Fall Gardening

Root Crops in the Fall

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Radish, golden beets, and white turnip

If you’re seeing all kinds of lovely root vegetables at farmer’s markets this time of year, start planning now so you can grow them yourself next fall! I am so glad I decided to put in seeds for beets, turnips, and radishes back in August. These are all super-easy crops to grow, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

Here are the steps from thought to harvest:

  • Plan ahead! Buy your seeds for fall planting when you get the ones for spring and summer, because they may be hard to find later on. (Autumn root crops are usually grown from seed; buying plants is a waste of money since you only get one root per plant.) Radishes, beets, turnips, and carrots are all good choices.
  • Make space. Allowing room for fall crops can be difficult in a small garden. If some of your summer crops are not looking too great, take them out and prepare the bed for fall seeding. Or plant a bed with a summer cover crop or a quick-growing crop you know you’ll be removing soon, such as bush beans.
  • Prepare your soil. Root crops like a loose soil – try inserting a trowel into the soil, and if you have to force it in, you will not get a great root harvest. Add some compost! Raised beds provide the ideal environment, since the soil seldom gets compacted. Make sure your planting area gets plenty of sun.
  • Know how long your root crops will take to mature. It’s disappointing to not get edible roots because you didn’t allow enough time. Check HGIC’s planting guides for general information on timing, and also check the seed packet which will give you specifics for the variety you’re growing. Root crops are hardy and will tolerate frosts, so you can plan harvest for anytime from early October to late November, but the later you start the seeds, the slower the plants will grow. (This has more to do with the amount of sun than the temperature.) For a crop that lists 60 days to maturity from seeding, plant in mid-August (you’re allowing an extra week or two for the fall slowdown). Quicker crops like radishes can be planted in succession from late August to late September. Most root crops will sit in the ground just fine in cool weather, so you can harvest them as you need them.
  • Plant as directed. Don’t worry too much about spacing since you will be thinning later on.
  • Keep paying attention as the plants grow. Water regularly if it doesn’t rain, and take out weeds as soon as you can recognize which are the desirable plants. If your soil is low in phosphorus or potassium (which is unlikely), you may need to fertilize, but regular additions of compost through the year usually do the trick with these quick-growing crops. Thin the seedlings when they are several inches high – this means pulling out the plants in between a final set that are several inches apart. Think about what the roots will look like in maturity (what they look like when you buy them), and allow that much room plus a bit extra between plants. I find it easier to thin in two stages, taking out bunches when the plants are small and then a few more as they mature. You can eat the thinnings in salads, if you wish; they’re all edible and delicious.
  • Harvest when ready! All of these root crops will show some of the root portion above the soil, so you can check on size without pulling them out.

In practice, I’m often not on top of thinning, and it was hard to water enough this year with our persistent drought. So some of my root crops, especially the beets, are smaller than they should be. (On the other hand, some of the radishes are enormous.) But even with mistakes I manage to get good results! Try root crops next year and harvest some treasure from underground.

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.

Gardeners Wrap Up the Gardening Season

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Okay, gardeners. We can see the finish line. It’s been a busy gardening season, but we are almost ready to wrap things up for the year. Almost.

October and November are the wrap it up, clean it up months. Now’s the time to give the last of your withering vegetable plants the heave-ho.  

I know there is still one tomato out there, but it’s a brick. Let it go. Toss healthy plants on the compost pile and bag and trash the rest.  

Are you one of those garden daredevils who cheat the season with late plantings of cool weather crops? Good for you. Just be ready with frost protection such as floating row covers or a deep layer of straw.

vegetable plant with a row cover
Floating row covers extend the growing season. Photo: UME/HGIC

Cut back any perennials that had serious disease or insect problems, but leave the rest standing to provide food and shelter for birds and overwintering pollinators and beneficial insects.  

Mums have sensitive crowns – the part where the roots and stems meet– so treat them gently. After their fall show, leave them standing to increase their chances of coming back. Not all hardy mums are hardy. 

