Timely Topics
North Dakota State University Yard and Garden Report is a publication that comes out weekly during the summer months. The most recent report came out on October 12th, with some good tips for getting ready for winter. Here are some tips for vegetable and fruits;
Plant garlic now, divide cloves and set 4-6 inches apart. Cover the cloves with 2 inches of soil, then irrigate. Cover them with 4 inches of straw in November, planting hardneck varieties are the hardiest.
When storing winter squash leave at least one inch of the stem attached. Wipe but don’t wash the fruit except for acorns. Cure in a warm spot (80 degrees) for ten days to toughen skin, then store on pallets at 55 degrees and 60% relative humidity.
When harvesting cabbage and you see silvery or tan lesions, it is a tiny pest that scrapes the leaves called Thrips. Imidacloprid can be sprayed when thrips invade, often after alfalfa or small grains are cut. Overhead watering dislodges thrips.
Storing apples is best in a cool, humid and dark place. A refrigerator is best, but a cool root cellar or garage is acceptable.
Fall is busy with many household activities, but rake and remove fallen leaves and fruits under your trees. The litter can be an excellent source of diseases and insect pests for next year. Make sure to look out for wasps when picking up fallen fruit.
Besides just your vegetables and fruits, your lawn and trees might need some attention before winter snow;
Fall needle drop, many spruce and pine trees have old needles located near the trunk that are turning brown, that is normal. As long as the young needles located near the tips of the branches are healthy, then your tree is healthy.
Wrap young trees, place the white guard or wrap in Kraft paper. (make sure you remove these in the spring!) Covering the tree prevents cracking which can be caused by the scalding rays of the winter sun. Linden, maple, mountainash and fruit trees are very sensitive.
Seeding your lawn is something that shouldn’t be done now. The seeds don’t have enough time to get established and may just become food for birds. Sod can be laid until the ground freezes.
Shred leaves with your mower or rake them. Leaving leaves on the ground can cause suffocation in the spring, which can lead to fungi growing in your yard.
For this and more information check out the NDSU Yard and Garden Report.
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