Garden Talks September 4--Mum's The Word; The Time is Now--Great Gardening Tips!

Hello again,

As we have turned the calendar and are now into September and Labor Day will soon be behind us, it is time to dress up the yard just a little bit with. We have many great options here at Skillin's but one of our finest choices are our Garden Mums home grown by us right here at Skillin's!

Maybe it is because I appreciate each passing year just a little bit more but I think this year's Mum colors are more brilliant than ever!

Technically our mums are perennials but they seem to be pretty tender for this area so that is why we cannot honestly (and we are honest!) guarantee their survival for the next year.

BUT, there is a definite school of thought among wise gardenersthat mums planted early in the season (August and the first week or 10 days of September) have a great chance at success.

Paul Parent of gardening radio fame (check out his web site at www.paulparent.com) steadfastly maintains that if you "score" the roots of your mum plants EARLY in the season before you plant them then the roots will explode in more root growth and thus be well anchored in the soil and will much better survive and thrive for the following years. Paul tells his listeners to pick out a budded Mum at a quality garden center (think Skillin's--Paul loves Skillin's!). Then Paul tells his listeners to "score" or cut two sides of the Mum root ball and then slice an X in the bottom of the root ball. Make sure you slice those roots and then plant the Mum into some good organic matter (I would recommend some nice compost and then a handful of Plant Booster Plus by Organica). Give your newly sliced and planted Mum at least 2 quality waterings per week until the ground freezes. When that ground gets crunchy, MULCH well around the base of the plant to help keep that root ball cold and in place for the winter.

Will this work? As I wrote many gardeners wiser than I believe in this method!

The Time is Now for some great fall gardening habits! Check out this link (http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/skillins/Skltipsbrochure.pdf) for some great garden tips put together by Terry Skillin and some great helpers. We recommend products and good gardening habits that will make your garden jump for joy!