by Connie Oswald Stofko
We’re having 90-degree weather in parts of Western New York–I hope you don’t think it’s already autumn! Just because the kids are going back to school, it doesn’t mean it’s time to pack up our gardening tools.
Here are some tips that you can use now or in the coming weeks as we prepare for autumn.
- If you want your amaryllis to bloom indoors in December, it should already be inside. See details here.
- If your garden doesn’t have any late-season perennials, see what’s blooming at your local garden center now. The perennials may even be on sale! Plant them by mid-September or October. When you should plant depends on where you live and how much risk you want to take. See more here.
- Have you had houseplants outside for the summer? Here is information on how to get rid of pests before you bring your plants inside.
- Find a good explanation here on when and how to prune roses.
- Get your soil tested. If you need to amend your soil, autumn is the time to do it.
- What should you do about yellow jackets? Just ignore them.
- Don’t plant spring bulbs too soon. When it is time to plant, intersperse the bulbs among perennials that will hide the dying leaves of your spring flowers. See more here, and read the comments on that article, too.