Dayton "Dirt" - October 21, 2011

What a change from last year!

Last year it was so warm and dry as it had been all summer that many established plants were suffering from drought that lasted well into November.

Now this year we all wish it would just stop raining for just a few days a week!

A least this weekend the sun is supposed to come out but with the weather forecast, my thoughts are that there indeed may be some frost in low lying areas if the sky is clear at night and the air is still.

In fact, the first frost date for northern Ohio is usually about October 10th although some years it can frost as early as mid-September and as late as November 10th!

This weekend is the last weekend for our fall sale although there will be a few trees that will still be on our 50% off sale.

In a little over a week from today, we’ll be covering our over-wintering structures for the small trees and shrubs as they cannot take the full blast of winter when they are in a pot above the ground.

Even with the end of the growing season, our greenhouse is still growing poinsettias, geraniums to use for cuttings and the plants of azaleas and blueberry we rooted last summer as these must be kept on what I call minimum heat, that is about 45 degrees.

For about another month, tree and shrub plantings can still go on along with the “planting of spring”, that is, Holland flower bulbs.

Hopefully the remainder of the fall will yield a significant number of sunny days as I have had enough of the cold rain although we should count our blessings as we could be in the same sad situation as Texas that has been hot, dry and burning.

Tom