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Tougher in autumn

Ever wonder why it is that tender plants like basil, impatiens or mandevilla blacken at the first hint of frost in the spring, but stand like troopers against a freeze in October? Anyone who has left tender plants out on those first freezing nights in the fall has probably been surprised that they didn't lose anything.

The reason is simple and it is called 'hardening off.' When plants leave the greenhouse in April, they have not been exposed to wind, cold or sun. The leaves are soft and fragile. Only after they have been gradually exposed to these conditions do they begin to build up cuticle, a waxy layer of protective material that keeps moisture in and offers several degrees of frost protection. In the fall, the cuticle layer has built up to the point that the plant is about as protected as it is ever going to be. Several nights of sustained freezing temperatures will no doubt kill the plant, or least its top growth, though.

A mum is a mum is a mum?

Most of us think of all mums as any plant labeled a mum and sold in the fall covered with blooms. Horticulturists, however, know that there are two ways to buy mums. You can buy the mums that are sold in the fall; those that have been pinched or sprayed to become big mounds and that are forced into bloom. These are decorative mums that are intended for use as seasonal decoration and they may or may not overwinter if planted in the ground. (These seasonal, decorative mums may actually include florist's varieties that are not hardy enough to withstand our winters.)

Hardy mums, grown naturally to be planted in the garden, are sold in the spring and in the fall, but you must look for them in the garden section of the nursery along with the other perennials. To maintain a bushel basket shape and delay bloom until fall, many 'cushion mums' must be cut back several times in spring and early summer. There are a few wonderful cultivars, however, that bear single, daisy-like flowers in fall colors that can be left completely alone to become tall, arching stems that wait until October to bloom. Look for 'Mary Stoker,' 'Single Late Korean Apricot' (sometimes called 'Sheffield Apricot') and 'Clara Curtis.'

If you'd like to try planting your decorative mums, it's best to keep them in an unheated garage or basement until spring and plant them then, when they can settle in during warmer weather and make better root growth. Water them once or twice over the winter, just enough to keep them from drying out completely. Wait until spring to cut them back.

Garden Watch: Bad year for bagworms

According to certified arborist Rob Frothingham, it was a bad year for bagworms (left) in Northeastern Illinois. Winter is the best time to collect bagworm sacs, since the overwintering eggs are inside. Unfortunately, many gardeners are confused about what bagworms are and don't know quite what to look for when scouting for them.

Often confused in the local vernacular with eastern tent caterpillars (Malacosoma americanum, below), which spin large masses of webbing in deciduous trees, bagworms are actually constructed by a species of female moth (Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformis) and look like little pinecones that hang in evergreens.

The best way to control bagworms is to 'scout' the garden periodically, pick off any that you may find on evergreens, and dispose of them. Spraying is not recommended since the window of opportunity for controlling the moth or the caterpillar with contact poison is slim. Systemics are hard on evergreens and must be used very carefully under proper conditions to prevent injury.

Photo credits
Eastern tent caterpillar: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Archives, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, www.forestryimages.org

Bagworm: Eric Day, Virginia Tech, Department of Entomology