Rick Durham, Consumer Horticulture Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky
 

Try some herbs indoors this winter.

Fresh herbs are welcome in most kitchens. To keep a fresh supply of herbs well into the fall and winter, try moving some plants from the herb garden to containers indoors. Parsley, chives, sage, and thyme should all do well when potted up and moved to a sunny window.

When lifting plants from the garden, try to maintain a soil ball around the root system to reduce transplant shock. Pot the plant in a suitable sized container equipped with at least one, but preferably more than one, drainage hole. Keep the plant growing at about the same soil depth as it was growing in the garden. Herbs do not tolerate poorly drained soil so it is important to choose a potting mix that drains rapidly. Choose a mix that contains large peat or bark fibers and perlite, or add some additional perlite or sand to improve drainage.

Place the herbs in a bright window, preferably with a southern exposure. Water only as the top inch or so of soil becomes dry and apply house plant fertilizer according to label directions. With a little care, these plants will provide fresh herbs for months to come.
 
 

Take care when planting B&B trees.

Fall is the best time for planting trees and shrubs in Kentucky. These woody plants are usually produced as container grown material or dug from the nursery and sold in a condition known as balled and burlapped or "B & B." Either will transplant well but the B & B trees may need a little extra attention. Inspect the material surrounding the root ball of a B & B plant. Organic based material such as twine or burlap will decompose over time and can be planted with the tree, just make sure it is completely covered with soil or it may wick moisture from around the root system. Synthetic or nylon cord or burlap will not break down and will create a barrier to the tree's root system that may cause problems several years after the tree has become established. While most B & B plants are wrapped in organic material, check to make sure this is so. To tell the difference between organic and synthetic materials, strike a match or lighter and try to burn it. Organic material will burn fairly readily while synthetic material will melt prior to burning. Any synthetic material should be completely removed before transplanting. Trees may also have their root ball placed in a wire basket. Such wire tends to be less of a problem than synthetic twine or burlap, but to be safe, one should remove as much of this wire as possible to avoid later interference with root growth.
 

Acclimate houseplants before moving indoors.

Many people moved houseplants outdoors this summer to give them extra light and air circulation. While this is a great practice, it's now time to think about getting those plants ready to move back indoors.

First, realize that many houseplants react poorly to an abrupt change in environment. Many will exhibit yellowing or dropping of leaves when moved to lower light conditions. While the plants will usually adjust to indoor conditions, they may be unattractive for a few months. To lessen this response, begin to lower the light intensity your plants are receiving outdoors by gradually moving them to a more shady location about one month before you will move them indoors. The plant's gradual change and transition from one environment to another is called acclimation. Also hold back fertilizer to slow growth and check plants for insects and disease and treat as needed. It is much easier to handle an insect problem outdoors than after the plant has been moved inside.

Inside the house, clean windows where plants will be located to ensure that plants get the brightest light possible. Highest light intensities are generally found in south facing windows that are not blocked by awnings or outdoor vegetation. Even under the best of indoor conditions, plants will likely need less water and fertilizer than they received outdoors so reduce these accordingly.
 

Planting over septic drain fields.

Care must be taken when installing plants on a septic drain field or even near septic lines. Because the drain field usually consists of an arrangement of shallow tiles, only limited tilling of the soil should be done prior to planting and species should be selected that have shallow root systems. Turfgrass is usually the best choice followed by herbaceous annual and perennial flowers or ground covers. If perennials are chosen, it may be best to use plants that do not require frequent division since this may inadvertently result in damage to the drain tiles. It is usually best to avoid planting trees and shrubs on or near the field since their woody roots are more likely to clog and damage drainage lines. If trees are a must, one should stay away from water loving species such as popular, willow, birches, elms, and certain types of maples. Better choices in the woody plant department would be crabapples, dogwoods, oaks, pines, and cherries. Even these should not be planted directly in the drainage field. The question also arises as to whether vegetables can be grown over a drain field or is there a danger of viral and/or bacterial contamination of the produce? In general, soils do a fairly good job of keeping the contaminants confined to near the drainage tile. Soils heavy in clay tend to filter the contaminants and keep them restricted to within a few inches of the drainage tile. Sandy soils are less effective. The safest practice would be to plant only ornamentals near or on the drain field and devote other areas of the landscape to vegetable. If you must plant vegetables on or near the field here are a few pointers. Avoid root crops and leafy vegetables since they are the most likely to be contaminated by soil. Fruiting vegetable crops that can be staked (tomatoes) or trellised (cucumbers) to keep fruit off the ground would be a better choice. One should always thoroughly wash any produce gathered from such an area before eating it. Finally, one might be tempted to build raised beds over a septic drain to help eliminate potential for contamination. This should be avoided since the increase in soil depth will inhibit moisture movement and evaporation and lessen the efficiency of the drain field.