From southern Illinois northward frost can be expected anytime after late September. Try to save the Swiss chard and New Zealand spinach by protecting them with small, movable coldframes. Your reward will be a plentiful supply of fresh greens until late autumn.

Don’t let early frosts catch the pumpkins and squashes on the vine. Cut them carefully about a week before the first frost is expected and allow them to dry in the sun before storing. If the onions are not yet ready to dig, bend over their tops so that they will ripen faster.

It’s not too late to sow winter rye in the bare spots in the vegetable garden. It will germinate and develop, even during winter thaws.

Planting narcissus and other spring-flowering bulbs – Daffodils that have just arrived from your nurseryman should be planted before October 1. Also, bulbs that have been growing in your garden for years and have become too thick can be moved now. If possible, reset them the same day they are dug.

Minor bulbs such as scilla, muscari, chionodoxa, crocus and camassia should be popped into the ground as soon as they are received. Prepare the soil in advance, if possible, so that it has time to settle.

Digging and storing gladiolus – As soon as the gladiolus foliage loses its greenness, the corms can be dug up. Dry them in a cool, airy spot for a week or two. Before storing, treat them with a fungicide to ward off disease.

Moving peonies and other perennials, shrubs and evergreens – When should peonies be moved? According to one authority, 9:00 A.M. on September 15! Timing isn’t really that critical, but after this date, the sooner the job can be done, the better. Most perennials have completed their growth by now and can be moved towards the end of the month.

If a great many shrubs have to be moved, a few can be transplanted now ahead of season if their leaves are first stripped. However, it is a better practice to wait until frost drops the leaves.

In most parts of the Middle West early September is the preferred time for moving evergreens. Be sure to mulch the soil heavily after thoroughly soaking it. If this is the last time the hose will be used this fall, drain it and hang it in a dry, cool place for the winter.

Caring for the lawn – If the lawn has spots that need leveling, there’s still time before the middle of the month to correct the condition with a top dressing. By next spring the grass will have grown through the new soil and the turf will appear more even.

Continue mowing the lawn until heavy frosts stop growth. Don’t yield yet to the temptation of giving the lawn-mower a vacation.

If snow mold was a problem to your lawn last spring, spray it now with a good turf fungicide. Be sure to apply it before the ground freezes.

Cleaning up weeds in the vegetable garden – If bindweed or Canada thistle infests the vegetable garden, it can be cleaned out when it’s cool and the soil temperature drops to 55 degrees. Check the soil temperature carefully, spraying when it is below 55, but before the foliage is blackened by frost.

Buying, identifying house plants and potting up herbs for winter decoration”Now, before the last-minute rush which begins when the weather turns cold, identifying house plants and buying new plants to decorate the house. They seem to do better if they have a chance to become acclimated before the oil burner or furnace starts up.

Grow some herbs in a sunny window to supply winter flavorings. Pot them up now, cutting off the old tops to force young growth. Chives, sweet basil, thyme, rosemary and marjoram should be especially welcome.

We’ve created an excellent resource for you on the topic of identifying house plants. Drop by today at http://www.plant-care.com/pothos-not-syngonium-good-info-wrong-houseplant.html.

Selecting Tomatoes As far as tomato variety goes, your choices are endless. Your local nursery will stock tomato transplants that suit your climate. Choose dark green stocky plants with no blooms and no holes in the leaves. The ideal plant should be as wide as it is tall. Avoid the tall spindly plants. They are available in a myriad of sizes, shapes and colors. The key to a triumphant tomato garden is choosing the right type of plant.

Determinate (bush) vs. Indeterminate (vine) Determinate tomato plants are compressed and short. They are bred for this diminutive size and to ripen their fruits in a set amount of time, usually six weeks or less. Most determinates do not require support, but some plants called vigorous determinates, may need assistance keeping themselves from lying on the garden soil. Dwarfs, however, need no support and are perfect for growing in containers. Miniatures are tiny plants with short stems and dime-size fruits that are usually grown for decoration rather than consumption. In contrast, indeterminate tomatoes continue to grow until they are halted by frost. They do require support, and will produce earlier and greater fruit yields than determinates. Some say better flavor as well. As long as the conditions are favorable, indeterminate plants will remain productive.

Resistance Tomatoes are susceptible to quite an assortment of diseases. Included are: bacterial spot, botrytis fruit rot, bacterial canker, bacterial wilt, fusarium wilt, mosaic, septoria leaf spot, curly top, tobacco mosaic, and early and late blights. Choosing disease-resistant plants is vital since many of these diseases cannot be treated. This is especially true in hot regions where humidity is high, which provides the perfect environment for many of these infections.