Use leaves as mulch around trees and shrubs and in your vegetable and flower beds. Use a fine layer on your lawn and toss the rest in your compost pile. 

Collect fallen branches to start a brush pile for wildlife. Put larger pieces on the bottom and smaller ones on the top to create cover and resting places for creatures great and small. 

Yes, you can still sneak in some bulbs. Remember to plant them three times as deep as they are wide. In other words, a 1-inch daffodil bulb goes into a 3-inch hole.  

You can plant trees and shrubs until the ground is frozen, too. Earlier is better to give roots a chance to get established. Just make sure you water them deeply every week. 

red leaves on a tree
There’s still time to plant trees such as this native black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) with brilliant fall color. Photo: T. David Sydnor, Bugwood

Here’s a fact sheet that tells you how to plant trees and shrubs and lists plants that are best planted in the spring. 

Also deep water any tree or shrub you planted earlier this year to send them into the winter well-hydrated. Water until we get a ground-penetrating frost, usually around Thanksgiving.   

Water any newly planted trees and shrubs to help them overwinter. Photo: M. Talabac, UME

Want a live Christmas tree? Save yourself some colorful language by digging the planting hole now before the ground freezes. Drop in a few unopened bags of mulch to avoid losing Bowser or any holiday guests in there. 

We’re almost to the cuddle up with cocoa season. Taking care of these few last-minute garden tasks will let us smile and sigh under the afghan, reveling in a job well done.  

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Bulbs Deliver a Brilliant Spring

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Spring bulbs define possibility. Dive into a binful at your local garden center and hold one in your hand. It’s all in there – roots, leaves, stems, and flowers – all the razzle-dazzle of spring in one neat package.   

And now’s the time to plant. So get thee to a nursery or online store and start dreaming of a brilliant spring.

Pick big, firm bulbs. Avoid ones with soft or dark spots. Store them in a cool, dark place with good air circulation until you can plant them by October’s end. 

purple flowers of ornamental onions in bloom
Alliums’ spheres add drama to the spring garden. Photo:  Christa Carignan, UME

There are dozens of bulbs to choose from with bloom times from February to May. Snowdrops start the season, popping their dainty blossoms through the snow. Crocus follow and are often snow-dusted as well.  

Then comes an avalanche of other bulbs: daffodils, hyacinth, tulips, and more. Less well-known but equally rewarding are camassia, scilla, starflower, winter aconite, cyclamen, chionodoxa and allium.  Even the names are delicious.

tulips in a variety of colors
Grand sweeps of tulips are a sure sign of spring. Photo: Judy Kofoet

How do you decide what to plant? If your garden is graced by deer or squirrels, pick bulbs they don’t like such as daffodils, hyacinth, allium, fritillaria, and scilla.   

And remember that drifts of bulbs look best. So instead of a few bulbs, plant a dozen or more in a sweep. Go for the ooh la. 

Bulbs’ leaves need to die back naturally since the foliage feeds the bulbs for next year, so keep that in mind when choosing a planting site. Hide the fading foliage by mixing bulbs with perennials that are already filling out.  

Siberian iris’s fountain of foliage is ideal camouflage as are the unfurling leaves of ferns or hostas.  Practice pairing, planting bulbs to come up through a froth of white candytuft or creeping phlox.  

Think outside the box and use bulbs anywhere you want a splash of color. Combine them with low groundcovers under trees. Naturalize bulbs on a hill or in a woodland. Tuck them into a rock garden or container.    

yellow daffodil flower
Daffodils are a great deer-resistant bulb. Photo: Joan Willoughby

What do bulbs need? Plenty of sun, soil that drains well, and reasonably rich soil. To our clay and rocks, add compost and bulb fertilizer and loosen the planting area to a depth of 6 inches or so.   

Then plant your bulbs about 3 times their width deep. A one-inch bulb goes three inches deep while a two-inch bulbs goes six inches down. Dig the hole with a trowel and pop in your bulb, pointy end up. 

