Did some planting last night

11 years ago

I haven't done much planting at all this summer due to the heat and drought, so it felt kind of good to be digging in the dirt again. At RKO, they had a six pack of mums for $3.99 and I couldn't resist the white ones. White is a color my garden can always use about this time of the season. Had to keep in mind while I tucked the plants in here and there that they will grow much taller next year. My Mom always pinches hers off in the spring to make them more bushy and not so tall that they flop. And neither one of us like how white mums can get a little ugly looking as the blooms age - that brownish color, so I at least dead head alot.

Anyone doing some early Fall planting? I'd like to find a nice Redbud tree to replace one that fell over in a wind burst this summer; but late September may be a better time to plant a tree here. The ground needs more moisture.

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Comments (6)

Ispahan Zone6a Chicago
11 years ago
Yes, I have been tucking in quite a few "Korean" mums (the single daisy-flowered types like Sheffield, Clara Curtis, Mary Stoker, Will's Wonderful, etc.) and asters. Fall is such a spectacular gardening season, and yet it is often overlooked by gardeners, including me when I planted most of my garden this spring.

I also have some colchicums and autumn-flowering crocus arriving soon, so I will be tucking them in next week.
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
11 years ago
You can pinch mums a couple of times, I think until the end of June as they don't form buds until the days start to shorten.
The only thing I'll be planting in the garden is a California Tree Poppy (Romneya coulteri) I finally found one. We had one in the garden when I was knee high to a grasshopper and I used to look forward to the big white crepe papery flowers that look like poach eggs, nice scent too :). It likes poor soil and full sun, I have the poor soil but the sun is a little iffy, no early morning or late afternoon where I want to plant this guy, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Ahhhh colchicums, I'd better go out and replant those colchicums that I dug last week and left sitting on top of the dirt.

Annette
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Sandi_W
11 years ago
I'm so ready to plant anything, but it's just too hot here still. I spent 2 weeks and then 6 weeks away from home this summer so I am way behind on my gardening and it shows.
schoolhouse_gw
Original Author
11 years ago
I know what you mean sandi. Our temps have leveled off some, but the ground is still sooo dry. My little mums need a big drink of water, I should get the watering cans and make the rounds this morning. 60% chance of rain is in the forecast for tomorrow tho.

I'm also wondering if I should snip off their blooms, much as I hate to lose the color, but it might help them.
Sandi_W
11 years ago
I've always heard you should snip the blooms, but can almost never bring myself to do it. They do much better when snipped though.
Chris_in_the_Valley
11 years ago
I'm working on a bed for iris just now and I guess I should get a move on because it's getting late. But these are irises I just dumped in a corner in a snit last year, still in the plastic bag I'd put them in to clean, and damned if some didn't bloom this year. Go figure.

A nurserywoman here in East Tennessee once told me to pinch Chrysanthemums back until the 4th of July.