BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Container Gardening Watch the Weather Forecast for your Plants

It's time for many of us to start keeping an eye on the thermometer and the weather forecasts. I would definitely move in any tender sweet things, tropical plants that can't take low-degree nights, and preparing the rest for their annual fall migration. I will be penning an article with some tips in a couple of days.

Sorry, container gardeners, for neglecting you a little. Between the start of high school for the sapling and some writing assignments from the fish magazines, I've been plowed under. Relief is in sight! Hang on, but I did want to mention that just because the daytimes may be still warm, it doesn't mean that the nighttime temperatures may not go too low for tender perennials and the like. So listen to the weatherman and keep an eye on your favorites.

We need to get bulbs in the ground! I purchased daffodills (We planted tulips and daffodills last year) and allium bulbs.

I need to start bringing plants in. Our lowest temp so far was mid 40's but only one night. They all need to be cleaned and checked for critters.

We only have a few tomato plants left in our garden. Our mums are starting to bloom and are just gorgeous!

Yep. It's time to get busy. I have to wait for the end of the wedding season to bring everybody inside (November 1), which is kind of late here. There are some years when I have two migrations, one for the really tender stuff, when they are temporarily protected in our apartment (which is way too hot and dry in the winter for most plants) and a later one when they all move to the various spots cool and bright throughout the house to winter over.

I'm lucky to have two strong males in the house who are willing to help with the shift. If I were trying to do it on my own, I'd be sunk.

Last year I let the frost hit the cannas before lifting them. This is what the good books say. This year, I'm reverting to my own method of leaving them in their pots and keeping them in leaf through the winter. By keeping them going over the winter, I get blooms in early summer. When I let them go dormant last year, it set them too far back. I had to wait until the end of August for the first flower, and even then, only two of six have bloomed yet! On the up side, maybe I'll have canna blooming at Christmas in a bright room. (I'd rather see the hummingbirds visiting them in June!)

Anyway, enough about me. Bulbs, yes! I found a source for a technique for planting bulbs in containers, something I've always thought was a great idea, but risky if the containers were in a place where they'd freeze through and through. I'll write it up this week.

Do you have a problem with critters munching on your bulbs, or just digging them up when they bury their own choices? I've been watching the squirrels digging around in my garden and now I know where all the things that never came back disappeared to. Curses! I always thought it was insects that were eating plants that didn't come back when they were meant to (and sometimes it is), but now I see how much squirrels tear things up. You never appreciate how really busy they are until you move your desk to a place where you can watch the garden all day!

We haven't had any problems with the squirrels digging up our bulbs, they are too busy planting all the pecans here. Hubby swears there won't be one pecan left for us. There always seem to be though. I did read in the gardening section in our paper that if you sprinkle bone meal on top of the ground after you plant the bulbs that this will repel squirrels. It also said to be sure and sprinkle more if it rains. Also it said be careful not to sprinkle too much or your bulb will be all green and no flower.

We just recently moved plants indoors. The weather had been so mild and they were thriving outside. Now, if I can just keep them alive inside during the winter. Although I have wonderful intentions, my green thumb is not always green. My husband walks around the house, hoarsly calling out, " w a t e r," when I forget to water them.

LOL....your hubby is too funny

Hi Cynda,

It's not just about water, there's humidity to consider as well. Just as we can dry out in the heated home, our plants can be miserable as well. Mist as often as you can!

Maybe there's a place where there's not too much heat? That would reduce the watering chores. I'm not too keen on watering in winter myself. I tend to forget about the plants that are semi-dormant in the cold spare kitchen. It's good for them, though. I manage to remember before they dry out too, too much!

Maybe you husband is thirsty.