Fall Apple and Pear Harvest

Apples Ready For harvest

Apples (Malus spp.) and pears (Pyrus communis) are plentiful in home orchards this fall. Several late apples such as Winesap, Stayman, Rome, Fuji, Cameo, and Granny Smith are harvested in late September. Pears do not ripen on the tree, so late varieties should be pulled from the tree when outdoor temperatures under 25°F are predicted.

Apples can be stored for 4-6 months if harvested before they are fully ripe. The ideal apple storage temperatures are 31-33 °F with a relative humidity of 90 percent. Stored apples are best packaged in closed plastic bags to retard moisture loss. Modern day frost-free refrigerator is not an ideal spot to store temperate (non-citrus) fruits because humidity levels are too low. A storm cellar or unheated garage is adequate at temperatures between 37-45 °F. 

Asian pears are ready to eat when harvested off the tree; fruits can be held refrigerated in plastic bags for several months.

Turn Yard Wastes into Black Gold

Compost tumbler

Leaf raking is a major chore in October and November. You may rake by hand or attach a mulching blade to your lawn. Most folks opt to using leaf blowers and push leaves to curbside. Protect your ears with plugs or headphones.

Compost is often called "black gold". It is a smart move to gather up leaf litter and twigs. Much of the debris from the vegetable and flower garden can be thrown into the compost pile. Leaves, grass clippings and green table scraps can be processed into rich humus. Never add diseased plant materials or meat scraps.

Compost heaps appear in many shapes and sizes. The simplest and most common is a back corner of the yard out of sight, a collection of several years of garden refuse. Homemade reinforced wire bins are common, a large receptacle of garden waste. Home and garden centers sell composters of various sizes including tumblers that will speed decomposition. You can also purchase special packets of microorganisms that hasten the decaying process.

At Ijams Nature Center in Knoxville, Tennessee are displays of several methods of composting garden refuse. It is not true that rodents such as rats, voles and moles may make their homes in compost piles unless proper sanitation measures are followed.

Gardeners can turn garden debris into black compost in as little as 6 weeks with adequate moisture, aeration and nutrition; or simply pile up your garden waste and wait 2-3 years for compost.

'Misty Blue' White Baneberry is Doll's Eye

Discovered at MT. Cuba Center in Delaware is a striking mult-stemmed woodland perennial with soft bluish-green finely cut foliage. Plants flower white in April snd white doll's eye fruit form in the fall. The snow white berries are clustered on bright red pedicels. Each is marked with a distinctive black dot. Fruit persists for 4-6 weeks. This long-lived perennial thrives in moist, well-drained, rich woodland soil. Plants grow 2-3 feet tall and are best grouped en masse. Actaea is reliably hardy through USDA zones 3-8

New Intersectional Peonies Deserve A Wow!

Photo: tree peony at Staten Island Botanical Gardens
Itoh or Intersectional Hybrid Peonies (Paeonia spp.) represent a huge breakthrough in tissue culture propagation. Inherited from the tree peony is attractive dissected foliage. They are extremely winter hardy like the herbaceous types.


Plants grow two to three feet tall and wide. Strong sturdy stems support the huge flowers which size up to 10" across. Flowers are single, semi-double or double, and available in a wide range of colors including yellow. Flowers stand upright even in heavy rain and require no staking. Bloom time is longer due to additional flowers being produced on side shoots.

Peonies are long-lived, growing in the same location for decades. They need to be properly nourished annually. Peonies prefer full to part sun (minimum of 6 hours per day), average moisture and well-drained soil which is enriched with compost or mulch annually.

Bare-root peonies should only be planted in the fall as this coincides with the time that their tubers develop most of their feeder roots. Container-grown peonies can be planted at any time. Itoh hybrids demonstrate good resistance to peony blight (Botrytis paeoniae).

Proper planting depth is very important for peonies. The crown should be planted 1½ - 2 inches below soil level. If the eyes have already begun to grow, the new growth may be set slightly above the surface.

Itoh peonies are now available through e-commerce nurseries.

