Forcing indoor bulbs, protecting tree trunks, and getting roses ready for winter are some of the gardening tips for this month.

Some woody perennials -- technically called subshrubs -- such as butterfly bush, lavender, thyme, and heather, can be damaged or killed if you prune in fall. Leave the stems as is, protect them with mulch over the winter, and prune in spring.

Rose foliage can harbor insects and diseases, both on the shrub and on the ground. Pull off any rose leaves that are still hanging on, and rake up fallen leaves and bury them all away from the garden or dispose of them in the trash.

All you need to force bulbs indoors is a place that stays cool but above freezing -- 32 to 50 degrees. Pot up daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, grape hyacinths, and other bulbs that need a cold treatment, and water them well.

For the best show, don't mix different types of bulbs in one pot unless you're sure they bloom at about the same time. Then place the pots in cool storage for about 12 to 16 weeks. Check on them periodically and water when the soil is dry.

At the end of the cool treatment, bring them into a 50- to 65-degree location for two weeks for growth to begin, then bring pots into brighter light and warmer temperatures, keeping them well-watered. Once in flower, keep the pots away from heat and direct sun to prolong the blooms.

To prevent sunscald and frost cracking on young, thin-barked trees such as maples, wrap the trunks with tree wrap or paint the south- and southwest-facing sides of the trunk with white, outdoor, latex paint. This will reflect the warming rays of the sun so the tree bark doesn't heat up on winter days, only to be suddenly cooled when the sun sets and the temperature plummets.

Once the ground begins to freeze and you have consistent temperatures in the low 20s F, it's time to protect modern hybrid roses from winter's wind and cold. The simplest method is to mound bark mulch around the base of the rose, covering the graft union (the swollen part of the stem near the ground).

The mound should be about one foot tall. Wait until spring to cut back the canes above the mound. For added protection from wind, place four stakes around the bush, then wrap chicken wire or burlap around the stakes. Fill the center with mulch as deep as possible. You may need to tie up long canes so they'll fit inside the cylinder. Avoid plastic rose cones without ventilation holes at the top because they can heat up and damage plants.

Make sure evergreens have a good deep watering before the ground freezes because they continue to transpire, albeit slowly, during the winter. Protect young evergreens from wind damage during winter by wrapping them in burlap or using wooden protectors. Water these plants whenever the temperatures warm up in winter and early spring if there's no snow cover to provide moisture.

Storing clay pots for winter, checking houseplants for pests, and proper care of new trees are some of the gardening tips for this month.

Clay and ceramic pots can crack over the winter if left outdoors with soil in them or if they fill with rain.

When the water freezes, it expands, and so does wet soil. Empty pots
and store upside down under a tarp or bring them in out of the weather.

Plants that summered outdoors may have brought in freeloaders that are now multiplying like crazy in our heated homes. Inspect the undersides of the leaves for webbing of spider mites. Leaf axils (where they attach to the stems) are favorite hiding places of mealybugs.

Dark-colored scale insects hug the stems and veins of the leaves and can be invisible unless you look closely. Insecticidal soap is most effective on soft-bodied insects like spider mites, aphids, and mealybugs. Scale is trickier to control and horticultural oil is the best option.

Evergreens don't go totally dormant so they benefit from a deep watering at this time of year. This helps prevent drought stress if the winter snow cover is scant.

Plastic spiral tree wraps and brown paper wraps can protect trunks from sunscald and gnawing by rodents. Put them in place before the snow falls so they will extend all the
way to the ground or else the critters can sneak underneath the snow and feed on the lower bark that's unprotected.

If you've recently planted a tree and it absolutely must be staked for a short period of time, be sure the ties aren't tight so the tree can sway in the breeze. Wind stress can
actually increase root growth and trunk girth and result in a stronger mature tree.

If you saved amaryllis bulbs from last year and they have had a dry rest period, watch for signs of shoot growth, which signals that it's time to pot them up. Use a pot only slightly larger than the bulb diameter.

Set a bulb into moistened potting mix so one-half to one-third of the bulb protrudes above the soil. Place the pot in a warm well-lit spot, and don't water it again until the first leaf or flower shoot starts to grow. Follow this same process for newly purchased bulbs.

It's time to spread winter mulch. Cover the ground around tender perennials with rotted leaves, shredded bark, straw (not weedy hay), evergreen boughs, or other loose mulch. Take care not to smother the crowns with any material that will mat down.

