October 8, 2019 Issue, Page 5 of 10

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Agriculture Tuesday, October 8, 2019 The Elk City News, Elk City, Oklahoma Page 5 Garden tips for October Turfgrass ‘Water Gardens todes. Nematodes, which species) You can continue to re- Take tropical water garden are parasites, tend to be host Crimson Clover (Trifo- plant or establish cool-sea- plants indoors when water specific, attacking just one lium incarnatum) son lawns like fescue. temperatures near 50 de- crop or crop family. They do Red Clover (Trifolium The mowing height for grees Fahrenheit. not “like the taste” of other pratense) fescue should be lowered to Close the water garden for plant families and their num- White Clover (Trifolium approximately 2% inches for the winter by placing hardy bers will decline without the repens) fall and winter cutting. plants in the deeper areas of preferred food source. Yellow-Blossom Sweet Broadleaf weeds like dan- the pool. Stop feeding the Some cover crops, just Clover (Melilotus offifi ci- delions can be easily con- fish. like any other crop, may at- nalis) trolled during October. Cover water gardens with tract insects that could harm Arrowleaf Clover (Trifo- Mow and neatly edge bird netting to catch drop- other garden crops. Garden- lium vesiculosum) warm-season lawns before ping leaves during the win- ers should watch for pest in- Ball Clover (Trifolium ni- killing frost. ter months. sects in cover crops and oth- grescens) Ornamentals Cover Crops er crops and be ready to use Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus Plant cool-season annu- Cover or green manure various IPM or best manage- corniculata) als like pansies, ornamental crops are usually grown ment methods while the pest Fava Bean (Vicia faba) cabbage or kale, snapdrag- when the garden soil is problem is in its early stages. Garden Pea (Pisum sati- ons and dusty miller when idle but are also sometimes Legumes need certain vum varieties) temperatures begin to cool. planted between rows of strains of bacteria to enable Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Begin planting spring- fruits or vegetables to serve flowering bulbs like tulips, as a living mulch. hyacinths, crocus and daffo- them to convert nitrogen gas from the air into a form that Cover crops are sometimes plants can use. The bacte- Ryegrass cies) (Lolium Purple Vetch (Vicia ben- spe- Flea Market dils. Good companion plants called “catch crops.” Their ria needed by various kinds ghalensis) for bulbs are ground covers deep roots absorb nutrients of legumes may or may not Common/White Vetch (Vicia sativa) Cassandra Bond and son Jason Bond, 2, who such as ajuga, vinca, English from the soil that could oth- already be in your garden ivy, alyssum, moneywort, erwise leach away or are soil. To be certain, legume Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) live south of Elk City, stroll through the West- thrift, phlox, oxalis and unavailable to garden crops seeds should be coated with Oats (Avena sativa) ern Oklahoma Historical Society Flea Market leadwort. Peonies, daylilies, with shorter roots. When an inoculant powder that For more information on a cool Sunday morning in Elk City. The flea and other spring-flowering tilled under, cover crops de- contains living Rhizobium contact Greg Hartman market ran Friday through Sunday. Staff photo perennials should be divided compose and release those spores. Commercial inocu- Beckham/Washita County by Don Munsch. or planted now. “caught” nutrients. lant is usually inexpensive Extension at 589-928-2139 Dig and store tender pe- Some cover crops, those and widely available. Some rennials like cannas, dahlias, from the legume family, legume seeds are sold pre- Selecting fall color and caladiums in a cool, dry even trap and transform at- treated with the proper bac- location. mospheric nitrogen in their teria. Purchase trees from nurs- roots. This nitrogen serves Cover Crop Planting eries and garden centers at as a fertilizer source for fu- Guidelines this time to select the fall ture crops. Prepare the soil as you Fall is an excellent time bulbs. They will bloom bet- for young plants: color you prefer. Cover crops in the grass or would if planting vegeta- to plant trees and shrubs. It ter for you than the smaller, Deter animals from brows- Many perennials can be grain family don’t actively bles. Legumes will produce is also a good time to select discount types. Most bulbs ing on bark. planted at time and the fix nitrogen but usually cre- the nitrogen they need, but