New School Fall Gardening Stretegies
By Katherine Placzek
With fall approaching, many of you are getting ready to put your garden beds and other portions of the landscape to bed. With a more eco-friendly mindset, we would like to suggest a couple of tweaks to your typical routine.
Old school: Raking and bagging leaves, tossing them out for the trash.
New school: Rake leaves from below trees, and use them as mulch around your perennials, shrubs, or on top of your vegetable garden beds. You can also run these over with a lawn mower to mulch them into your grass.
Why: Organic matter, including yard waste, is the most prolific item in United States landfills. Consequently, this unsustainable practice directly contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Conversely, organic material returned to the soil reduces your environmental impact while providing a useful garden resource. These local sources of organic material and nutrition (from your own yard’s leaves) will feed and insulate your yard all winter long! Decomposing leaf matter enriches the soil, adding carbon and nitrogen to the soil, while plants “sleep.” Leaves also create safe places for native bees and other pollinators. Did you know that almost three-fourths of Colorado’s native bees nest and overwinter underground? Tip: Deeply water the leaf litter in after it has been placed. This creates a wet decomposing mat that will not blow away as easily.
If you have excess leaves that you are not going to be using, please feel free to bring your bagged leaves by our nursery gate (located at 600 N. 18th St. Colorado Springs, CO 80904). This is a community pile that other members come to gather for their own gardening usage.
Old School: Trim any perennials and remove them before the first snow.
New School: Leave all of your woody stalks, leaf matter, and ornamental grasses all winter long!
Why: This allows for winter interest and provides shelter for any hibernating insects. This is especially true for native plants that act as habitat for many native and beneficial insects. Larger life forms, including birds and mammals, will also benefit from grass seed heads left standing, and other plants that provide shelter in the harshest months. If this is unsightly for you, trim your plants, but leave the stems and other leaf matter on the ground to help create shelter throughout the winter. When soil temperature has reached 50 degrees Fahrenheit it’s the preferred time to begin trimming these perennials in the spring, after many insects have completed their wintering cycle.
Old School: Let the winter snows water your outdoor plants.
New School: Water trees, shrubs, and perennials on nice days throughout the winter.
Why: Unfortunately Colorado Springs does not get enough reliable winter moisture to overwinter many plants. This is especially true for newer plants that do not have an established root system yet. Many trees and shrubs, even those that are well-established, should continue to be watered on warm winter days from October through March. When it gets up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, pull out a hose or dust off your watering can and soak up some of those winter rays, yourself, while you water. Make sure you unhook any hoses after use, as temperatures can cause freezing in the hose bib and other hardware.
Old School: Say goodbye to gardening until spring.
New School: Fall and winter sow, including vegetable and perennial flower seeds.
Why: Many annual vegetables and perennial flowers have a natural cycle where they drop seeds or fruit in the fall. Mimic nature and plant some of your own seeds in the fall to see what comes up earlier and hardier in the spring! In the vegetable garden, this especially works for cold hardy greens. Think spinach, lettuce, arugula, radicchio, etc. For perennial flowers, like wildflowers, it is recommended to put these seeds down in the fall, as many of our native flowers require a cold stratification period. While many people may set up sections in their freezer and fridge for cold stratification processes, direct seeding in the fall eliminates the juggling of space in your fridge/ freezer. Let the ice cream stay where it is!
Old School: Wait until spring to amend any of your garden beds.
New School: Amend your garden beds in the fall so you can plant right away in the spring.
Why: Fall is a good time to test your soil so you know how to amend your beds. Our soils typically fall in the basic pH range here in the greater Colorado Springs area. This can impact how readily available nutrients are to our plants. Do your research and get your soil properly in shape for your spring! Remember that you can also amend with what nature provides; leaves, manure, compost, and other organic matter. These sources do not have a precise N-P-K (macronutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), nor spelled out micronutrients (calcium, magnesium, iron, etc) so it is recommended to test your soil in the spring again to see how your soil has changed due to any unregulated organic material. We offer pH and N-P-K, testing in-store, but the CSU extension office also offers a wide range of soil tests.