Mulch around trees and shrubs but don't let it touch the plants' bark or it can encourage rot and harbor mice and voles that are late on the prowl. Mulching sooner than later will help hold some of this season's ground heat. Only a couple inches of mulch will help prevent soil temperatures from large fluctuations—something plants don't like while trying to harden off this time of year.

Other gardening tips for this month include stocking up on bird seed and suet for winter, setting up a heated bird bath, protecting small evergreens from either winter winds or road salt spray with a burlap screen, storing pesticides in dry and non-freezing locations, and making sure that stored summer bulbs such as gladiolus and dahlias don’t freeze either.

Post By:
Charlie Nardozzi, Senior Horticulturist
National Gardening Association, and
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

There is only one place in Japan, according to legend, where the chrysanthemum is not grown. Long ago in the city of Himeji, a nobleman lived in a large castle with many treasures. Trusting no one, he allowed only his serving maid O-kiku, whose name means chrysanthemum, to handle and dust his possessions.

One day she discovered one of his ten precious plates was missing. Not being able to find it, and fearing she would be blamed, she drowned herself in the well.

Every night her ghost would come up to count the plates. Her repeated screeching upon finding one missing drove the nobleman out of the castle, which then fell into ruin. The people of Himeji, delighted by his departure, thereafter refused to grow the chrysanthemum in honor of O-kiku.

The word "chrysanthemum" comes from the Greek words meaning "golden flower," but a German legend refers to another of the many colors of chrysanthemums.

One cold, snowy Christmas Eve in Germany's Black Forest, a peasant family was sitting down to a meager supper when they heard a wailing. At first they thought it was the wind. But upon hearing the sound repeatedly, they opened the door and found a beggar. They ushered in the poor man who was blue with cold, wrapped him in blankets, and shared their food.

Instantly, the blankets were shed, revealing a man in shining white clothing with a halo around his head. Proclaiming himself the Christ Child he fled. The next morning, outside the door where he had stood, were two white chrysanthemums. Today, many Germans bring white chrysanthemums into their homes on Christmas Eve, believing that by doing so they are sheltering the Christ Child.

So when you see chrysanthemums in gardens this fall, think of these rich legends from other cultures. And mark your calendar now to remind yourself to buy some white chrysanthemum cut flowers or a potted plant this Christmas season.

With the arrival of cooler weather, many gardeners turn to fall chrysanthemums to provide color for the spots left vacant by tired summer annuals.

What most don't realize is that they are planting a species whose relatives go back centuries, even millennia, and whose origins are buried in legends.

Chrysanthemums are said to have first come from China although they are more often associated with Japan. According to an ancient Chinese legend, about 3,000 years ago, an emperor was told that the Dragon-fly Island in the Sunrise Sea (Japan) had a magic herb that would restore his youth. But since only youth could collect it, he sent a dozen young men and a dozen girls to the island.

They arrived at the islands after surviving perilous storms and attacks by sea serpents, and finding neither magic herb nor inhabitants on the island, they decided to stay. The prized possession they brought for trading, and now nurtured as a tie with their homeland, was the golden chrysanthemum.

Of course, Japanese mythology provides a different version of how the chrysanthemum came to be found in Japan. Legend has it that in the beginning, there were so many gods in heaven that some, including the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami, were sent to the earth on a cloud-bridge.

Once on earth, the goddess created the gods of the winds, mountains, sea, and others, finally dying upon creating the god of fire. Izanagi missed Izanami and so followed her to the place of Black Night where she had gone, only to see vile sights and be pursued by the Old Hag of Black Night.

Narrowly escaping back to the earth, the god Izanagi went straight to the river for a purification bath. As he shed his clothes and they touched the ground, they turned into twelve gods. His jewels became flowers--one bracelet an iris, another a lotus, and his necklace a golden chrysanthemum.

Japan's imperial emblem for ten centuries featured a golden chrysanthemum with sixteen petals. In the War of Dynasties, which began in 1357 and lasted for 55 years, each warrior of the South wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a golden badge of courage.

Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Dahlias. Cannas. Gladioli. You don't have to bid adieu to these delightful summer perennials just because the growing season is drawing to a close. It's easy to overwinter these and other cold-sensitive perennials that grow from bulbs, corms, and tubers.

How do you do it?

