SEPTEMBER GARDENING CALENDAR Chelsea Garden Center NYC
Fall is the time to plant. There are two distinct growing seasons here in the northeast, spring and fall. Fall is the most desirable season of the year to get out and plant your garden, terrace or backyard. This is not a ploy to get you into our NEW GARDEN CENTER in Red Hook Brooklyn adjacent to the Fairway market; which opened in late April of this year. Fall really is the best time to plant, why? Because the ground is warm, temperatures are moderating, and we still have many weeks of agreeable weather which is ideal for plant growth. Cool nights and warm days will stimulate root growth and enable plants to take firm root for the winter months ahead.
Summer drought damage. This summer has been particularly harsh on plant material due to drought and extreme heat. If proper watering was not given to your plantings, losses ensued. There was lots of wilt, foliage damage and outright plant demise due to moisture loss. Replace dead or unfavorable plants now rather than waiting until spring. Believe it or not more landscape contract work is specified to be done in the fall rather than spring because of more ideal planting conditions. Our NEW GARDEN CENTER is fully stocked with a wide assortment of trees, shrubs, evergreens and fall flowering plants to make your selection that much more rewarding. We are a year round nursery, with garden plants to choose from at any season of the year. By the way, you can take the water taxi to Red Hook and enjoy New York Harbor on your way to Chelsea Garden Center Red Hook.
Green house opens. We have opened a beautiful 66’ greenhouse in Red Hook opposite the Fairway Market Filled with fully acclimated loft size tropical specimens and one of a kind tropical plants, feast your eyes on our wide selection of pottery and plants.
Insects & disease. This summer also saw infestations of many different kinds of insects. Inspect your plantings carefully and treat accordingly. Now's the time to bring your houseplants indoors before the heat in your house is turned on and the outside air temperatures fall to low. Inspect all plants in pots for critters that might have crawled in to make a new home; you do want to invite them in to your house do you?
Fall color Mums are already available; we stock many different cultivars with assorted petal shapes and a wide range of colors and sizes. Fall asters offer deep purples, pink and whites and are gaining in popularity with avid gardeners. Fall pansy's are also now available and are winter hardy. Planted now, they will reappear in early spring and continue to delight. Look for our spring bulbs from Holland arriving the second week of this month. It's time to start planning your spring bulb flower garden.
Garden Design. Now is an excellent time to call one of our garden designers. There is still plenty of good weather ahead to enjoy outdoor living at home. Allow us to create a new garden for you or refurbish an existing one. Consider a new patio or retaining wall to enhance your garden. Reach us in the design studio 212.727.3434. Please see our design portfolio for some of our completed projects.
Plants. Rose lovers, be patient, you will see an abundant bloom this fall, add Bone Meal or Rose Tone fertilizer now, keep a watchful eye out for insects and disease and treat accordingly. Trees, shrubs and evergreens had a rough summer with heat and drought. First and foremost adjust your watering habits for next summer, if need be gently prune back plants that suffered dye back, make sure to cutback and prune to green bark, do not leave dead branches on plants. If you decide to replace lost plantings now, consider that your plants can be attractive in all four seasons. Think fall foliage, winter bark texture, bloom time, shape and ultimate size. Make sure you select the right plant for the right location; ask our expert nursery staff for help. Now is also the time to plant perennials, divide them and fertilize as well. Think fall! Fertilize your plants now with Hollytone for acid loving plants and evergreens, Plant Tone for trees and shrubs. Fertilizing now will help strengthen your plants for the tough winter months and at the same time add the needed nutrients for improved spring blooms.