Re-invigorate your houseplants by removing the top 1/4 inch of soil and top-dressing with fresh potting soil.
Spider mites are apt to thrive in warm, dry houses. Frequent misting under the leaves of houseplants will discourage them. A solution of 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup buttermilk, and a gallon of cool water, applied in a mist, is a good organic deterrent.
Houseplants will be sensitive to overfeeding at this time of year. Provide lots of sunlight, fresh air, and frequent bathing for plants that seem a little worse for the winter.
Forced paper-white narcissus will bloom more quickly now than earlier in the season.
Shop early for seeds from catalogs and garden stores. The early shopper gets the best choice of seed varieties.
Plan some window boxes. Good choices for plants: zinnias, nasturtiums, petunias, geraniums, begonia. Edible choices: cherry tomatoes, lettuce, kale, and herbs.
Test the germination of last year's surplus seeds before ordering new ones. Place ten seeds between damp paper towels. Keep them consistently damp and in a dark place. Check germination rates to determine how many seeds to use for your real planting.
Take an inventory of your preserved foods--in the freezer, in cans, or the root cellars. This should help you decide your seed order for the upcoming season.
Spread wood ashes around lilacs to benefit growth and bloom in the spring.
Test buds of peaches and other sensitive fruits for freeze damage. Bring in a few twigs cut from the trees and place them in a vase of water. If the twigs bloom in a week or two, expect blossoms in the spring and a crop next fall.
Set up birch branches that may have been bent by snow or ice, as soon as possible. If neglected, the branches will permanently adopt their leaning position.
Cut poles for peas, beans, and other climbers now. Peel off the bark and set them in a dry area until they are needed.
Keep this in mind while pruning: Fruit usually grows on the horizontal branches, rather than the vertical ones. Vertical branches may be trained to become horizontal by weighting them down for a few weeks. This may also be done in the summer.
A barrel or other covering placed over rhubarb plants will hasten the spring crop.
Start onions from seed now. They'll be ready for setting out in April. Onions from seed are generally firmer and longer lasting than from sets.
Start parsley indoors now. You may think you have successfully wintered over the plant, but it is a biennial and will soon go to seed.
Avoid walking on the lawn during a winter thaw.
Grow some herbs in containers, such as fresh parsley.
You can start some perennials now, including delphinium, carnation, and armeria.
Start some annuals, especially those that have slow growth, including marigolds, impatiens, pansies, snapdragons, and petunias.
Don't forget winter birds! Put out water, seeds, and suet.
Remember to prune your houseplants regularly. Pinch back new growth to encourage bushier plants.
Rotate houseplants so they get even sun and growth.
Force a winter bouquet from cut branches of forsythia, pussy willow, deutzia, wisteria, lilac, apple, peach, or pear. Bruise the cut ends and set them in water. Spray the branches frequently. Keep them in a cool place until they bloom, then move to a warmer area for display.
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Here is a little bit about the history of Christmas traditions in America, from Christmas trees to greeting cards, that we all know and love today.
The first American Christmas tree can be credited to a Hessian soldier by the name of Henrick Roddmore, who was captured at the Battle of Bennington in 1776. He then went to work on the farm of Samuel Denslow in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, where for the next 14 years he put up and decorated Christmas trees in the Denslow family home.
The first Christmas tree retail lot was established in 1851 by a Pennsylvanian named Mark Carr, who hauled tow ox sleds loaded with Christmas trees from the Catskill Mountains to the sidewalks of New York City.
The first president to set up a Christmas tree in the White House was Franklin Pierce, and the first president to establish the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on the White House lawn was Calvin Coolidge.
In 1882, the first tree lights were sold in New York City.
Tips on how to buy a tree that's just right, and what to do with it when you get home.
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… FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NEW YORK HAS ISSUED A FREEZE WATCH… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FREEZE WATCH MEANS BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE. THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION
Add to the natural autumn beauty of your yard with harvest-inspired fall outdoor decorations. Featuring natural elements such as pumpkins, leaves, and more, our versatile fall outdoor decorating ideas will span the season from September through Thanksgiving. Read More
Call In the Green Landscaping for your sprinkler system shut down.