Most tender plants need to be brought in before the first killing frost. In the north country this can be anytime from mid-September to October. Listen to the weather reports. You'll know when the killing frost strikes--all the foliage will turn soft and black.

For cannas, tuberous begonias, and other plants that you've grown in containers, the procedure is easy. These can be stored indoors over winter in their pots. Just check for insects or plant diseases before bringing them into the house. Once the foliage dies back, trim the plants back to just above the soil line. Place in a cool, dry place with good air circulation.

For plants in the garden, start by cutting back the foliage to a few inches above ground. Then, with a spade or other digging tool, carefully loosen the soil around each plant about six to eight inches from the crown of the plant. Dig deep enough to get below the plant, taking care not to scrap, gauge, or otherwise cause a wound as this may expose the plant to infection.

If you accidentally cut the plant's storage system, which is what the bulb, corm, or tuber really is, allow it to dry out so a scab will form before putting it in winter storage.

Allow the bulbs to air dry for a day or two before storing. Carefully brush off the soil, which may harbor diseases. Refrain from vigorously scrubbing or washing off the caked-on soil as this may cause damage. Spread out on newspapers or trays in a warm, dry location.

Place the corms, tubers, or bulbs in a paper bag. Add a handful of slightly dampened peat moss to help prevent the plant parts from drying out. Do not overfill the bags to give the plant materials room to breathe.

Do not use plastic bags. Moisture will build up inside the bag, causing rot. It is okay to use mesh bags (like the kind onions come in) or string bags although good air circulation should make it unnecessary to add peat moss.

Mark your bags according to variety, then place in a cool, dark place for the winter. A basement or garage is ideal, provided it does not get too wet or cold. Temperatures between 45 and 55 degrees F are preferred.

Check periodically in winter, dampening the peat moss if bulbs are drying out or shriveling. Discard any that are showing signs of decay, such as soft spots or rot.

Next spring, remove and carefully brush away any remaining soil. Plant according to directions. Follow this procedure every year for extended enjoyment of your favorite tender summer perennials.

By Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Gladioli, asters, chrysanthemums, and everlastings are some of our common fall garden flowers. Have you ever wondered where these originally came from?

I can tell you, with a little help from a book by Diana Wells entitled 100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names. These are only some of the 100 flowers she describes in her book.

Most of our gladioli came from Africa, where the corms were roasted like chestnuts and are said to taste like them. (Corms are the swollen underground bulbous parts for storage of foods.).

Even before these were introduced during the eighteenth century, primarily from South Africa, gladioli were familiar plants for centuries in the Mediterranean.

Known in ancient Greece, the ancient name for this flower--xiphium--means sword, referring to the leaf shape. The Latin word for sword--gladius--gives us the name we know today.

Rare gladioli even existed in ancient Britain, with the herbalist John Gerard referring to them as "Sword-flag." One of the most noteworthy gladiolus introductions was in 1904 by Francis Fox. An engineer who built a railway bridge over the Zambesi River at Victoria Falls in Africa, he discovered the gladiolus by the waterfall which is responsible for the yellow and orange colors bred into subsequent gladioli.

Although many of our asters are native to North America (the taller New England and shorter New York asters being the most common), most of the cultivars have been found, and the breeding done, in England and abroad. The English at one time called asters "starworts," referring to the star shape of the flowers and supposed healing properties in old times (meaning of "wort"). The herbalist John Parkinson said asters were used for "the biting of a mad dogge."

Asters in England originally came from Europe. The plant explorer John Tradescant the Younger (his father John also was an explorer) brought back the first North American asters to England in 1637. These and the European "starworts" were crossed for new introductions, with many recent selections this century. Since they bloom around Michaelmas Day, a late September holiday in Britain, they are referred to abroad as Michaelmas Daisies.

The fall chrysanthemum, fall mum, or hardy mum (not really hardy in northern climates) is actually a Chinese chrysanthemum, having been cultivated in China for 2,500 years prior to being introduced to the West. There they symbolized a scholar in retirement and were one of the four noble plants, along with bamboo, plum, and orchid. Dew from the petals supposedly gave longevity, with an infusion of the petals and leaves used for wine and medicine.