Space bulbs according to the guidelines on their packaging. Top with soil, water, and mulch.  

Aftercare of bulbs is easy. Dig and divide them every few years either after the foliage dies back – when they’re easiest to find – or in the fall if you’ve cleverly marked their location.

Can you garden without bulbs? Yes, but why would you? They are just the ticket for jazzing up your garden beds.  

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

Cleaning up the vegetable garden in fall

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With the first frost of autumn hitting many areas of Maryland, this is a good time to think about cleaning up your vegetable garden, if you haven’t already done so! Below are some hints to getting this job done efficiently and well, and some distinctions between the vegetable garden and the rest of your yard to keep in mind.

First, maybe you still have seasonally-appropriate plants growing – in which case, congratulations! Whether they are cover crops or cool-season vegetables, keep them watered as needed and remove weeds. We’re past the point where you have to worry about most insect pests, so the lightweight summer row covers can come off the brassicas, but you may want to replace them with heavier row covers to keep the plants a bit warmer and protect them from wind. You’ll have less frost damage that way, and can keep your veggies alive longer into the winter.

Summer vegetables, however, are toast. In some recent years we haven’t had frost until later in November, and I’ve seen lots of gardeners keep tomatoes and peppers growing up to Thanksgiving. My attitude is, why bother? You may still get some produce, but the quality and flavor will not be great, and then you’ll have to do cleanup when it’s really cold. Just pull the plug. Of course I have a small garden, and if I want to plant any fall veggies, the summer ones must vacate as soon as they start to go downhill. Your mileage may vary. But it doesn’t seem worthwhile to keep a sorry plant alive for just a couple of cherry tomatoes or a wizened paprika.

So, the first step is getting old plant material out. But wait, you say – didn’t I hear that we should leave plants in the ground until spring for overwintering insects? Sure, but not in the vegetable garden. Here are two good reasons why. First, when you leave perennial plants standing in your landscape so insects can find shelter inside their stems, you commit to waiting until the weather warms in late spring to remove the dead material. That’s going to be too late for vegetable planting in many cases, especially if you rotate crops and are planning to put a spring crop where your summer veggies grew this year. There’s a big difference between a landscape of perennial flowers and an ever-changing garden of annual vegetables.

Secondly, many vegetable plants are great disease hosts. Think about it – if tomatoes and squash didn’t produce delicious food, we’d probably banish them because of how awful they end up looking and how many fungi, bacteria and viruses they spread. The longer that diseased plant material stays in the soil, the more parts drop off and bury themselves, and in some cases that disease lives on until the next year, ready to infect a new host. Ideally you should remove sick plants, or at least the affected parts, as soon as they show disease. This is really hard to do in the middle of the growing and harvesting season, but if you haven’t caught up, at least do it now.

In general, diseased plant material shouldn’t go into home compost. Some fungal diseases will be killed by thorough hot composting, so if you’re rigorous you can take the chance, or else put it on the curb and let your municipal composting do the job. Consult our vegetable diseases pages for information about each type of infection – in some cases, you should just put the plant material in the trash. If you don’t know what infected your plant, it may be best to throw it out. If the plants have been healthy, you can shred and compost them, but remember to not add mature seeds to your compost. We’ve all had pumpkin vines and tomato plants emerge from our pile, and while it’s fun to have volunteers, remember that they may be cross-pollinated and unpredictable in what they’ll produce. Also, don’t add weeds that have gone to seed, or ones that have big roots.

Rake up the surface of your beds; get all that plant debris out. Then, the final step to putting the garden to sleep is covering the soil. If you haven’t planted cover crops, use some kind of organic material to keep the soil from erosion and sprouting weeds. You’ll be surprised how many weeds will cover those beds by spring! Many “winter weeds” have thousands of seeds to spread after they go to flower, so while the bees may appreciate the early snack they provide, you will not. Covering soil also helps to protect the beneficial microorganisms and other critters that inhabit it.