Tips on Planting Peonies

Peonies (herbaceous types) are old-fashioned perennial favorites garnering new attention from 21st century gardeners. Their gorgeous spring flowers stand tall above the lush shrubbery growth.

This fall, plant dormant bare-root divisions of herbaceous peonies purchased from a mail-order nursery or a nearby garden center. Each division must exhibit 3 to 5 eyes (buds). Space plants a minimum of three feet apart.

Good air circulation around plants is important to prevent potential foliar and flower diseases. Avoid windy areas and shelter plants from harsh summer sun and heat in warmer climates (USDA zones 7-9).

Peonies thrive in gardens for 20 or more years. Select a sunny spot with well-drained garden soil and enrich with generous amounts of compost or well-rotted manure. A soil pH between 6 and 7 is ideal. Feed peonies with a slow release fertilizer in early spring the same as you would nourish flowering shrubs.

A critical digging step is the planting depth. Do not cover the growing eyes with more than 1 inch of soil. Setting the new plant too deep may delay or even prevent flowering. Water the newly planted peonies and cover the bed with 2-3 inches of loose ground up leaves or bark mulch. Likely, the peonies will bloom next spring and many years thereafter.

Tree peony culture will be discussed in a future blog.

Goldenrod --Set Off Some Fireworks This Fall

Rough-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago rugosa) grows in low woods, meadows and bogs in the eastern half of North America.. ‘Fireworks’ (USDA zones 4–8) has a more compact plant habit than the species. This early blooming cultivar provides a long floral show starting in mid-August and lasting thru Thanksgiving, weather permitting.

Flowers spikes are numerous and held in tight clusters on upright stems. The yellow, thread-like, cascading sprays of flowers do attracts many insect pollinators; the pollen does not cause allergies as once believed.

Goldenrods grow best in full sun to light shade. While they prefer moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil, established plants flourish in hot, humid and dry summers. Surprisingly, goldenrod tends to grow weak lateral shoots in soils that are organically rich.

'Fireworks' spreads quickly by seed and underground rhizomes and needs to be divide every 2-3 years . This upright herbaceous perennial grows 3 - 4 feet tall and 2 – 2.5 feet wide. Remove old flowers to encourage re-blooming. Deadhead or remove spent blooms on 'Fireworks' to generate added lateral floral sprays into late October and November. Removal of seed heads reduces re-seeding threat.

Fall Planting Deadline for Pansies and Violas

To grow pansies successfully, follow this four- step program. Start with: 1. Purchasing healthy plants, 2. Planting by mid-October or earlier, 3. Watering in the fall and winter as needed, and 4. Fertilizing monthly through the winter and spring months.

Shop for vigorous dark green plants at local greenhouses and garden centers. Closely inspect for lots of white growing roots. Don’t buy short or spindly seedlings or those with yellowing leaves. Purchase sturdy 1801 plants (18 - 3 ½” plant cells per tray) or larger pots. Small pansies tend to be more disease susceptible. To avoid deadly root rot diseases in garden soils, move pansy/viola beds every three years.

Over much of the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6-7), the completion date for planting pansies and violas is October 15th. Back up a week or two earlier if planting in gardens at higher elevations. An earlier fall planting date allows plants adequate time to root down into the warm autumn soil. Deeply rooted plants bloom heavier through the fall and winter seasons.

Large sized plants start off quickly and fall-winter flowering is better. Deeply rooted pansies and violas provide better anchorage, which prevents a chance of winter freeze heaving. Once soil temperatures drop below 45°F, plant growth slows and flower numbers decline.

There are many series of pansies and violas to choose in colors ranging from white, yellow, pink, red, and purple shades. Color patterns may be clear, blotched or picotee. Four popular pansy series are Delta®, Matrix®, Panola®, and Majestic Giant ll™. Among the popular viola series are Sorbet®, Rocky™, Penny™ and Velour™.

