Village Meadows Concerned Citizens Neighborhood Assoc.

THE YARD CHAIR’S

Sep 03, 2004

We are fast approaching one of the most
beautiful seasons of the year. Hopefully,
most of our plants have survived the
summer heat, and we are now ready to
turn them on for a beautiful Fall.
Here are some steps to take for you to achieve success in your gardens.

Prepare your gardens now by adding 4 inches of humus to the top foot of soil and 5 pounds of ammonium phosphate to each 100 square feet of new planting bed. Spade in thoroughly, pre-irrigate now, and you will be ready to plant in October.
Plant fall vegetables in early September. These include all cole crops such as cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, also carrots, radishes, turnips beets and all kinds of lettuce.
Snow peas, bush peas, and sweet peas also can be planted in late September or early October.
Prune your roses back to about a stem size of a pencil about September 15. Generally this means pruning off approximately one-third of the existing growth.
Fertilize your lawns now, whether or not you plan on planting a Winter lawn. Use a lawn food that has at least 20% Nitrogen and preferably at least 5% Phosphorus as a base.
Fertilize all your trees and shrubs as soon as possible, so they will have a chance to get good and healthy and harden off before our bitter 40 degree Winter sets in. If you are experiencing some yellow leaves with green veins, add a little iron chelate to your balanced plant food like 10-10-10. Your leaves will turn dark green in about 10 days.
This is the last month this year to kill unwanted Bermuda or nut grass. Use Round-Up or Manage, respectively.

The days are getting shorter and cooler. Adjust your watering accordingly. Turn it down, save water, and save money.

Divide your bearded iris rhizomes now, and after new bed preparation, re-plant them in late September or October. I will be giving a rhizome separation demonstration at out next regular meeting.

If you would like to know more about growing beautiful roses, the Phoenix Rose Society will be sponsoring a free pruning, planting, and rose care demonstration on Saturday morning, September 11 at the Encanto Park Rose Garden at 1815 North 15th Avenue, on the North-East corner of 15th Avenue and Palm lane in Phoenix. We will be planting a Veteran?’s Honor rose to honor our veterans on Patriot?’s Day. In 1986, our great former President Ronald Reagen proclaimed the rose as our National Flower. On this special day, we honor our roses, our veterans, and out country. May God always bless America, the greatest country on Earth. The demonstration starts at 9:00am. All are welcome.
Thank you,
Bill Carls
Yard?’s Chairman