Fall is a great time to add compost to your garden beds, and if the compost is really finished its breaking-down process, it can be used by itself as a mulch. However, it’s probably better to protect it and limit its potential as a weed bed by covering it with other organic materials. Leaves, shredded or un-, are a great option, if you have them around. It’s less important to shred leaves for vegetable garden mulch than for perennial beds; it doesn’t matter that whole leaves mat down and stop young plants from getting through, because you’re going to remove them before planting anyway. Sometimes whole leaves blow away, though, so it’s your choice. Straw is another great option, either from a bale (make sure it’s straw and not hay, to limit the number of grass seeds that will sprout), or in a product often known as “sticky straw” which stays in place better (the “tack” will go away in time and the straw will decay nicely). Don’t make the mistake I did and buy the straw rolls that are held together with netting! Those are meant as a temporary cover for new grass seed. I guess I’ll pull mine up in the spring and maybe I can use the netting to keep the rabbits out of my lettuce bed.

You can also cover beds with a few layers of newspaper and then put leaves or straw on top, if you’re particularly worried about weeds popping up. Whatever lightweight organic material you have will be great, or you can also use black plastic or a roll of weed barrier as a temporary cover if you have nothing else. Plastic keeps the rain away from your soil, however, and it wants the moisture. And when the mosquitoes emerge again, they will breed in the puddles where the plastic isn’t flat.

Finally, fall is a good time to repair fences and fix or add other permanent garden structures. Do it now and you won’t have to do a rush job in the spring.

Then have a nice cup of tea or cocoa and put your feet up!

By Erica Smith, Montgomery County Master Gardener. Read more posts by Erica.

Want Flowers Next Year? Here Are Some Pollinator-friendly Plants to Plant This Fall

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Although the end of the summer/early fall may seem like an odd time to think about planting, don’t be fooled! This is actually prime time to allow plants to establish and grow strong for next spring. In fact, planting in the early fall gives time for plants to establish their root system, acclimate to the new conditions, and be ready to grow as soon as the spring conditions become ideal for them to develop. In today’s post, I want to present a couple of very neat plants that can be planted now to bloom and provide resources for next spring’s pollinators. And because these are some plants that are just close to my heart, let me try to convince you to add some (or all! 😊) of these to your green spaces, so you can enjoy them next year. Let’s talk about mountain mints, beardtongues, and Culver’s roots.

Narrow-leaved Mountain Mint – Pycnanthemum tenuifolium

As its name may let you infer, this is a plant that belongs to the mint family (Lamiaceae) and, as a mint, it is very aromatic. The genus is native and restricted only to northern North America, and we are lucky to count several species within Maryland’s native flora. As is the case for most Lamiaceae, mountain mints do not only present beautiful flowers; they have been used traditionally as a food seasoning and in medicinal teas to treat colds, coughs, and fever by many Native American tribes. Although some species are currently protected in the state, some are common, one of which being the narrow-leaved mountain mint (P. tenuifolium) I want to introduce you to.

white flowers of mountain mint with a butterfly visiting for nectar
(Left) The plant establishes very well in sunny areas where it displays its clusters of white flowers. Photo: SB_Johnny (CC). (Right) The delicate flowers of the mountain mint attract a very large diversity of pollinators, such as this Pearl Crescent butterfly. Photo: S. Cadwell (CC)

This plant is a favorite of mine because it is relatively tall (~ 3-4ft), makes a lot of flowers, attracts a bunch of insects, and tolerates conditions that many other plants don’t like. As is the case for all mountain mints, the flowers of this plant are clustered, and in this species, the flowers are white and bloom in the summer. The plants attract a very large variety of insects and for that reason are one of the recommended plants by the Xerces Society for supporting pollinators in our area. Bees of all sizes, beetles, butterflies, wasps, flies, and hoverflies… nobody can resist this beauty! And to top it all, this plant grows great in full sun and even in relatively dry conditions, which makes it a great one to plant close to roads or in those areas of our green spaces where other more water-needy plants may not do so great.