Prepare the garden bed or containers prior to planting. Pansies should be planted in well-drained, organically rich garden soil or container media mix. An acidic soil pH ranging between 5.2 - 5.8 avoids natural deficiencies in iron and manganese. Adding lime to pansy beds is usually unnecessary unless recommended after a soil test. Pansies thrive in full sun to partial shade. Plants grow more compact and bloom heaviest in full sun.

Franklinia - Native Tree Lost in the Wild

Franklinia (Franklinia alatamaha) is a wonderful small tree or large multi-trunked shrub with fragrant white camellia- like flowers. Franklinia is related to world-class flowering shrubs like camellia and stewartia. Its white 3 - 3 ½ inch camellia-like flowers appear from early August thru late September.

Franklinia is winter hardy in the Southern Appalachian region (USDA zones 6-7). Its fibrous root system prefers a well-drained, richly organic, and acidic soil much like azaleas and rhododendrons. Don’t subject to extended summer droughts or frigid drying winter winds.

Fall color is respectable with autumnal hues of red, orange and burgundy. The bark on a young tree is distinctively striped, and the main branches become fissured with age.

The species was discovered by plant explorer John Bartram and his son William growing along the Alatamaha River in southeastern Georgia in 1765. Natural populations are now extinct. All franklinia trees growing today are descendants of the Bartrams’ collected seeds.

Franklinia is a finicky grower, but very much worth the challenge. A deadly fungal root disease, Phytophthora cinnamoni, may have led to its demise in nature, is its Achilles’ heel. A 2-3 week long invasion of Japanese beetles in August may shorten individual bloom life by half.

Substitute Dwarf Cryptomeria for Yews and Japanese Holly

For better garden performance and different textural look around a home foundation, plant the dwarf shrub forms of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica). Dwarf cryptomeria is an excellent substitute for Japanese yews (Taxus spp.) or 'Helleri' hollies (Ilex crenata) which often struggle in heavy clay soils, particularly those poorly drained.

'Globosa Nana' (photo) has a "cookie-cutter" round, globular form, and rarely needs pruning. 'Globosa Nana' has bright green floiage and grows 3-6 feet tall and wide. The cultivar 'Black Dragon' has dark green foliage and a pyramidal growth habit (8-12 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide). Both are planted as single specimens or grouped several together They are slower growing than their taller 40-50 feet columnar counterparts.

Cryptomerias prefer well-drained, slightly acidic soil and are planted in an open sunny location. Young shrubs are remarkably shade tolerant. Their dark evergreen foliage turns a bronze to purple color during the coldest part of winter. By early spring the bright or dark green color returns to their short needles. Fertilize shrubs annually either in February or March.

Garden centers sell either balled and burlapped (b&b) or container-grown stock. Cryptomeria is best planted from February thru October. This evergreen demonstrates superior heat and drought tolerances once established in the landscape for two years.

Truly, Fall Is For Planting

Photo: Fall displays have arrived at area garden centers with this lovely bin of gourds

The seasonal theme at garden centers today is "Fall is for Planting". Plant sales are everywhere. If you have recently purchased a home and your budget is tight, buy yourself an early, but practicable holiday gift- a deciduous shade tree planted along the southwest side of the home. In a few short years, this tree will reward you with valuable shade and lower summer cooling bills.

Some good deciduous choices are red maple, green ash, tulip poplar, sweetgum, willow oak, and basswood. Garden centers push to reduce store inventories, saving you 30%-50% off the list price. I offer these six basic landscape planting tips:

1. Plant only deciduous trees in the front of your home, and evergreen trees (pines, hollies, hemlock, etc.) elsewhere
2. Dig a hole three times wider and shallow enough to accomodate the diameter of the root ball
3. Plant shallow, barely covering the root ball and add no soil amendments
4. Apply three inches of an organic mulch (wood chips, pine straw or compost) over the surface
width of the planting hole and do not pile mulch up against the trunk
5. Slowly pour a minimum of 10 gallons of water to each tree after planting
6. Do not fertilize fall-planted trees and shrubs until late February or March.