Zen Buddhist monks took chrysanthemums to Japan around 400 A.D. The symbol of the Mikado, which appeared to be a Rising Sun, was actually a 16-petaled chrysanthemum. In 1795 the first mum was exhibited in England, with additional plants sent from the East by tea inspector John Reeves in the nineteenth century. The pompom mum was originally called the chusan daisy and was sent to the West by the explorer Robert Fortune. First grown in France, it was renamed the pompom mum because it resembled the pompoms on sailors' hats there.

Everlastings are so called since they seem to last indefinitely. The scientific name Helichrysum came from the Greek for sun (helios) and golden (chryson). The Greeks used the flowers to make wreaths and decorate statues of the gods, as well as to mix with honey to treat burns. These flowers were known to the Egyptians prior to this time, however. A strawflower, the Oriental helichrysum, was brought to England in 1619 from Crete by way of the botanic garden in Padua, Italy.

The everlasting we know in our gardens, however, is the species bracteatum from Australia. It was brought to England by Sir Joseph Banks, one of the few men on Captain Cook's expedition to survive. Subsequently, Victorians used everlastings to decorate their hot and stuffy parlors where few other plants would survive. Today the many bright colors are popular in cutting gardens and dried flower arrangements.

The next time you see a modern selection of any of these four flowers, stop a moment to recall their prestigious history--their centuries of ancestors and the many nations and cultures that have also enjoyed or used them.

By Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont

Asters are hardy perennials that bloom in fall in various colors and heights. They provide color for us and a late-season source of pollen for bees and other pollinators.

The image many have of New England in the fall includes purple asters and yellow goldenrod. Although we may take these for granted, the English and Europeans have not.

In fact, they collected asters extensively earlier in this century and took them home to breed many new selections.

Many of these selections are back in this country now, along with many other recent cultivates (cultivated varieties) by American growers. These generally range in bloom time from early September to late October, with a particular species or cultivable usually blooming for two or three weeks.

The main types of asters are the New York (Aster novi-belgii) and the New England (Aster novae-angliae). The New York ones generally tend to be shorter (a foot or so) than the New England ones (three feet or more). Both come in a range of colors from red to purple, bluish to white, and provide a nice complement to the colors of fall mums.

Other cultivars have been developed from other species. While most of these are short, some such as heath asters (ericoides) may reach two feet and be covered with hundreds of tiny white flowers. Calico aster (lateriflorus horizontalis), named from the appearance of its many tiny pink and white flowers, is a species reaching one to two feet.

Unlike most asters, stems of this species are arranged in horizontal layers giving rise to another common name, horizontal aster. This one also can be found growing wild locally, or as a cultivar with dark leaves called Lady in Black.

Quite popular are the Frikart’s asters, named after the Swiss nurseryman who developed them in the 1920’s. These hybrids are marginally hardy (to USDA zone 5) in some parts of our region or need some winter protection.

Purple Dome is one of the more recent introductions, and is an introduction from this country of our New England asters. It is covered with purple flowers through a long period in the fall, and unlike many in this species only gets two feet tall or less.

Treat asters as you would other perennials. Plant in good loamy soil as most don't like wet feet or may get frost-heaved and dry out in sandy soils. Plant at least one foot apart for the shorter cultivars, three feet apart for the taller ones. Some light fertilizer such as one-fourth to one-half cup of an organic fertilizer early in the season will help. Some of the tall New England asters may need staking. Alternatively, cut them back by one third in early summer to promote shorter, bushy growth.

Since most are grown and sold in pots, they can be planted any time during the season. If plants require moving or dividing, do it in May as the new shoots emerge. If growing well, asters may need division every two to three years.

The main plant disease is powdery mildew--a whitish growth that may appear on leaves from late June or July onwards, mainly on the New York varieties. Research at the University of Vermont (UVM) and other institutions has shown that applying sprays beginning in late June, according to label directions for horticultural oils (as used for insects), will help prevent powdery mildew. Sprays closely related to baking soda also can be used.

Sprays must be applied before diseases become established and must be continued throughout the season. Such diseases, although unsightly, often cause no lasting harm to the plants and vary in severity depending on the weather and even the cultivar.

The main destructive insect pest in our area seems to be the lacebug, a small grayish insect that appears in midsummer and sucks the plant juices from the undersides of leaves, primarily of the New York and related types.

Leaves turn yellowish and eventually brown and fall off. Organic or synthetic insect sprays can be used for control. Read and follow all label directions for best control, and safety for you and the environment.

Article by:
Dr. Leonard Perry, Extension Professor
University of Vermont