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GARDENING IN SEPTEMBER
BY
1.
TIME TO PLANT
Late August
through September is the month to dig and divide Peonies.
If you need to move or remove the whole plant, dig the whole
clump, remove the surface soil so you can see the top of the crown, then
cut away so you have a cluster of at least three to five newly forming,
pink eyes on each section of root. Or you can take a “root slice” from
the perimeter of the plant while leaving the mother plant in the ground.
Remember, that a larger peony division with three to five eyes will form
a new clump more quickly than a smaller slice of root with one or two
eyes, and will more likely survive the winter.
When replanting
make sure the crown is buried only 1 to 1 1/2 inches below the surface
of the ground. Planting more than 1 1/2 inches deep, the plant will grow
but may not bloom. Add bone meal in the bottom of the hole before
planting.
2.
SPRING FLOWERING BULBS
The early bird
gets the worm!!! This is especially true with spring blooming bulbs that
are planted in the fall. Garden centers will be getting there tulips,
daffodils, crocus, allium, surprise lilies, and other bulbs in shortly.
By purchasing early in September you are more likely to get your choice
of colors and varieties than if you wait until later. However, don’t
plant them now but wait until the ground gets cooler. That is usually
after the 10th to 15th of October in most parts of
3.
FALL WEBWORM OR
“Fall webworms
make the large webbed nests on the ends of branches in cottonwood,
crabapple, walnut, and other trees.
Caterpillars hide in the webbed nest during the day and feed at
night. The nests are
unsightly, but caterpillars cause little harm to otherwise healthy
trees. Tree health is
usually not affected until more that 50 percent of the foliage is eaten.
If there are enough nests, almost one on every branch, a tree could be
completely defoliated. If you can reach the nest, use a broom or rake to
break up the bag of webworms; then follow up by spraying with a strong
stream of water or an insecticide such
a permethrin (Eight), or Spinosad (a biological insecticide).
Remove the whole nest where possible. There are natural parasites and
pathogens of fall webworm that often bring these infestations under
control, hence, trees with numerous webworm nest this year may have none
or few next year. Outbreaks usually last two or three years.” (UNL
Extension-Hort Update for
If you can get
the bag onto the ground and break it, the birds are likely to take care
of the caterpillars. Do not remove the branch as the caterpillars
usually eat only the leaf tissue but not the buds. Thus the branch is
likely to leaf out again next year. Wait until spring to see if it does
before removing.
4.
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