Wichita gardener’s almanac for Oct. 31
Bringing in the plants – Nighttime temperatures have flirted with the 30s, but the forecast has leveled back out in the 40s and 50s. I still have some plants outside that I’d like to save from the winter cold, but I don’t bring 70 plants in like Wichita gardener Sydney McPeak does. She can’t afford to wait until the last minute, so she trimmed, cleaned up and brought the plants into her greenhouse Monday. One of them is a giant Swedish ivy that is at least 5 years old and that benefits from summers outdoors in dappled afternoon sun. McPeak gives it some Osmocote slow-release fertilizer at the beginning of the season. But now it and the other plants will take a rest at 40 to 45 degrees through the winter.
Meanwhile, reports have come in of irises that have been reblooming, especially last week. Enjoy every flower as much as you can. And the last hours of daylight saving time this weekend.
Halloween color – Kudos to gardeners who had the foresight to plant mounds of orange marigolds. They are the ideal flower for Halloween.
Cutting back – When garden mums are finished flowering, they can be cut back to 2 to 3 inches and mulched once the soil has frozen or the forecast calls for a sharp drop in temperature, or left intact to provide protection from fluctuating soil temperatures over the winter, K-State’s Ward Upham says. Plan to water mums during the winter if we don’t get enough rain or snow, he says.
Other perennials also can be cut back if they look messy or left intact if they add some beauty and interest to the winter garden. If a plant is marginally hardy, it’s a good idea to leave the foliage to provide some protection, Upham says. And seed heads of some perennials provide seed for birds, he says.
November lawn fertilizer – After September, November is the best time to fertilize a fescue lawn, because it boosts grass plants’ photosynthesis rate, Upham writes in this week’s Horticulture 2015 newsletter. The carbohydrates that are not used in growth are stored and will help the green up earlier next spring and sustain growth into May, Upham says. November fertilization also improves winter hardiness, root growth and shoot density, he says. Apply 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of nitrogen (in the soluble, quickly available form of urea or ammonium sulfate) per 1,000 square feet. This is not the time to use a slow-release fertilizer, Upham says. Sweep up any fertilizer that gets on driveways, sidewalks and streets and put it on the lawn, he reminds.
Garden events
Fall Orchid Show and Sale – The Kansas Orchid Society is having its fall show and sale this weekend at Botanica. Orchids from top growers from around the country will be for sale, and hundreds will be displayed as part of the show judged by the American Orchid Society. Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission to the show is free.
Last farmers market of the season – The last Kansas Grown Farmers Market of the season is this weekend at 21st and Ridge Road. Hours are 7 a.m. to noon Saturday.
Talk on Kansas’ native flora – Kansas master naturalist Slim Gieser will be at Botanica on Wednesday to talk about the native plants found in woodlands, plains, lake shores, hills and other eco-regions of Kansas. The lunchtime lecture, at 12:15, is included in Botanica admission. Lunch will be for sale for $8 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Bartlett Arboretum TreeFest – Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine will have a new event next weekend, a TreeFest on Nov. 8 that will feature afternoon talks by experts, trees for sale, a tree tour, and arborists in the trees demonstrating aerial rescue and pruning. Gates will open at noon; the cost is $5.
Annie Calovich
This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 9:56 AM with the headline "Wichita gardener’s almanac for Oct. 31."