Hairy Beardtongue – Penstemon hirsutus

I have to say that I have a weakness for Penstemons specifically and plants of the whole family they belong to (the figwort family; Scrophulariaceae) generally. Their complex flowers always get to me, and plants of the genus Penstemon are to me one of those that I can look at and marvel at forever. So, this is one of the first ones I want to grow every time I can… maybe I’ll convince you to plant it too?

The genus Penstemon is almost restricted to North America, where they represent one of the largest groups of native plants on the continent. They are characterized by having tubular flowers, and their coloration varies by species, going from white, to pink, purple, red, and blue. Although there are a few species native to Maryland, and several can be grown, I want to talk a bit about the hairy beardtongue, P. hirsutus (but also check out the foxglove beartongue, P. digitalis!).

pink-lavender flowers of hairy beardtongue
lavender flower with a bee
(Left) Hairy beardtongue plants display a large number of tubular flowers. Photo: K. Woods (CC). (Right) The tubular flowers of hairy beardtongue provide nectar and pollen to a variety of pollinators, such as bumblebees, other bees, hoverflies, and butterflies. Photo: A. Espíndola

The flowers of this species are multicolored, with purple tubes tipped with yellow and white. The flowers are visited by bees (including bumblebees), hummingbirds, and butterflies, and have been described to support the adults of the Baltimore checkerspot, our state insect! The plant itself is not overly tall (~2-3ft) and makes a lot of flowers. They prefer drier conditions and full sun to some shade and will bloom in the late spring/early summer.

Culver’s Root – Veronicastrum virginicum

I feel that plants with small white flowers (like this one) are often kind of forgotten, to the benefit of showier and more colorful flowers. However, Culver’s root is a little gem native to our region that any local interested in supporting pollinators should consider having around.

Belonging to the Plantain family (Plantaginaceae), the genus counts only a couple of species, one of which is the only North American native: Culver’s root (V. virginicum). Like all members of the genus, this species presents its white flowers arranged in long spikes. This species will become taller over the years, reaching 4-5 feet at full maturity. They prefer sunny to shadier spots, where sufficient moisture is present (e.g., wood edges).

The flowers mature sequentially, and because there are so many flowers in their long spikes, a single plant is likely to flower for weeks. Besides its sustained floral display, this plant is super interesting and important for pollinators because it happens to flower at a time when few other plants flower in our region (July-August). Their white flowers attract and provide food for bees, butterflies, wasps, and (hover)flies.

spiky white flowers of culver's root
Once established, Culver’s root can reach 4-5 feet in height, displaying their long spikes of white flowers. Photo: E. Enking (CC)
close up view of culver's root flower spike
A tiny bee collects pollen on Culver’s root (can you spot it?). Note the multitude of flowers present on the long spikes. Photo: A. Espíndola

By Anahí Espíndola, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park. See more posts by Anahí.

Anahí also writes an Extension Blog in Spanish! Check it out here, extensionesp.umd.edu, and please share and spread the word to your Spanish-speaking friends and colleagues in Maryland. ¡Bienvenidos a Extensión en Español!

September To-do Lists Nudge Gardeners

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Winter squash is ready for harvest now.  Photo:  Home & Garden Information Center

I know. I know. You’re tired after a long season of gardening. Especially with all that heat we had. But there are still a few things to tick off your fall to-do list.

Have you planted your garlic yet? Now’s the time. Nestle cloves into the soil through the end of October for harvest next July. Get tips here: Growing Garlic in a Home Garden.

Even if your vegetable garden is looking ragged, keep harvesting. My cucumbers finally gave up the ghost, but I’m still getting enough tomatoes and basil for Caprese salads.

