By TOM RIEMAN
Keep Bartlett Beautiful
Right about now you begin to see news reports on where the best fall colors can be seen in nature. You can find maps on the internet showing the progression of peak color by region.
In Shelby County, however, we often have disappointing fall displays compared to the show seen in the mountains of East Tennessee.
The best leaf color occurs during autumn when the shortening days are bright, sunny and cool, with cool nights, and when the trees are healthy and not stressed by drought or pests.
In our area we tend to have warmer days than ideal and often enter autumn in a period of drought, which stresses our trees.
You need not despair, however, as there are some reliable trees that will provide a show of color for us.
If you plant a sweet gum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) in the back of your lot, you will be rewarded with a rainbow of colors every fall. As a bonus the tree comes pre-decorated for the holidays with little brown ornaments.
As long as the tree is out of the way you can easily deal with the gum balls. You can also choose a columnar form “Slender Silhouette” that grows 35-50 feet tall but only 4-5 feet wide so that, when the gum balls drop, they fall in a small contained area.
The black gum tree has multiple common names, including Tupelo, which is why the botanical name (Nyssa sylvatica) is good to have when shopping.
A smaller shade tree, it typically reaches 30-50 feet with a 30-foot It is one of the earliest trees to color in the forest, delivering reds, orange and purple hues.
Ginkgo biloba is commonly referred to as the gingko tree (see, you knew some Latin and the botanical name for a tree — you are really a great gardener). It is an ancient tree known to have existed 270 million years ago.
It turns a glorious golden yellow in the fall and within the span of one week will shed all its leaves down into a golden blanket below its branches. This habit makes leaf cleanup a one-time chore.
For a guaranteed show of drop-dead gorgeous color the Japanese maple is a must-have for your garden. There are more varieties than you can imagine, each with its own special attributes, but all of them will deliver wonderful fall color in Shelby County.
Some popular varieties include Acer palmatum var. atropurpureum “Bloodgood,” which is prized for purple foliage in the summer, turning a brilliant red in fall.
Acer palmatum “Sango Kaku,” also known as coral bark maple, has yellow fall color, and the smaller branches turn red all winter, giving this plant four seasons of interest. These are understory ornamental trees that seldom exceed 15-20 feet in height and many are smaller.
MrMaple.com is an excellent source to research the varieties available, and should you fall in love with one that you can’t find locally, they will be happy to ship you a small tree.
Plant growers have done a tremendous job of finding interesting cultivars of all the trees listed above and offer trees with special attributes for size, shape, color and disease resistance, so do a little research to get the tree that will best meet your needs.
Fall is a great time to plant trees, but they can be hard to find in October and November at box stores, which often don’t offer named cultivars.
Your best selections will be found at local nurseries along with the experts that can help you choose the right tree for your needs.
Learn how to properly plant your tree by attending a Shelby County Extension “Lunch and Learn”event on “The Correct Way to Plant Trees and Shrubs.” This learning opportunity will be noon-1 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Agricenter, 7777 Walnut Grove Road, Building C, Memphis.
On October 4-5 you can find other plants for fall planting at the Memphis Botanic Garden Fall Plant Sale. If you miss this event and first dibs on the most popular offerings, you can still purchase plants from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays during October at the Botanic Garden.
October gardening activities
- Plant: Trees, shrubs, daffodils, perennials, October is the preferred time to plant ornamental kale, Swiss chard, and pansies. These plants are lovely additions to the fall and winter landscape. Plus, they are edible. Look for the winterbor and Russian kales as they are more reliable in cold weather than the kales known commonly as “flowering cabbage.” Divide and replant spring blooming perennials. Mid-October is a good time to divide hostas. Plant larkspur and poppy seeds.
- Lawn care: Fertilize established fescue lawns with a slow-release balanced fertilizer. Can still start or over seed fescue lawn.
- Fertilize: It’s too late to fertilize.
- Other: Dig up and store tender bulbs like caladiums. Shred fallen leaves to use for mulch or to compost. Clean and oil garden tools before storing for winter. Take soil tests and make adjustments to pH as recommended. Pick off any bagworms from your plants to help eliminate the eggs that will hatch next year. Dispose of them in the garbage, not the compost, or they may hatch and survive. Don’t forget to bring in your tropical plants and houseplants before frost. Many plants don’t fare well when temperatures drop into the 40s.
TOM RIEMAN of Bartlett is a Shelby County Extension Master Gardener and secretary of the Bartlett City Beautiful Commission. Keep Bartlett Beautiful is among the activities of this commission. Contact him at thrieman@aol.com.
