• What's New
  Pruning Storm-Damaged Trees
  Shrub Pruning Calendar
  Breaking the Lawn-Care Pesticide Cycle
  An Extra 15 Gallons of Gas
  and much MUCH more...



• Out Back, In the Garden....
  Did you know that fall is an ideal time to bed out pansies? So many gardeners are conditioned to 'spring planting'. Think of it this way, if you plant now, you will enjoy their beautiful flowers through the fall. And after a long winter's rest, your-already-planted pansies will be a step ahead come spring. Colder climates can mulch, after the ground freezes, with pine boughs or other light, airy mulches.



PRIORITY LIST


 Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs Monthly Reminders...
After you have finished harvesting your summer vegetables, plant a cover crop of clovers, cow peas, soybeans, or vetches for the purpose of plowing under next spring. These nitrogen producing plants will provide good organic matter and food for your garden crops next year, as well as helping to control weeds over the winter.

 Tools and Equipment Monthly Reminders...
Clean and oil your garden tools for winter storage. Place some sand and some oil in a large bucket, then slide your garden tools in and out of the sand. This will do an excellent job of cleaning them, as well as applying a light coat of oil to prevent rusting.

 Trees, Shrubs, and Groundcovers Monthly Reminders...
Your trees and shrubs will begin to harden for the upcoming cold weather. To encourage this, remove mulch from around the stems of shrubs and trees.


• Compost Alert!
  Worm Compost Suppresses Insect Attacks
  It’s been widely known that mixing worm compost or "vermicompost" into soils growing flower and vegetables will reduce plant diseases and add significantly more nutrients to the soil than regular compost. Now, research at the Ohio State University Soil Ecology Laboratory suggests that vermicompost can suppress insect damage as well.



• Book of the Month
  Winter Gardening
  by Steven Bradley
  
  This book was wonderful and is truly motivational in getting you out in the yard at a time of year that you aren't likely to do so





• To Ponder....
  
  In folklore, woolybear caterpillars are used to forecast the severity of the winter -- the more black on the woolybear, the colder. Conduct your own research to see if it works. Though these insects feed on a variety of garden vegetables, they are not present in large numbers and are not pests of any particular plant.
  
from Monthly Reminders, October, Misc.



• Growing Community
  This month we spotlight Local Harvest, a place to find locally grown produce, anywhere in the country! The freshest, healthiest, most flavorful organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use their website to find farmers' markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area....



• New Fall Bulbs
  It's getting that time, WAIT till you see the new daffodils! Oooo la la!

Of course, you know there's more than that, including a wonderful gift,
just for Garden Note’s subscribers, and just in time for seed harvesting!

We hope you find this issue helpful and informative.

Until next month, remember the words of A.O. Kime...

"Whosoever believes agriculture is unsophisticated, a conglomerate of hayseed mentalities, merely a carryover from yesteryear and of little importance, those persons would be just that."

Never underestimate the value of what you are doing.
Life is short,



The Garden Simply 'Team'