Now that you know these new school techniques, you might just try other new gardening techniques in the growing season. I know, I know- I am getting ahead of myself! Happy gardening!
Protecting Our Watershed While Gardening & Landscaping
By Katherine Placzek
Every item that we use in our green spaces– fertilizers, pesticides, sprays, powders and granules, etc. all make their way into the water, after it rains or when we water our plants. This means a myriad of compounds, organic and synthetic, are making their way in our or someone’s drinking water. Yes, most of our drinking water is filtered, but this also impacts lakes, streams, aquifers, wells, and other sources of water that can be a habitat for other living organisms, big and small. While this may feel overwhelming initially, we have the power to make little meaningful changes in the way we manage our landscapes.
Lawn and Garden Fertilization
Three things make a difference here. Quantity, quality and timing:
Quantity: When you use fertilizer, always use the instructed amount of fertilizer or a diluted/ lesser amount. This ensures that your plants can take up the applied fertilizer and that excess is not making its way into our waterways. Excess fertilization can stress plants and negatively impact water quality. Over fertilizer use through agriculture, golf course maintenance, and community landscaping have contributed to dead zones in waterways. A dead zone is where all aquatic life ceases to exist. First, expansive algae blooms occur that crowd out sunlight, which choke oxygen out of the environment, causing inhabitable levels for any life, plant or animal. While some dead zones do occur naturally, the second largest one in the world is in the Gulf of Mexico, where many of North America’s waterways meet. This dead zone is widely attributed to human causes.
Quality: When choosing a fertilizer, it is advisable to read the ingredients, similar to reading food labels. If you cannot recognize an ingredient, know it is likely synthetic. Not all things that are human made are bad, but do your research. You may decide that you do not want some of these ingredients in your garage, home, yard, and local ecosystem. This is why Rick’s is proud to continue to carry our Organic Lawn and Garden fertilizers. Both of these are gentle fertilizers, with low nitrogen levels, and contain ingredients such as chicken manure, bone meal and blood meal.
Timing: Never fertilize before a severe rainstorm where run-off can take the majority of your fertilizer downstream. This is also cost prohibitive. If you plan on putting fertilizer down before predicted moisture, consider prior to a snowfall, where the melting snow can bring the fertilizer into the ground gently. Also read the instructions. Many fertilizers recommend a fertilizing schedule. Follow this, or see if you can stretch the schedule out further, to reduce the amount of fertilizer that you have to buy and apply throughout the year. Never fertilize more than what is recommended, this can stress the plant, and excess product will be absorbed into the waterways.
Pesticide Use
Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Similar to fertilizing, follow the same wisdom regarding quantity, quality and timing. We have said it before, but just to remind you: “While pesticides are convenient and sometimes necessary especially when mitigating invasive plant species, pesticides negatively impact pollinator numbers…. It is important to remember that while applying control products at night can reduce pesticide exposure to several pollinators/ beneficial species, this does not protect nocturnal pollinators such as moths and bats. When we use pesticides there is no current method that does not negatively affect pollinators or their second tier predators, who are further up the food chain (Excerpt from our March 2024 newsletter).” All of these pesticides reach water sources that are drinking water for pollinators and larger organisms: birds, fish, fox, deer, etc. Many of the chemicals used in popular pesticides, including glyphosate do not break down with water. This means the problem is washed downstream, but never away, and can exist in our waterways indefinitely. Manual removal of weeds is no fun- we all know this. When we choose conventional pesticides, we give up clean water. Limiting the amount of pesticides we use in our yards is one step to keeping our watershed less polluted.
General Maintenance
When you mow your lawn, consider mulching the cut grass instead of bagging it unless you use the cut grass in your compost. Mulched grass that has been chopped by the mower multiple times and is spread evenly over the lawn acts as a wonderful additive of organic material to the soil. This method improves water retention, and overall soil health, decreasing your need for fertilizer. If you mulch the cut grass, but leave large clumps of thatch, this can burn your grass and be swept away into a waterway. This process can act similarly to over fertilization, causing algae blooms downstream. Use the same logic with fall leaves. Mulch leaf litter and either use it on your lawn or in your garden, to add nutrition to the soil. Avoid abandoning leaves in gutters, and storm drains, as it increases excess nitrogen in the watershed. In the winter, make sure you are using a low saline and non-toxic ice melt as well. Water guardianship takes place in all four seasons!
