September Home, Yard, and Garden Calendar

HOME (Indoor plants and activities)

Prepare storage areas for overwintering tender flower bulbs and garden produce.

Thanksgiving (or Christmas) cactus can be forced into bloom for the Thanksgiving holidays. Provide 15 hours of complete darkness each day, for instance, from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m., for approximately eight weeks. Keep temperature at about 60 to 65F. Temperatures of 55F will cause flower buds to set without dark treatment.

YARD (Lawns, woody ornamentals and fruits)

Fall is usually a good time to plant many container-grown or balled-and-burlapped nursery stock, but if your area is still suffering from drought, it might be best to wait for better conditions. You do not want new plantings to go into winter in drought condition.

If you do have sufficient rainfall or ability to irrigate new plantings, prepare a hole wider than the plant’s rootball, plant at the same depth it grew in the nursery, and water thoroughly. Mulching will help protect against large fluctuations in soil temperature and moisture. Be sure to stake or guy-wire tall plants during their first season to protect them from strong winds.

GARDEN (Vegetables, small fruits and flowers)

Dig up onions and garlic after tops fall over naturally and necks begin to dry.

Plant radishes, green onion sets, lettuce and spinach for fall harvest.

Thin out fall crops such as lettuce and carrots that were planted earlier.  <Read More>

Weekly Outlook - Rationing the 2012 US Soybean Crop

The small South American soybean crop of 2012 will result in much smaller inventories of that crop by the end of the year. However, that draw down in stocks in combination with the much larger harvest expected in 2013 suggests that the pace of consumption of South American soybeans will not have to slow. In contrast, the small U.S. harvest this year will require a substantial reduction in consumption over the next year.

The magnitude of the year-over-year reduction in consumption of U.S. soybeans that will be required is not yet known. The new production forecast to be released on September 12 and the estimate of September 1stocks of old crop soybeans to be released on September 28 will provide for a better estimate of the needed decline. Based on the USDA’s August forecasts, a reduction of 400 million bushels (12.7 percent) will be required. The pace of consumption, as revealed in weekly export reports and monthly reports of domestic crush, will be monitored to verify that the pace of consumption is slowing.  <Read More>

Stressed Plants May Look Like Early Fall

To state the obvious, many of our landscape plants really show the signs of excessive heat and extreme drought. Some trees are losing leaves already and may be turning color before they drop. Others have turned completely brown while still remaining attached.

Early fall color and/or defoliation is common when plants are under stress and this season has been quite challenging for many trees, both old and young. The intense heat made it difficult for plants to keep up with water and cooling requirements, even in areas where moisture was adequate. Combine extreme heat with drought, and it is a wonder any plants survive.  <Read More>