Chris McKeown
| Special to Cincinnati Enquirer
Video: Following a zookeeper around at the Cincinnati Zoo
We spent a morning following a zookeeper around at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. Here’s how everything went.
Monday, Sept. 1, is Labor Day, which is sometimes referred to as “the unofficial end of summer.” We all know the summer weather will be around for a few more weeks, at least. Fall is a great time for improving the quality of your lawn. It truly is the best season of the year for planting trees and shrubs.
Today, I want to give you some tips related to the transition of summer into fall.
Beware of box tree moths
At the top of this list is a severe problem everyone with boxwood shrubs should be concerned about. The box tree moth is an invasive insect causing severe damage toboxwoods throughout southwest Ohio. This insect, first found in Loveland, has spread this year to many surrounding communities.
The moths lay eggs, which hatch and become caterpillars. The caterpillars feed and defoliate boxwood plants. They work fast and produce multiple generations in a season. They started in late June and are still active now. They start in the middle of the plant and eat their way to the outside.
They will continue to feed and regenerate if the temperature stays in the 70s or warmer. You need to keep an eye on your boxwoods for the caterpillars and webbing they make. You need to spray and continue to spray as long as you see activity related to these caterpillars. If you are concerned about this, go to your local independent garden store for guidance.
Protect small trees from deer damage
As we enter fall, you also need to protect your younger, smaller trees from potential deer damage. These trees are always vulnerable to the male deer, known as bucks, rubbing their antlers on the trunks of the trees. When they do this, the bark is scraped off causing permanent damage to the tree.
In the fall, the bucks are more likely to damage trees because they are heading into mating season. The bucks know there will be fights over the females. To prepare, they use the trunks of trees as sparring partners to prepare for fights.
This damage is easy to prevent by installing a deer guard on any tree you have that has a trunk diameter that is four inches or less. You want a deer guard that is made out of a rigid plastic mesh. These deer guards keep the antlers off the tree while letting the tree trunk get light and air. These guards can be left on the tree until the tree outgrows them.
If you have trees with multiple trunks or small shrubs, they are also vulnerable. For these plants, you need to install deer fencing around them. Deer fence is a thin plastic mesh that you install supported by wooden stakes. Install this fencing now and take it down in the spring. Save it to re-use in the fall.
Don’t rush to pull out summer flowers (the mums can wait)
Fall brings a new season of flowers. Mums are the most popular. You don’t need to be in a hurry to pull out your summer flowers and replace them with mums. Mums are grown in different crops to have three or four peak blooming times. From now until the middle of October, you will be able to buy mums with tight buds for maximum blooming times.
Plant pansies in the fall
Fall also brings a new season for pansies. Pansies thrive in cooler temperatures. Pansies are usually available for a month starting in the middle of September. Pansies planted in the fall will continue to bloom into December. Then they will pop up and bloom again in the spring when planted in the ground.
Plant spring bulbs end of October, but buy early for best selection
Fall is also the time of the year for planting spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips. As you see them in the garden stores, keep in mind it is best to plant bulbs late in the season, towards the end of October into November. You can buy early for the best selection, but plant later.
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