Cleanup Time

The first really cool weather has swept over much of Ontario and it is Mother Natures way in signalling that it is time to clean up your yards and gardens. Trees have to be given a very good drink to hold them through the winter and maintain healthy roots. Lawns could use some care with a winter fertilization. Trees and shrubs like to be mulched and some need a haircut.

I prefer to get my garden beds ready for spring planting in the fall and to this end I bury dry leaves and some good cow manure in the vegetable plots. Strawberries have a habit of spreading all over the place and it is a good time to weed out the old plants and nurture the healthy plants from the runners.

I have made bad choices when pruning fruit trees so I am a little cautious now when I put the pruning shears in my hands. Bulbs are seeking a new home so plant your bulbs now and make sure the squirrels don't watch your planting or you might not have  a good showing in the spring.

Garlic likes to be planted late in the fall so watch for  a warm day late in the fall to make sure the plants do not grow too big before freeze up. I use the regular grocery store garlic and have never been disappointed. Very white Chinese garlic takes well to our area as it is grown in the same latitude as Ontario.

Rhubarb can have a great head start if you give the plants a good covering of manure in the late fall. Loosen up the earth around the plants and give them a good watering before freeze up for best results.Clean up time has its rewards and gives you a time to be creative in planning for the next year. One task I take great pride in is wintering my pot flowers. I just cut them to about ten inches and place them in the garage after a watering. I have a 75% rescue rate over the past years. Actually I have some flowers that are six and seven years old. Geraniums winter over best.