Ivy Geranium 'Lila Compact'

Ivy-leaf geraniums (Pelargonium peltatum) owe their name to their leaf shape. While zonal geraniums are favorites in garden beds, the vining or cascading ivy geraniums excel in hanging baskets, containers and window boxes.

Earlier this month I spotted this lavender beauty called ‘Lila Compact’ Cascade™ (photo) in downtown Asheville, NC. City grounds crews have hand-watered all plants over a 5-6 block area every morning since mid-May.

Improved modern cultivars exhibit better heat and drought tolerances than in the past. Newer cascading varieties of ivy geraniums are also more floriferous. Ivy-leaf geraniums grow best in cool climates and lots of sun. They handle 85°F summer temperatures for short stretches. In warmer areas of zone 7, place containers in partially shaded exposures. Ivy leaf geraniums don’t hold up to long periods of drought. They are planted outdoors after threats of spring frosts have passed and the soil/media has warmed up.

The single flowering types produce more blooms than the semi-double flowering varieties. Plants hold their compact form throughout the summer months. Many colorful varieties are available -- from 12” sized miniatures to the vigorous 4- 5 feet cascading types highlighted here.

Rooting Proliferations on Daylilies

Photo: daylily proliferations on old floral scape in late August

Proliferations are small plants which grow on the spent floral scapes of daylilies (Hemerocallus spp.). Not all daylily varieties produce proliferations. Propagating and growing proliferations is a simple way to increase the number of new daylily plants quickly.

Prune off each plantlet from the old floral scape as they form. Stick each one into a prepared ground bed. Label or tag the cultivar from which the proliferation is taken. Over the next two weeks, keep the soil/media moist. The proliferations will expand their roots into the media.

An alternative approach is to set each proliferation into its own 4-6 inch pot containing coarse sand or soil-less media or mix. Keep the media moist and grow new daylily plant into late fall. If you live in a cold winter (USDA zone 6 and colder), bury the pot to prevent serious freeze injury or grow in a protected cold frame. In areas experiencing mild winters (USDA zones 7 and warmer), transplant newly rooted plants into a ground bed before November 1st.

Plantlets should begin flowering within 18-24 months. If, in haste, you had removed the old floral scapes after spring bloom, don't be in quite a hurry next summer.

Fall Blooming Perennials

Photo: Fall anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

The end of summer does not mean that other perennials aren't beginning their blooming season. Three fall flowering perennials- reblooming daylilies, remontant iris, and fall anemones- thrive here in the Southern Appalachian (USDA zones 6 and 7).

Early fall is a great time to again enjoy a lovely bed of re-blooming daylilies (Hemerocallus spp.). 'Stella D'Oro' (golden yellow), the most popular variety for the past quarter of the century, was recently dethroned by 'Happy Returns' (light yellow). 'Pardon Me' (red) is another re-blooming favorite. Inter-planting daffodils, tulips or hyacinths among the daylily clumps extends your floral calendar another month or two.

Remontant iris (Iris spp.) re-bloom a second time from August through November. The trick to re-blooming daylilies and irises is to provide some relief from summer drought stress. Weekly deep watering is certain guarantee of repeat fall bloom.

Fall anemones (Anemone x hybrida) are available in many colorful varieties, starting with an old favorite and garden performer 'Honorine Jobert' (2-3 " single white blooms), 'Queen Charlotte' (3" semi-double pink), 'September Charm' (3" single rose-pink), and 'Whirlwind' (4" semi-double white).

Do not grow fall anemones in direct full day sun. Plants prefer a partial sun to partial shady spot. Caution: plant in spring thru mid-summer to permit adequate time to establish their roots. Anemones perennialize easily when planted in richly composted, well-drained garden soil.

'Sunshine Daydream' Helianthus for Mid-Summer Bloom

Sunshine Daydream (Helianthus x multiflorus ‘Sunshine Daydream’) has been blooming non-stop in my Northeast Tennessee garden for the past two months.

