Garden Checklist

From The Fresno Bee, October 15, 2009 (edited):

Flower Bulbs Need Special Care To Thrive In The Valley--Elinor Teague

Out of Elinor's spring blooming bulb plantings, only the grape hyacinth (muscari) have naturalized. Getting other spring bulbs to rebloom for several springs is more difficult.

We have long, hot summers which can bake the bulbs, especially the tulips that are heat sensitive. We need to keep them watered, although it may rot the bulbs during the summer. Keep them moist in winter, too, but not soggy. Our winters are short and mild, lasting about 2 1/2 months (mid-November until late January), but many bulbs need 3-4 months of cold weather to bloom well. Buy bulbs in mid-September and keep them in the refrigerator for at least 6 weeks.

Amend clay soils with lots of compost to increase the drainage. Add a tablespoon of bone meal or a "bulb-booster" type of plant food to the holes dug for the bulbs.

When removing the faded blooms in spring, sprinkle a few tablespoons of bone meal or booster food over the green leaves so the bulbs can store the nutrients for next year.

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Garden Checklist:

Pick a bouquet of herbs in the early morning to retain flavor. Keep them in a vase, and use them all week. [One year I did this and some of the herbs grew roots!--Gard'n Judy].

Tasks--Monitor soil moisture after rain and add water if needed, especially for trees and shrubs.
Pruning--divide and then cut back perennials.
Fertilizing--do not feed citrus andother frost-tender plants.
Planting--Start cool-season lawns from seed or sod; stock (Matthiola), forget-me-not (Myosotis), Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule), pansy, violet; from seed--Swiss chard, turnips, snow peas; lupine (Lupinus) from seed; sago palm (Cycas), gardenia, magnolia, myrtle (Myrtus), flowering cherry (Prunus), oak (Quercus).
Things to Ponder--Use organic mulch around permanent plants, and add organic matter into soil to prepare beds for spring planting.

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Upcoming garden classes at the Garden of the Sun:
1944 N. Winery Ave., 456-7285

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Planting Bulbs for Spring
9:30 am, Saturday, October 17
$15.00

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Colorful Container Gardening Secrets
9:30 am, Wednesday, October 21
$15.00