September the time to get things done around garden

September is a delightful month for our plants. The summer heat is dissipating, but there's still some heat left in the sunshine. Cooler nights are what make the difference between the dog days of summer and the Indian summer ahead. We all rest more comfortably at night and are able to work harder the next day. We are all ready for the boost. Researchers find plants do most of their "body building" (growth) at night as the cooler temperatures come upon us. This explains why our fall weather is so productive for vegetables, flowers, herbs, shrubs and trees. The following suggestions will make gardening easier this month:

Flowering cabbage and kale: These ornamental veggies are showstoppers if planted early. These are definitely plants for Las Vegas in the fall, but plant early to get a more spectacular display. Jim Carollo, horticulturist for Angel Park Golf course planted some last Sept. 15 and had gigantic heads expanding out 20 inches. Early plantings make giant leaves and then as Jack Frost comes to town, he will really paint some vivid colors on those leaves. Don't crowd them so they can fully develop. They are edible, but not tasty. They will survive temperatures as low as 20 degrees.

Bill Lake, who retired after a career as a gardener at the Desert Inn, recalls a lady from Detroit having her cabby pull up to a display of these beauties. She then jumped out and yanked two out of ground and flipped him $20 as she told him how beautiful they were.

Fall flowers for autumn color: Bring flower power to your landscape by planting petunias, pansies, calendulas, snapdragons, sweet peas, poppies, candytuft, begonias, stocks, sweet alyssum and violas. Fall-planted annuals yield more and larger blooms that last into next spring but don't crowd them; they need room to flex their leaves. You may crowd them a bit more in containers, but they have the container edges to spill over.

Bulbs, big bang for the bucks: Get bulbs early for greatest quality and store in a cool place until planted. For ideas of what to plant, try anemones, crocus, daffodils, narcissus, Dutch iris, freesias, hyacinths, ranunculus, scilla, snowdrops and tulips. Refrigerate hyacinths and tulips in the crisper six weeks for prettier blooms next spring. If these two bulbs do not get the added chilling hours, bulb flowers remain tucked down within the plant so you can't seed them.

Roses: Clean out weak twiggy growth. Rake away debris that may harbor any pests and destroy it. For larger blooms, use a complete rose food. Apply sulfur and bone meal to each plant. Water deeply to move nutrients into the soil. On Nov. 3, bring your favorite rose to the Plant World at 5311 W. Charleston Blvd. and see if the rose judges would place it as the queen of the show. The rose society is not having a fall show but will be demonstrating proper rose care.

Magic of mums: For a prettier display of mum, stake them up and don't overhead water to avoid toppling them. Or plant mums as fall annuals; they are perhaps the most striking of the fall flowers you'll plant. Expect to find some aphids and thrips. If you want to exhibit your favorites at the mum show, then watch for side buds developing below the main bud. Remove the side bids so all energy goes directly to the lead mum. Plan to attend the mum show Nov. 17-18 at the Garden Center. Go after the aphids and mites or they will affect the blooms.

Healthy winter vegetables: There's still time to plant lettuce, spinach, chard, mustard greens, parsley carrots, onions, turnips and the cabbage family. When seedlings begin touching each other, thin and then feed them and your already established vegetables to push them to maturity.

Learn how flowers and vegetables can add nutrition zest elegance to your meals. Plan to attend our edible flowers and vegetables demonstration Sept. 22 at the Springs Preserve.

Herbs: Plant herbs now to fill in bare spots in the flower and vegetable beds. Also set out cloves of garlic for harvest in late spring and early summer. Allow 4 to 6 inches between plants. Clip off the flower stalks when they appear next spring to divert energy to the underground bulbs.

So-long Bermudagrass weed: Get rid of Bermudagrass as a weed. For more positive results, let the grass grow some for more absorption of the herbicide. The herbicide goes directly to all growing points for a very thorough kill.

Living houseplants: As the sun shifts south, expect interior leaves to drop. Winter leaves will soon follow. Expect some insects to set up winter camp. For control, use insecticidal soap.

Trees and shrubs: Notice new fall growth and nip new growth early to thicken up bushes and to conceal damaged growth. Feed established plants by applying a light dose of fertilizer to them.

Unwanted insects: Insects are seeking winter quarters. They congregate along edges of buildings and patios, positioning themselves to move inside. Spray these areas with the appropriate insecticide.

Perennials, lazy man flowers: Plant carnations, columbines, cornflowers, coreopsis, feverfews, gaillardias, hardy asters, hollyhocks, lupines, penstemons, phlox, Shasta daisies, static and yarrow.

Christmas cactus: Do you want to try reblooming it for the holidays? If so, water weekly and stop feeding it. During October and November, place cactus in a dark, cool closet for 15 hours each night and only water twice monthly. In December, discontinue the dark treatment but maintain even soil moisture and protect plants from drafts. If flowering doesn't start, drop the temperature to 50 degrees for a few nights.

Compost: Place dead plant material in a compost bin. For faster breakdown, shred debris before adding to the pile. Keep pile moist and turn often for quicker breakdown.

Drying your flowers: To make a handsome winter arrangements of flowers, begin collecting plant materials now. Celosia, globe amaranth, and other everlastings are easy to air dry. Milkweed, coneflowers, irises and other perennials leave interesting pods after their seeds have ripened, but be careful not to spread seeds in garden. Cut flower stocks in the morning, but save their long stems and strip off all the leaves. Wrap bunches in newspaper and dry hanging upside-down in a warm, dry, ventilated place. Then put together your winter arrangements.

Hedges: Pruning hedges now to stimulate new growth to conceal cuts and then harden for cold weather arrives.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Thursday. You can reach him at lmills@reviewjournal.com or at the Gardens at the Springs Preserve, 822-7754.