Plant Selection
Finally, the fun stuff! Select plants and grasses for your landscape that are resilient to the Rocky Mountain circumstances. When we do this, we automatically reduce the need for mowing, fertilizing and the use of pesticides. Native plants especially, have been living here in the Colorado landscape much longer than any human lifespan. They have been taking care of themselves without any of our human care measures, such as fertilization, and will continue to do so into the future. I believe that by choosing to plant native plants in a landscape, you are actually simplifying your overall workload in the yard. You will fertilize less, you will use pesticides less, and regarding grass, you will mow less. That means more money in your pocket and more sitting on the back porch, sipping on a cold beverage. Cheers!
Embracing Nature’s Way: Integrated Pest Management
Integrated Pest Management is like the Gandalf of gardening – a wise, all-encompassing strategy that balances the forces of nature to keep your greenery flourishing. At its core, IPM is a holistic approach that combines biological, cultural, and physical/ mechanical control methods to manage pests and diseases. Instead of reaching for a pesticide or other control products, we tap into the power of Mother Nature herself to maintain a thriving and balanced ecosystem.
Some of our IPM practices include:
- Biological: Releasing ladybugs or other beneficial insects inside our greenhouses, or hoop houses to feast on those insects that are a bother; aphids, scale, mealy bugs, leafhoppers, etc. We also let spiders do their good work eating larger insects, like grasshoppers.
- Cultural: Reducing watering if fungal or pest problems crop up.
- Mechanical: Manually removing bugs from plants by hand or with water (aphids, mealy bugs, scale, potato bugs, etc)
While we lean into biological, cultural, or mechanical solutions, the last part of IPM is responsibly utilizing chemical products to rid of pests. This means we use more natural controls, such as Neem oil or Spinosad Soap, before other products. It is also important for us to factor in when pollinators or other beneficial insects may be around. So we try to spray when these individuals are not active. We also follow recommended application methods to avoid pollution of our environment or incur undue costs.
Why does Rick’s Garden Center Choose IPM Over Pesticides?
Environmental Harmony:
- Pesticides can disrupt your garden’s delicate ecosystem – effective, but with unintended consequences. IPM, on the other hand, dances with nature rather than against it. By embracing natural predators, beneficial insects, and environmentally friendly practices, we create a harmonious balance that keeps the pests at bay without harming the environment. By mostly avoiding synthetic chemicals, we reduce the environmental impact and create a garden that’s both beautiful and a haven for beneficial insects and wildlife.
Economic Sense:
- Let’s face it – pesticides can burn a hole in our pockets. IPM, however, is cost-effective in the long run. By relying on natural solutions, we reduce the need for constant reapplication of expensive chemicals, improving our bottom line.
Happy and Healthy Plants:
- Picture this: a garden where plants are not only surviving but thriving. That’s the magic of IPM. By addressing the root causes of pest problems and fostering a healthy soil environment, we ensure that your green companions are resilient and ready to face whatever life throws their way.
Community Connection:
- We believe in building a community that shares our love for the earth. By choosing IPM, we invite our customers to join us in creating a garden that is a testament to the power of working hand in hand with nature.
At Rick’s Garden Center, IPM isn’t just a gardening strategy – it’s a philosophy. It is about embracing the rhythms of nature and inviting others to join us toward a more sustainable future. So, next time you visit, know that you are not just buying plants; you are becoming a part of our eco-minded family.
Rick’s Deep Freeze Guide
In preparation for our first deep freeze coming this Sunday, Rick’s Garden Center would like to remind our fabulous customers to take some steps beforehand to help your plant friends and tools out.
- Water in outdoor trees, shrubs and perennials and cover root balls with mulch. Do not mulch up to the trunk. Moist soil conducts earth heat better than dry soil. The mulch will help keep in the heat and protect the sensitive root ball.
- Rose bushes, mulch up to the graft union at the base of the rose trunk. You can use a rose collar or just pile up mulch up to and above the graft union. The graft union will look like a bulging area on the main trunk just above the soil line.
