Bulbs

Garden Centers should have their full compliment of spring blooming bulbs in stock. Buy them as soon as you can to get the best selection. Plant daffodils and smaller spring bulbs in October. Tulips can wait until as late as the end of November, especially since we don't need to give the squirrels anything more to dig up! Scratch in Holland Bulb Booster (not bone meal) around each bulb. If you put it in the hole you may burn the bulb.

Powdery Mildew

Cold nights and warm days promote powdery mildew on a number of deciduous plants. Mildew is a relatively harmless plant parasite that whitens the foliage. Sulfur dust is a good old-fashioned control. Horticultural oil is also fine. You can make your own home remedy by using baking soda: Spray with a solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon Ivory dish liquid in a gallon of water. Be sure to cut back all infected leaves by the end of the year. This mildew will over winter on leaves and stems which are the source of spores for new infections the following year.

Lawn

Aerate the lawn by inserting prongs of a pitchfork into the ground every 5" in a criss-cross pattern, then rake well. You can also have your lawn care service do this with an aerating machine.

Scrubs and woody plants

Fertilize viburnum, peony and hydrangea with bone meal. Apply an inch of ready compost to your beds. Late autumn until the end of November is the best time to feed woody plants. Fertilizing at this time can be critical in determining plant survival. The autumn soil is warm, the microbiological populations are alive and adequate to process soil nutrients, and all the nutrients will be converted into food reserves. Use a 10-10-10 fertilizer.

UMass Extension

Roses

Do not cut off the spent flowers on rose bushes. Any type of pruning done from October on, including deadheading, may delay the onset of dormancy in roses and increase the chances of winter injury to the plants.

Fall Planting

With its cooler temperatures and abundant soil moisture, September is a good month to plant trees, shrubs, and perennials. Before planting, rid the area of any weeds, then apply one to two inches of compost over the ground and work in into soil. Mulch newly planted trees and shrubs. Apply a three-inch-deep layer of wood chips, bark nuggets, or other organic much around the trees but DO NOT place mulch against the stem or trunk of the shrub or tree. Leave a space of a few inches between bark and mulch.

Greenhouse Group

House Plants

Do not leave house plants outside too late in the fall. They can easily be damaged by very cool autumn nights, and they will have a harder transition to indoor conditions. This is a good time to do any repotting so that the mess can be outside. Use only clean pots. Old soil can be added to your compost, but do not reuse when potting. Clean and disinfect empty pots (dipping in a bleach solution will disinfect). Check plants carefully for bugs or evidence of disease. Mix up a tub of water containing rubbing alcohol or vinegar (about 1/2 cup to l gallon water) and submerge plants fully. You can also use a solution of Ivory liquid soap and water (1 tablespoon soap to 1 gallon water). Washing plants in this way helps to kill any bugs on the plants before you bring them into the house. Plants can also be sprayed with horticultural oil as extra protection although the oil does discolor the leaves of some plants. For continuing protection, you can add a systemic insecticide to plants as long as they aren't edible. Sprinkle a teaspoon of the granules around the plant and scratch in lightly.