It's bulb digging time
As I'm writing this, I'm remembering the nasty surprise Mother Nature gave us just a year ago. Starting on Oct. 10, we received three nights of the coldest early freezes ever in Coeur d'Alene. The worst was on Columbus Day, the 12th, when the early morning temperature went down to 15 degrees. The high for that day only reached 40. Another record.
Because of the sudden extreme cold, the leaves on the trees didn't have a chance to go through their normal color changes. Instead, they turned brown and fell off.
As of this writing we have been lucky this year. So far, no hard freezes have sneaked in to nip the plants. Just to be on the safe side I've picked the rest of my tomatoes as there's no doubt about their days being numbered.
Be sure to tuck a few new spring flowering bulbs in the ground soon. They will give you a much needed thrill next spring when they pop through the snow to greet the new growing season. I sent for several new ones and hope they arrive soon. Ever since I saw a huge expanse of trout lilies many years ago in Glacier Park, I've wanted to plant some. They aren't usually available in local stores but luckily the major bulb catalogs carry them. Will also be putting in a bunch of miniature daffodils and some brightly colored parrot tulips.
If you've never planted fall bulbs before, its easy. Just choose a site in full sun then dig holes a bit deeper than recommended on the package. Put in some bulb food, cover that with a thin layer of soil, then place your bulbs. Once covered, be sure to give them a good soaking as the fall rains usually don't wet the ground down that far. This will get the roots started in their fall development. That's it, you're done. Time to go in the house and sit in front of the fire. S'mores anyone?
Have the flying clouds of tiny blue bugs been to visit you yet? They seem to be just about everywhere right now. These are ash aphids and they are doing their normal fall routine of searching out ash trees where they will lay their eggs and then die. A strong wind or hard freeze will do them in even earlier.
Raspberry canes need to be cut down now. Not the new ones, but the ones which bore fruit this year. Those will have hard brown stems and will be easy to identify. Cut the old canes to the ground and the new canes to about four feet tall. These will bear the fruit next summer. The only exception are those late bearing types. These may still have fruit to be picked.
If you plan to save those gladiola, dahlia and tuberous begonia bulbs, now is the time to dig them. Hose them off and leave them to dry for several days. The glad bulbs are the easiest to store as they only need to be put in a mesh bag and left in an area that doesn't get below 40 degrees. The dahlia and tuberous begonia bulbs both need to be put into something to keep them from drying out.
I use those wood shavings which are sold for hamster cages. Put a handful into a small paper bag, then the bulb. Finish with another handful of shavings. Write the variety or color on the bag if desired. Put all these bags into a large cardboard box. One with a lid works the best. Put the box in an area that stays between 40 and 60 degrees all winter. Check occasionally to see how they're doing. You may need to sprinkle a few of the bulbs with a bit of water if they're shriveling up too much.
Someone sent me a cute little ditty recently. It goes something like this. "Your mind is your garden, your thoughts are your seeds. You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds." Think about it.
Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting as a kid in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states. She is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.