This double-flowering yellow false sunflower is a new introduction from North Creek Nurseries, a wholesale nursery in Landenberg, PA. Sunshine Daydream is a branch sport (mutation) of native cultivar ‘Capenoch Star’. It is a mid-summer flowering perennial.

Sturdy 5 - 6 feet tall by 2 - 4 feet wide plants support bouquets of bright yellow double flowers. The dahlia-like blooms measure 2.5 inches across. The spent flowers are seedless and do not threaten to become a weedy problem in years to come.

Sunshine Daydream performs best in full sun, preferably in moist well-drained soil. Keep plants in full vigor with monthly applications of a water-soluble fertilizer such as Miracle -Gro™ or equivalent or feed bi-monthly with 10-10-10 or equivalent.

Sunshine Daydream stands up to summer's heat and humidity. Established 1- year old plants are moderately drought tolerant. This long-lived perennial is hardy in USDA zones 4 thru 8. The summer foliage of Sunshine Daydream is remarkably resistant to powdery mildew, a fungal disease which plagues some helianthus species.

Potential Epidemic In Your Car Trunk Or Camper?

Photo: walnut twig beetle infestation

Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) officials urge state residents and visitors to the state to help prevent the spread of Thousand Cankers Disease in black walnut (Juglans nigra)trees and Emerald Ash Borer in ash species (Fraxinus spp.). Take the following steps:

 Don’t transport firewood, even within Tennessee. Don’t bring firewood along for camping trips. Buy the wood you need from a local source. Don’t bring wood home with you.

 Don’t buy or move firewood from outside the state. If someone comes to your door selling firewood, ask them about the source, and don’t buy wood from outside the state.

 Watch for signs of walnut twig beetle infestation in your black walnut trees. If you suspect your black walnut tree is infested with TCD, visit www.TN.gov/agriculture/tcd for an online symptoms checklist and report form or call TDA’s Regulatory Services Division at 1-800-628-2631.

Mulching- Not Always a Good Practice

A generation of gardeners have extolled the benefits of mulching around trees and flower beds. Sometimes, mulching is not a good practice.

Often, a heavy clay soil retains too much moisture over the winter months. Some dryland perennials, such as cheddar pinks (dianthus), euphorbia, and delospermum, prefer dry to moderately wet winter soils. Amending with coarse sand improves soil drainage, but adding mulch may be counter-productive.

Quality mulch contains very little cellulose (wood) fiber. A wood based mulch attracts structural wood -feeding insects such as termites, carpenter ants, and wood beetles. Wood-based mulches should not be spread around home foundations.

Fresh wood-based mulch grabs up available soil nitrogen. Nitrogen -starved plants appear yellowed (chlorotic). You may need to apply 2-4 times the amount of fertilizer to counteract the wood mulch.

Piling up mulch around the base of trees, called "mulch volcanoes", will damage tree trunks. Surface roots are deprived of oxygen. Often, weak adventitious roots grow in the mulch. When the mulch dries out, the weak roots die and scar the trunk.

Young fruit trees should not be mulched in the fall and winter where field mice (voles) are suspected. The voles create a home in the mulch and feed on live roots and soft tree bark.

Zones 6 Winter Hardy Encore Azaleas™

'Autumn Ruby' Encore azalea in April 2009

Photo credit: Dr. Alan Windham, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Tennessee

Encore Azaleas™ bloom twice: in the spring and from late summer into the fall season.
Ten varieties consistently exhibited cold hardiness throughout zones 6-a and 6-b: Autumn Amethyst, Autumn Carnation, Autumn Cheer, Autumn Lilac, Autumn Royalty, Autumn Ruby, Autumn Sangria, Autumn Sundance, Autumn Sunset, and Autumn Twist.

In Zone 6-b, nine additional varieties also consistently exhibited exceptional cold hardiness: Autumn Bravo, Autumn Carnival, Autumn Debutante, Autumn Embers , Autumn Empress , Autumn Monarch, Autumn Princess, Autumn Rouge, and Autumn Sweetheart.

