WASHINGTON — Some of the coldest air of the season is coming this weekend, which means vegetable and flower gardens may need attention.
WTOP Garden Editor Mike McGrath says now is a great time to get spring bulbs, such as tulips, crocus and daffodils, in the ground.
“Because there’s no chance they’re going to sprout early. They’re going to grow a good root system and then go to sleep for the winter,” McGrath says. “It’s also the last chance to plant cloves of garlic to harvest bulbs next year.”
The party is over for vegetable gardens. McGrath recommends picking tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash and melons before temperatures plummet.
“All of these plants of our summer garden — they’re all done for the season,” he says.
There still is some homegrown good eating ahead for garden greens such as lettuce and spinach, though. They’ll bounce back even after a hard frost, McGrath says.
McGrath recommends summer bulbs, such as canna lilies, calla lilies and dahlias, be left in the ground until after they’re blackened by a hard frost.
“It concentrates the sugars and gives them a little more food to get through the winter,” during storage McGrath says.
Something else to leave alone now is pruning shears. McGrath warns that anything you prune now is more likely to die over winter.