Disease resistance is summarized with the following abbreviations: A, alternaria (early) blight; As, alternaria stem canker; F, fusarium wilt, race 1; F2, fusarium wilt race 2; L, gray leaf spot; N, nematodes; T, tobacco mosaic virus; V, verticillium wilt.

Here are some of your tomato plant choices and their resistance:

Beefsteak- Indeterminate (vine), red beefsteak with meaty, juicy 1 lb fruit.

Better Boy- (VFNAs) red hybrid with large yields of 12 ounce fruit, nice leaf cover.

Big Beef- (VFF2AsLNT) outstanding disease resistance; red beef-steak with flavorful 10 ounce fruit; All America Selections Winner.

Brandywine- Widely perceived as the best tasting tomato available; no resistance; pink heirloom with 10 ounce fruit.

Caro Rich- Determinate: orange with high vitamin A content, low-acid, 5-ounce fruits; thrives in cooler climates.

Celebrity- Vigorous determinate, heavy production of 8 ounce fruit, All America Selections Winner, wonderful disease resistance; (VFF2AsNLT).

Early Girl- Indeterminate; red hybrid with high yields of rich-flavored 4-ounce fruits; early fruit production; garden favorite; (V).

Jetstar- Indeterminate; stake and prune, lower acid content, meaty 9 ounce fruit.

Marglobe- (F); cracks easily, produces sweet 7 ounce red fruit.

Rutgers- Determinate; red bearing high yields of 8-ounce fruits with mild flavor; widely adapted favorite; (F).

Michael McAfee has almost forty years of gardening experience, and has written a very informative guide to growing tomatoes. For a limited time you can get a free copy by visiting Your Tomato Garden. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Plant bug insects can be divided roughly into two groups, namely : (a) those that bite and chew their food and (b) those that possess a sucking tube through which they extract their food by means of piercing the leaves of plants. Too bad they are not equipped with a loud speaking tube too, then we’d know when the pesky critters were at work.”

To combat leaf-chewing insects, stomach poison controls must be applied to the attacked plants. Of these the most common are Sevin. Today on the shelves of many garden supply stores you will see innumerable brands displayed, all concocted by chemical companies according to their experience and tests. All these branded controls are made available through laborious modern scientific research. Some stomach controls are nonpoisonous to humans and animals. That is one reason we like going organic with a natural product like neem oil as an insecticide.

To combat sucking insects contact poisons and nonpoisonous controls must be applied to the attacked plants. Of these the most common are malathion, horticultural oil, and insecticidal soaps. Today on the shelves of garden supply and retail nurseries you will see innumerable brands displayed, all concocted by well known chemical companies in their modern research laboratories. Most are available either in powder or liquid forms.

Some insecticides act as both stomach and contact poisons.

Fungus diseases as commonly known, are rusts, mildews, blights, rots, cankers and leaf spots. They are caused by parasites that live on food manufactured by plants. These parasites increase rapidly during damp humid weather and spread by spores usually through the action of wind and rain and sometimes by mechanical assistance. To combat fungi, controls either liquid or dust must be applied periodically to the attacked plants. Of these the most common are bordeaux mixture, sulphur, copper powders and solutions, lime-sulphur and concentrated ammonia. Today on the shelves of seed stores you will see innumerable brands on display. If in doubt at all, you name your problem and let your favorite nursery prescribe the remedy.

Bacteria are the some of the smallest form of life the gardener will come in contact with. They are spread by insects and cause scab, blight and wilt. Control the insect carriers of bacterial diseases by spraying often.

Virus diseases are spread by sucking insects such as aphids. Aphids are small, soft bodied, and numerous in species and color. Control the insect carriers of virus diseases by spraying with any of the well known contact sprays.

Physiological diseases from excessive drought or too much rainfall; from poor ventilation or even mechanical injury, must be controlled by some counteracting measure of cultivation or method of production like ginger plant care. Damping-off for instance can be checked by soil sterilization, proper ventilation and by charcoal and mercurial treatments. Do this tips in order to care for your ginger plant and others plants.

Early in the morning or in the evening is the best time to apply either liquid sprays or dust controls. Stomach poison controls should be applied after a rainfall; disease controls before, if possible. Do not apply insecticides or fungicides if the temperature is 78 degrees or more, else foliage burning may result.