- Bring in any tropical plants, cacti or succulents that are not at least a zone 5 inside.
- Check and move any plants that are blown on by heat vents. This will dry out the foliage in no time!
- Outdoor trees, shrubs and perennials planted in pots should be insulated with burlap bags or mulch and placed against a south or west wall of your home. Avoid watering these before the freeze.
- Water in newly established lawns and grass.
- Go ahead and plant those mums you bought in the ground.. They may come back next year!
- Disconnect and drain all hoses and drips lines from spigots
- Cover newly planted bulbs with leaf, needle or straw mulch.
- Blow out that sprinkler system!
- After the freeze, you do not have to pull up all of the dead material, so that pollinators and other insects have a place to overwinter.
Fall Perennial Planting
Planting in the fall can save you a lot of money while also giving plants a jump start next spring! Plants that establish strong roots during the fall will come back bigger and stronger in the spring time.
However, fall planting requires careful consideration and attention to detail from the gardener. The trick is to give fall plantings a little extra care to help them get established before the really cold weather sets in.
Here are four things you can do to help your plants get established:
Soil Inoculant
At the time of planting, be sure to use an inoculant specifically formulated for perennials, trees and shrubs. These products will help the plant to start establishing roots before all of the foliage dies back. We recommend using an inoculant over a root stimulator this late in the season so you can avoid giving any extra nitrogen to the plant before it goes in to dormancy.
Mulch
Mulch helps to retain soil moisture while also protecting roots from sudden changes in temperature. We recommend using 3″ of a good quality mulch to keep plants protected. Make sure that mulch does not contact the bark of woody perennials.
Protect Plants from Early Freezes
Keep an eye on the weather and cover the plants when the temperatures dip below freezing throughout September and October. This is most important for perennials. Trees do not need to be blanketed, but bark wrap should be used on all young trees to protect the trunks from splitting during our freezing and thawing cycles. When covering perennials, use heavy fabric or plastic and prop it up so that it is close to, but does not touch the plant (Plastic that touches the plant during a freeze can actually do more damage.) Be sure the covering goes all the way to the ground and cover the edges with soil or mulch so that it will trap heat from the soil.
Water
To support adequate root growth, plants will need to be watered regularly in the fall. Keep your soil evenly moist, but not soggy, through the fall time. Remember to monitor your plants regularly! A plant that crisps up due to lack of water in the fall time is not likely to survive the winter. When the plant goes dormant, they will require less frequent watering, but will also need to be watered throughout the winter. Remember that desiccation is the result of cold weather plus dry soil. For more details on winter watering, visit our Blog.
Forcing Paperwhite Narcissus Bulbs
Flowering bulbs can be forced to bloom indoors, creating a beautiful display of color and fragrance even on the coldest days of winter. Some bulbs require a period of cold treatment to bloom, which can be a little tricky. If you’re new to forcing bulbs, we recommend starting with Paperwhite Narcissus. Paperwhite bulbs do not require a cold treatment and are super easy to bloom in water.
Planting – A Simple Hydroponic Method
- Find a decorative bowl or dish that is 3 to 4 inches deep and holds water
- Fill the dish with about 2 to 3 inches of clean decorative rock, pebbles, pea gravel, perlite, or other very porous substrate leaving about 1 inch of head space at the top of the dish
- Add water until it is just slightly below the surface of the rock
- Set the bulbs on top of the rock with the basal plate (root end) facing down
- Use a little more gravel to cover the bottom quarter of the bulb
- Keep the water level just at the level of the basal plate (too much water will cause the bulb to rot)
- Bulbs typically do best if they are kept in a cooler location (50 to 60 degrees F) in low light for the first 2 to 3 weeks
- Once the bulbs are rooted and shoots appear, bring into direct sunlight and warmer temperatures
- When the flower buds begin to show their color, move the plants into indirect sunlight to prolong the flowers
- Plant new pots every two weeks starting in mid-October to have blooms from Thanksgiving into March.
- Keep bulbs out of reach of pets and children as these plants are toxic if ingested.
- Forced paperwhites will not likely rebloom, so it is best to toss out spent bulbs.