Ahhhh, September! The worst of all summer’s extreme heat is gone, the glare of sunlight has softened and it’s delightful to be active at the garden once more. Rainy days and cool nights are ideal for getting new plants based. The soil is warm and achievable, allowing for good root growth and development before winter, and warmer air temperatures lessen the amount of transpiration — and jolt — ordinary during the heat of the summer.
More ideas for gardening at the Rockies
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Exotic trees, shrubs and perennials. If you have been itching to add some colour or construction to your landscape, then now’s a great time to search for plants. Nurseries will be pushing earnings with special promotions and discounts so that they can clear out their inventory before winter, and also you, the customer, win.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Plant for winter shade. Broadleaf evergreens ought to be a priority for your fall planting schedule. These plants attract much-needed colour and texture to the winter landscape but can suffer from our area’s low humidity, extreme sunlight and drying winds.
September planting enables roots to grow, particularly important for evergreens during the winter, since the roots’ ability to absorb water helps counter the plant’s moisture reduction via its leaves that are persistent. Generally, broadleaf evergreens look their very best when planted in a secure location with filtered shade or morning sun and afternoon shade.
The many drought-tolerant alternatives for this area include Oregon grape holly (Mahonia spp), manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp) and yucca (Yucca spp) — all hardy to about 7,500 feet in altitude. Selections of those plants are native to a lot of locations throughout the Rockies.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Firethorn (Pyracantha spp) requires only a bit more water, as do boxwood (Buxus spp) and most of the evergreen Euonymus species. All these plants are best at elevations of 6,000 feet or below.
Program of an antidesiccant to the foliage from late November will help foliage hold its color better during the winter. Mulching and winter watering are all crucial to keep plants hydrated.
Pendleton Design Management
Plant for permanence. Trees are a big investment of time and money but are often vital to making the architectural aspects of a landscape: supplying privacy or shade, modifying end or noise, framing a view, etc..
Fall planting can make buying a tree easier on your budget, and it’s less stressful on the plant, too. Confer with a nursery or a landscape specialist to select a healthy tree that will adapt well to the growing conditions indigenous to your website.
For instance, what’s your hardiness zone or microclimate? Soil type? Water budget? Available distance? Trying to modify your surroundings to match the needs of a plant is rarely successful in the long term, therefore it’s ideal to be an educated gardener-buyer.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Transplant perennials. A fantastic guideline to keep in mind is that perennials that flower in the spring and summer ought to be moved in the fall, and those that flower in summer and fall ought to be moved from the spring. The concept is to allow the plants “settle in” to their new location (get some root expansion) before the push to flower occurs.
Although this is not a hard and fast rule, peonies (Paeonia spp) in particular needs to be moved in the fall. When transplanting peonies it’s important to blog them in full sun and provide them with a deep, loamy, well-draining soil. Put the main buds (or “eyes”) 1 to 1 1/2 inches) below the soil level. Peonies that are planted too deeply will not flower.
Other great candidates for moving now include poppies (Papaver spp), phlox (Phlox ssp) and daylilies (Hemerocallis spp). Mulch should be utilised to safeguard fall transplants by maintaining soil temperatures above freezing longer into the fall (permitting better root growth).
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Purchase spring-flowering bulbs. Tulips, daffodils, hyacinth and much more are available for purchase now. Shop your regional independent garden center for large, premium bulbs. Although they might be more expensive, larger bulbs are usually greater — they pack larger flower buds and much more nutrients for growing power.
Purchase early while the choice is greatest, but wait to plant your bulbs until October, when the ground is cooler yet still warm enough for the bulbs to root out and hydrate. (Bulbs implanted in too warm soil may abort their flower buds) Meanwhile, save your bulbs in a cool, dark place, like a basement cupboard. As soon as they’re implanted, keep bulbs moist during the winter, watering monthly whenever needed.
Leslie Ebert
Fix your irrigation clock. Lawns require less water as summer winds down. Though soil conditions, sun exposure and turf types must be taken into consideration, your lawn will require only about half as much water in September as it did in July.
Gardener’s Supply Company
GardenQuilt Cover – $12.95
Be prepared for frost. September brings the first freeze — or snow! — to many Rocky Mountain gardens, and nobody wants to observe a great crop of basil or a beautiful container garden turned into mush overnight.
Maintain white sheets or industrial frost blankets convenient; lightweight, breathable and reusable shouts are just the thing to have available to drape over your annual blossoms and tender veggies when frost threatens. The light shade lets sunlight in for photosynthesis and also traps solar heat for continuing plant and fruit growth. Multiple layers provide even higher insulating material.
More: Guides for your Rocky Mountains garden