plants for their fall color. should be planted to a depth Reflects sun that either selection is quite nice. ate a thick mulch, produce non-legume crops will need Some plants are selected for that is about two times the scalds the trunks or makes Plant fall mums and asters a large amount of organic to have nitrogen fertilizer (1 vivid fall colors and propa- diameter of the bulb. Be sure them susceptible to south- and keep them watered dur- matter to be tilled under, and to 1-1/2 pounds of actual ni- gated in a way that the fall to plant your bulbs in well- west injury during the winter ing dry conditions. Don't have deep roots that loosen trogen per 1000 square feet) color is consistent from year drained soil; most will rot months (bark is warmed fol- crowd since they take a cou- compacted soils, thereby im- added to the soil to produce to year, if weather conditions in our heavy, wet, clay soils lowed by a sudden plunge in ple of years to reach matu- proving drainage and aera- maximum yields of organic cooperate. Some species are during the winter if proper rity. Plant container-grown tion. matter. temperature which kills that grown from seed so genetics drainage is not provided. portion of the bark). trees and shrubs this month. Cover crops are divided Inoculate legume seeds by provides widely variable fall To increase the spring Check and treat house- into two categories: warm- moistening them, draining Twig Girdlers plants for insect pests before the excess water, adding the season and cool-season, color from plant to plant. For bulb display, plant pansies Recently I have seen many bringing them indoors and based on the optimum times inoculant powder, and mix- example, Caddo sugar maple at the same time. Pansies small branches from the tips and Chinese pistache grown don’t mind the cold weather of my oak tree lying on the repot rootbound plants. to plant and grow. ing well. from seed will provide an and can even provide a little ground; they are quite messy Fruits & Vegetables Warm-season types will Broadcast the seed evenly. array of fall color from yel- extra color during the winter Dig sweet potatoes and not tolerate freezing tem- Cover seed with a thin and I have to pick several harvest pumpkins and win- peratures and should be layer of soil by raking it in low-green and red. to vivid orange months. Come spring, they For species such as really take off and provide up each day. These small ter squash. planted after all danger of or going over the area with these, observing them in the an understory of color to the branches accumulating on Remove green fruit from frost. Most take six to eight a rototiller set very shallow.center in the fall al- overstory of color provided the ground are a good indi- tomato plants when frost weeks (or longer) to grow Keep the area moist until garden lows you to select the colors by the spring bulbs. cator of an insect called a threatens. large enough to turn under. seedlings emerge. Light wa- you are interested in. Trunk Protective Materi- twig girdler. Harvest Oriental persim- ‘An exception is buckwheat, tering may be needed twice a Fall - A Good Time to als The twig girdler is a small mons and pawpaws as they which may need only four day, or more, in hot weather. Control Broadleaf Weeds Young, thin-barked trees beetle that has one genera- begin to change color. weeks under good growing Mow and harvest cover Summer _ temperatures such as ash, birch, linden, tion in Oklahoma per grow- There is still time to plant conditions. crops before they flower and make it too risky to use the maples and others often sun- ing season. Some indicators radishes and mustard in the Cool-season cover crops produce seeds, and till un- broadleaf —_postemergence scald unless protected. The that these branches lying on fall garden. der at least ten days to two herbicides due to the vola- twigs that shade the trunk the ground are due to twig will survive through the Use a cold frame device winter. They are planted in weeks before planting gar- tility and threat of drift, should be left, but cut back girdlers include the pres- to plant spinach, lettuce and the fall, from mid-Septem- den crops. which could then damage a few inches so they become ence of clean-cut twigs and/ various other cool-season ber until the end of October, Below is a list of cool-sea- or dangling (flagged) branch desirable plants in the land- denser. A twiggy trunk is crops for production most of and left over the winter to son cover crops. For more scape. However, the cooler preferable to tree wraps, but