With fall approaching, it is clean up time for outdoor gardens.
The short growing season for Cochrane is approaching its end as the days get shorter and the weather starts to cool – the perfect time to start preparing for fall, said Tynan Heembrock, manager of Anything Grows.
This is the time when gardeners can start protecting their outdoor gardens.
“Ideally you should try to mulch your garden [before the frost hits] either with bark mulch or even just bare dirt at the very least,” said Heembrock. This local gardening advisor suggests putting at least an inch to an inch and a half of mulch, compost, manure or bare dirt over outdoor gardens – the barrier helps to keep roots insulated and keep moisture in, Heembrock explained.
During the first couple of weeks in October is also the prime time to start planting tulip bulbs. Bulbs need to be planted in the fall, so it can freeze over the winter and start growing vibrantly in the summer, Heembrock said. But tulip growers need to be careful not to plant the bulbs too early in the fall – if the bulbs are planted and nice weather comes to Cochrane, the tulips might start growing before the winter resulting in not as vigorous flowers in the spring.
While outdoor gardens need protection, trees, shrubs and even garden mums can still be planted in this late season.
“If you can still dig a hole, you can still plant,” Heembrock explained as a general rule of thumb.
Another option for home growers is indoor herb plants during the cold seasons.
“There is still enough sun you can grow herbs in little pots in homes in the window,” Heembrock said.
What can be grown in window boxes?
Any basic herb used for cooking – basil, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, thyme, to name a few.
For more information on how to get ready for fall go to anythinggrowsalberta.com.
