John Hethrington has been gardening since the age of 9. He spent his early life gardening in Toronto and earned his certification as a Master Gardener before moving to Meaford where he cultivates 2.5 acres with 20 different garden
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Divide and conquer in your gardens this month with John Hethrington's September to-do list.
- Trim back perennials like daylilies and iris. Divide them as needed. Make sure it is a cool, cloudy day to divide and replant, or pot up for your neighbours or fall plant exchanges.
- Fall is the ideal time to divide and plant iris, daylilies, peonies and many other perennials. Share extra plants with neighbours.
- Buy and plant spring flowering bulbs. Your efforts will be rewarded next spring. Check out Botanu online at www.botanus.com.
- Add a little bonemeal fertilizer or special bulb food to the bottom of the planting hole. Water well after planting to start root growth.
- Take a critical look at your garden. Then fill in any gaps that may have developed with new perennials, shrubs and/or evergreens. They will get a huge head start over plants planted next spring.
- Bring in house plants when the evenings start to cool down. First, give them a thorough spray with insecticidal soap so that there are no unwanted hitchhikers coming into your home.
- With cool nights and hoped for fall rains, it’s the ideal time for lawn repair. Dig out weeds, add clean, weed-free topsoil and re-seed. Water as required
- Fertilize lawns with root-building “fall fertilizer” with a low first number (nitrogen) and a high third number (potash).
- Don’t use the lawn fertilizer you have leftover from the spring, probably with a high first number (nitrogen). Save it for early next spring.
- It’s been, first, a dry summer and then lots of rain, so water perennials, shrubs, evergreens and trees deeply. Dig a little test hole, say 14”-16” deep. Check moisture levels at that depth. If the bottom of the hole is dry, water weekly until frost.
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