For best results in plant zones 6-b and colder, gardeners should plant in the spring or early summer. In Zones 7-9, Encore Azaleas benefit from fall and late summer planting schedules. Their multi-season blooms make them ideal for container gardens.

Encore azaleas™ begin blooming each spring like traditional azaleas. These evergreen azaleas enjoy more sun than traditional azaleas. Encore Azaleas were bred by Robert E. “Buddy” Lee of Independence, Louisiana and are available at many independent garden centers.

Chinese (Kousa) Dogwood Doesn't Like Extreme Heat

photo: leaf curl on kousa dogwood
Never forget the adage: "the right plant in the right location". In USDA hardiness zone 7 and warmer parts of zone 6-b, Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa) does not cope with excessive summer heat well. A typical stress response is leaf curling. On more stressful droughty sites, leaf margins and centers will likely burn.

The young tree pictured above is planted along a suburban street, with a concrete sidewalk and street curb on two sides. Thick turf sod covers the ground beneath the tree, competing with the tree for available soil moisture and nutrients. On a hot 90°F day, this tree is likely to experience heat indices above 120°F.

Likely, the tree will survive, but not bloom dependably every spring. Leaf burning and curling reduce the tree’s ability to photosynthesize, resulting in less (or more) flower bud set. The tree will either flower poorly or bloom heavily in future springs, resulting in an alternate flowering cycle or "biennial bearing".

Kousa dogwood will handle full sun locations, provided heat and drought stresses are managed through timely irrigation. Currently, the University of Tennessee is evaluating several seedling kousa selections for better heat and drought tolerances here in the mid-South.

'Dee Runk' is Best Upright Boxwood

Looking for the best upright boxwood for your garden or landscape? According to wholesale boxwood growers, Saunders Brothers Nursery in Roanoke, VA and Weigel Farms near Greensboro, NC, the best is 'Dee Runk' (pictured).

Over the past quarter century, the boxwood cultivar 'Graham Blandy' had been the standard bearer, but commercial landscapers have increasingly complained about losing plants to pythium and phytophthora root rot diseases. 'Dee Runk' and another called 'Fastigiata' possess better disease resistance. ‘Dee Runk’ is also more reliable than the root rot prone ‘Sky Pencil’ holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil').

Buxus sempervirens ‘Dee Runk’ is remarkably winter hardy (USDA hardiness zones 5-8). Growth rate is medium, reaching 10 feet in height and 3 feet in width after 15 years. New foliage begins with a bluish-green tint and matures dark green. Boxwoods are deer-resistant and pollution tolerant.

In general, boxwoods tolerate most garden light conditions from full sun or moderate shade at the edge of a woodland garden. ‘Dee Runk’ also handles poor clay sites, provided soils are well-drained.

Landscape uses: specimen, screens/formal hedges, in containers, and a foundation shrub that won’t interfere with roof eaves in future years.

Intensia® Phlox Stand Up to Summer Heat

Photo: 'Intensia Lilac Rose'
The Intensia® Phlox series are the result of a cross between P. drummondii and a southwestern U.S. phlox species. Growth is low and cascading which makes this annual phlox ideal for planting in the front garden border. Equally, Intensia® Phlox excel in mixed containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets.

Intensia® phlox grow to a uniform 8-12” mature height in full to partial sun (best in 6 hours or more sunlight). Intensia phlox possess exceptional heat and humidity tolerances and flower freely all summer long. Insect and disease problems are minimal, exhibiting above average powdery mildew resistance.

Annual phlox thrive in well-drained garden soil which has been generously amended with organic matter. After planting, water on a 7-10 day schedule, particularly when rainfall is not plentiful.

By mid-summer plants may appear seedy and overgrown. Mow them back to 5 inches high, add fertilizer, and irrigate. The phlox bed will perk up and re-bloom within a few weeks, and right into the autumn season.

Blooms are slightly fragrance and attract frequent visits from nectar-hungry bees and butterflies.Flower colors of the Intensia® series range from white, several pink shades, lavender, and purple.