(Chelsea Update would like to thank Jennifer Fairfield, owner of The Garden Mill for the photos and information in this story. This is Part 4 of a 4-part series that began Tuesday.)
Blubs
Spring bulbs, including crocus, daffodils and tulips, get planted at about the same time that the tender summer bulbs are dug up – after a few frosts, but before the ground is frozen. You want the soil to still be warm enough to encourage root growth, but you don’t want the air to be so warm that it encourages foliage growth. We’ll start getting our spring bulbs in at the store in mid-September. Be sure to get your favorites early so you don’t miss out.
We had to disappoint a number of people last year because we couldn’t get in more of what they were looking for later in the fall. If it’s not cool enough to plant them right away, they can be stored in a cool, dry basement, or even in the refrigerator – in paper bags, away from fruit that can cause them to rot.
Mums
We will also be getting mums in at the store very soon – maybe later this week. Hardy mums are actually a perennial flower, though most people treat them as annuals. In order for them to be perennial in Michigan, you really need to plant them in the ground before they start budding so that they can put down roots that will sustain them through the winter.
Since it’s hard to find them for sale in the early stages, most of us will just use them as potted plants in containers to replace our summer annuals and toss them on the compost pile when freezing temps kill them. If you really want to try getting your mums to grow year-round, once we have gotten a few frosts, but before cold really sets in, water them well, and then bring your potted mums inside to an unheated basement (the temperature should be between 32° and 50° F), where they can be kept in total darkness.
Don’t let them totally dry out, but don’t overwater them – just keep their roots damp. Bring them out in the spring and get them used to the light gradually. Plant them in your garden once all danger of frost has past.
Birds
September is for the birds, in many ways. Some of our early migrators are already heading south, while others are just starting to think about it. You can help them on their way by putting out feeders and keeping them filled (if you haven’t been feeding them all summer).
Birds need to put on a lot of fat to travel the distances they do, so providing them with food on their way through can make the difference in their ability to survive that long trip.
That goes for hummingbirds, too. Keeping your nectar feeders clean and filled into October could help the late travelers make it to their winter homes. You might also be rewarded with a sighting of an unusual hummer.
Some of the hummingbirds that don’t breed here in Michigan travel through on their way to and from their breeding grounds much farther north. They are coming from such far distances that they might not come through here until October or November, so if yours is the only feeder in sight, you just might catch a glimpse. Make sure to bring the feeders in at night if the temperature is dipping below freezing to keep them from breaking.
Providing a source of water for those weary feathered travelers is also a great idea. Flying hundreds of miles is thirsty work.
