish washing liquid is great)

Spray often. The mixture does not last long and its effects are entirely preventive. This is not a cure, so if you wait until you have problems, you will have damaged leaves.

Have a great day!

Chris