Start insect and fungi control in the autumn of the year by tidying up your garden. Burn all rubbish ; cut out dead twigs and branches and burn them too; and in early spring commence spraying; don’t wait until infestation is beyond control.

Find out more as Thomas Fryd shares his experiences on landscaping and gardens at http://www.plant-care.com. Get cleared up on ginger plant care.

There are many grasses grown through out the country. it all depends on the climate and soil conditions your piece of real estate can provide. Here’s a quick look at 5 grasses used in the landscape.

Chewing Fescue produces a fine textured. brilliant. green dense turf. The needle-like leaf blades are distinctive, being cylindrical in shape rather than flat. With adequate care only, can its true beauty be realized, however it will stand hard usage: Chewings Fescue will thrive in partial shade. It is used extensively in choice grass seed mixtures. With Creeping Bent it blends admirably, in a proportion of 80% Chewings Fescue, 20% Creeping Bent.

Creeping Bent is well known for its exceptionally fine turf-producing qualities. Its fine-bladed leaves and vigorous root system makes it admirably suited for putting greens. bowling greens, and extra fancy velvety lawns. Bent lawns should be mowed close. The turf will benefit if aired often by means of puncturing with a spiked contrivance.

Creeping Red Fescue is quite similar in appearance to Chewings Fescue. In color it is slightly darker green and in texture a shade softer. It is rapidly becoming the a popular individual grass in the Northwest because it produces a durable turf of pleasing appearance. Considerable quantities of seed are now produced in Canada and the United States. It is used with increasing popularity in choice grass seed mixtures, and is used alone for lawn durability and beauty.

Kentucky Blue Grass produces a hardy turf of rich texture. The leaves are flat and its root system is vigorous like the weeping fig tree. For hard usage lawns, Kentucky Blue grass is blended with Red Top and Creeping Bent. A well-balanced proportion is 80% Kentucky Blue, 10% Red Top, 10% Creeping Rent. For some purposes or if desired, a small percentage of White Dutch Clover is often included. They are also best surrounding a weeping fig tree.

Red Top grows fast but its life is short. It is therefore used as a nurse crop in lawn mixtures. Since it grows quickly it occupies the ground until the slower growing grasses in the mixture, form a lasting springy turf. If you blend your own grass seed mixture do not include more than 30% Red Top.

For the best grass to be used in your locale check with your county agent.

Now is the time to let go of hazy ideas regarding weeping fig tree care. Click on the link to visit http://www.plant-care.com/ficus-benjamina-tree.html.

A visit to a florist for the correct bouquet may be a nerve-racking experience, as every flower shop offers you an abundance of choices. The variety in flowers is quite mind boggling, but the task is made somewhat simpler by the fact that almost every flower of every colour has some meaning attached to it, which makes it proper for a specific occasion. Once you are conscious of this meaning, you would be able to reduce your options to a small set, from which you can without trouble select your bouquet.

The concept of flowers representing states of mind has continued for several years, with the Victorians upholding it more strongly than the people of other eras. While yellow roses stand for love that has more friendly and platonic character, the red ones represent love that is genuine and ardent. Colourful carnations and tulips also come under the category of flowers bearing meaning and messages for the recipients based on their colour.

On the event of wedding, invitees are expected to present bouquets to the newly wedded couple. Buyers must keep in mind the seasonal and thematic setting of a wedding while buying bouquets for the occasion. For instance, spring flowers can be gifted at a springtime wedding, or a blend of red and white flowers can be used for an elegant and traditional affair.

Bright flowers that reflect joy, like roses, daisies and chrysanthemums should be chosen for anniversaries and birthdays in keeping with the mood of gaiety. Someone who has successfully concluded his or her graduation with flying colours would love to be gifted with flowers that people can associate with both gaiety and refinement. Lilies are a good idea in such cases, and people often like to mix 3-4 colours of the flower for a striking effect.

Varieties like white carnations are the most proper choice for sombre events like funerals. By presenting a white bouquet or wreath you wish the soul of the deceased everlasting peace. On the other hand, a collection of bright flowers, such as tropical blooms are excellent for someone who is not well as vibrant bouquets made of these flowers are seen as wishing a speedy recovery.

Finding the right bouquet for the event in a flower shop might seem like something entirely beyond an average person, but advice of a good florist will make the task easy for you. If you are shopping for flowers at any reputed florist in Singapore, they will be happy to help you choose the right ones for your important purpose.

Check out the the best Singapore Flower Shop and discover the beautiful flower Bouquets from Online Florist Singapore. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.