tips within a tree. The Twig the winter. provide protection from soil information about these spe- daytime temperatures asso- not all trees have enough girdler female chews a V- Plant cool-season cover erosion. They need to be cies and the warm-season ciated with fall make it an twigs, nor is it always practi- shaped groove around a crops like Austrian winter planted early enough so their species see OSU fact sheet excellent time to think again cal or aesthetically pleasing small twig, girdling it. She peas, wheat, clover, and rye roots develop before winter HLA-6436 Earth Kind Gar- about controlling broadleaf to leave lower limbs. then will lay an egg under- in otherwise fallow garden but late enough so they do dening Series: Healthy Gar- plots. not complete their growing den Soils. weeds in the yard. Dande- Protective wraps are avail- neath the bark on the girdled Remove all debris from cycle (and die) before the Hairy Vetch (Vicia vil- lion and other broadleaf able and may provide protec- limb. This portion of the the garden to prevent over- weather gets cold. losa) Austrian Winter Peas weeds are easily controlled tion by modifying tempera- limb dies quickly and will with post emergence her- tures for thin-barked trees. fall to the ground with the wintering of various garden Because they are used in (Pisum sativum variety ar- bicides such as those that Plastic wraps may provide pests. rotation with other crops in vense) larva inside. The small larva Start new planting bed the same garden location, Winter Rye (Secale ce- contain a Trimec solution better protection than paper will overwinter in the fallen preparations now with plen- cover crops can help sup- teale) or other 2, 4-D formula. Re- wraps against lawn mower, twig. During the following ty of organic matter. press harmful soil nema- Winter Wheat (Triticum member to spray early in the weed-eater, and rodent dam- spring, the larva resumes day when winds are low and age. If misuse damage may feeding, consuming most before temperatures begin to occur in the form of trunk of the wood. As the larva get too warm. Care should girdling or constriction, grows it bores further down be used when applying these sects, diseases, and exces- into the twig and fills the herbicides around desirable sive bark moisture. tunnel with wood shavings landscape plants. Do not Protective wraps may not and waste. Pupation occurs over apply especially around be necessary at planting in a cavity within the twig. tree and shrub roots. Spot time. Use based on the type Adults emerge in late sum- spray when possible as it is of protection needed. Nor- mer and early fall. not necessary to do a blanket mal application of tree trunk rock Area Community Center cover spray when only few wraps is October to March that weeds actually exist in the for the first two growing Twig girdlers are a pest can be managed easily soufius Hwy. 83 (Main Street), Shamrock yard. Spraying young weeds seasons. Wraps should be with good sanitation prac- tices. Homeowners should as they first appear this fall removed each spring prior Saturday, October 12 collect and destroy infested will be more effective than to spring growth. During twigs and branches they find waiting until the foliage is spring growth the trunk ex- more mature. Mature foli- pands and increases in size. on the ground, beginning in the fall or early spring. 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. age resists the herbicide more easily than the younger Wraps too tightly wrapped or left on during this time This will eliminate the over- Sunday, October 13 _yié shoots. Always read and fol- may result in constriction to wintering larvae. Infested low label directions!! the trunk. Tree wraps should limbs should also be pruned Plant — Spring-Flowering be applied loosely from out and burned, if feasible. 12:00 Noon to 4:00 p,.m. Bulbs Now! base up to the first branch Sanitation is a cheap envi- The latter part of this by overlapping for a shingle ronmentally friendly way to month and into November is effect. Plastic wraps should manage these pests, espe- the time to plant spring-flow- fit loosely and include holes cially for small plantings. ering bulbs such as tulips, or slits for good air move- For more information con- daffodils, hyacinths, etc. Be ment. Periodically inspect tact Greg Hartman Beck- sure to get to the garden cen- the wraps for trunk damage ham/Washita County Ex- ters early so you can pick out and insects tension at 580-928-2139 or the largest and healthiest of Advantages of tree wraps 580-832-3356.