I just harvested butternut squash, too. The rind was finally hard enough not to dent with my fingernail, so they were ready. I’ll cure them for a week in a warmer room, then store them in my cooler basement. Learn more: Growing Winter Squash in a Home Garden.

And yes, I’ve started to remove spent and scruffy vegetable plants, clearing the bed of fallen fruits, leaves, and stems. And no, it’s not just because I’m a neatnik.

Soilborne diseases are the most common cause of vegetable problems. Those plant bits can harbor fungal spores which can reinfect plants year after year. 

So I’m ruthless in removing plant debris. I compost healthy plant parts, but bag and trash anything that has had disease issues.

After cleanup, I add compost. It feeds the soil, adds organic matter, improves drainage, holds nutrients, attracts earthworms, and suppresses disease. What’s not to love?

Buy compost or make your own. Mix leaves, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, and other organic materials into a pile. Stir it now and then, water it when it’s dry, and let it cook down into the best soil food ever. Learn: How to Make Compost at Home.

a gardener working on a compost bin
Master Gardener Gary Stallings turns compost in a teaching garden. Photo:  Shanon Wolf

This year I’ll top off my vegetable beds with an inch or two of compost to improve the soil and act as a winter mulch and weed blocker.  

Yes, weeds grow in winter. Winter annuals such as chickweed, henbit, and speedwell love bare soil, germinating in late summer and fall and returning vigorously in spring.

Don’t let them get a toehold. Cover bare soil with compost, mulch, or a cover crop.

Cover crops are all the rage, a classic farming technique that’s discovered new life in gardening circles. Sown from seed, they block weeds and slow erosion.

Best of all, cover crops feed and improve soil. Their deep roots mine nutrients and their leaves, stems and roots break down to add organic matter when they are turned into the soil in spring.

Many cover crops can be planted in the fall. Which is best for your garden? Find out here: Cover Crops for Gardens.

crimson clover
Crimson clover is an attractive cover crop that improves soil. Photo:  Home & Garden Information Center

After I tend to my vegetable beds, I dig and divide perennials. Most perennials should be divided every 3 years. Just lift a clump, cut it into sections, and transplant and water well.

Resist the urge to cut back your perennials in the fall. They provide crucial overwintering sites for pollinators and food for birds and other wildlife. Only cut back plants that had serious disease or insect issues.

Fall is a time to put a tidy bow on the gardening season, to lay to rest your beds after you squeeze out the last harvests. Feel the change in the air, breathe deeply, and enjoy the delicious ache of a job well done.

By Annette Cormany, Principal Agent Associate and Master Gardener Coordinator, Washington County, University of Maryland Extension.

This article was previously published by Herald-Mail Media. Read more by Annette.

  

Goldenrods: The Garden Thyme Podcast

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goldenrods episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast

Gold and yellow hues are the undeniable colors of autumn. In this episode of The Garden Thyme Podcast, we discuss one of our favorite yellow-blooming perennial plants – goldenrod. With its pretty yellow flowers, long blooming seasons, and high wildlife value, what is not to love about these fantastic native plants? Mikaela also counts down her top pick of goldenrods for different gardens (~17:10). Her goldenrod bloom chart can be found here.

We also have our: 

  • Native Plant of the Month – Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) (~22:45)
  • Bug of the Month – Goldenrod Bunch Gall Midge  (~33:35)
  • Garden Tips of the Month (~39:15)
Listen to the podcast

If you have any garden-related questions, please email us at UMEGardenPodcast@gmail.com or look us up on Facebook.

For more information about the University of Maryland Extension (UME) and these topics, please check out the UME Home and Garden Information Center.

The Garden Thyme Podcast is brought to you by the University of Maryland Extension. Hosts are Mikaela Boley- Senior Agent Associate (Talbot County) for Horticulture, Rachel Rhodes- Agent Associate for Horticulture (Queen Anne’s County), and Emily Zobel-Senior Agent Associate for Agriculture (Dorchester County).

Theme Song: By Jason Inc