Phone: (516) 679-0101
The map at left shows the average date of the first frost in fall. Use it to help plan when to plant late-season or fall crops, and when you can expect frost-sensitive plants to finally succumb to freezing temperatures.
Keep in mind that t…he dates are guides, and no guarantee that frost will not occur before the first date shown.
Also remember that microclimates have a tremendous effect on frost. Some valleys and low-lying areas can be plagued by early frosts well before the first frost date on cold nights when there is radiational cooling. Large bodies of water may moderate air temperatures at some sites, reducing the chances of frost.
Best Fall Flowers for the Northeast
These spectacular bloomers enliven Northeastern gardens with fall color and drama.
Ann Whitman
Short days and crisp nights transform leadplant (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, Zones 6-9) into a scarlet canvas that echoes the fiery autumn landscape above it. This groundcover's startling blue flowers sparkle above its blushing leaves.
Purple-leaf smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria, Zones 5-8) is well-known for clouds of long-lasting frothy flower plumes, but it also shines for its fall foliage. Variety 'Velvet Cloak' has purple-pink blooms and deep red fall color. 'Royal Purple' starts with red spring foliage that turns purple by summer, then transforms into a magnificent display of red, orange, and yellow in autumn. Dwarf Fothergilla gardenii 'Mount Airy' (Zones 5-9) is another fall foliage superstar. The foliage turns apricot, crimson, and gold.
For jewellike fall blooms, plant clusters of Colchicum bulbs, also known as autumn crocus, among shrubs. Colchicum flowers appear like magic in early to midautumn, long after their spring foliage has gone dormant. Flowers range from pure white to pink, blue, and rosy purple, depending on the variety, and are larger than spring-blooming crocus. Colchicum autumnale 'Alboplenum' has plush white blooms that resemble water lilies, and Colchicum 'The Giant' features 10- to 12-inch- tall violet flowers.
Correct any soil deficiencies you've noticed. Healthy soil is crucial to healthy plants.
Check coniferous trees for tip damage on new growth. If the tips have been mutilated by borers or otherwise damaged, remove them and establish a new leader by forcing a new side shoot into an upright position.
Young trees should be staked to prevent the roots from being pulled by fall and winter winds.
If you haven't brought your houseplants in yet, do it before you have to start heating your home. This gives them a chance to adjust. Wash them thoroughly before bringing them in to rid them of any pests and eggs.
Plant spring bulbs as long as the ground is workable. Plant the following bulbs soon: trout lily,tulip, narcissus (including daffodil), snowdrop, winter aconite, starflower, and crown imperial. For crown imperial, add a little lime to the soil.
Dig up your rosemary, basil, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, English thyme, parsley, and chives to grow them inside as houseplants. Keep them in a cool, sunny spot, and allow the Click Here
The same hot weather that brings out the best in tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and other summer vegetables makes spinach, lettuce, peas and other cool-weather vegetables tough and bitter.
In the middle of a siege of hazy, hot days, it is hard to imagine that the weather will ever be cool and the soil moist again. But of course they will, and now is a good time to plan for and begin planting those vegetables that thrive when cool temperatures and short days sap the vitality from tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Growing fall vegetables is like having an extra growing season. The garden's closing scenes need not be of blackened tomato vines in a sea of weeds but can be vibrant with lush green, bluish-green and reddish-green leaves. The medley of frilly, scalloped, wrinkled and smooth leaves livens the scene.
Moist, cool weather, even temperatures dipping below freezing, brings out the best flavor from vegetables like kale, broccoli and carrots. And the fall harvest season in the Northeast can go well into December. While spinach, radishes and Chinese cabbage grow seed stalks instead of tender edible leaves or roots during spring's lengthening days, these vegetables stay Read More
