Almost Autumn

It is hot and humid and in the afternoon I hear locusts buzzing. But do not be fooled: fall is almost here. The leaves have been falling off the black walnut trees for a few weeks, not to mention the walnuts. Acorns have started falling here and there, which is wonderful because New Jersey's acorn crop failed last year, due to a late freeze. Larry's hazelnut bush has produced its first hazelnuts ever, harvested last week, small but tasty (see photo). One of our neighbors has false dragonhead (Physostegia virginiana), a native September flower, in full lavender bloom, and mine has buds. Goldenrod is in bloom along the roadsides.

September first is the start of deer mating season, and the bucks begin to rub or scrape their antlers on saplings and exposed stems of shrubs, removing the bark. One friend in Franklin Township has seen signs that the deer are already scraping. Trees are often killed, or if not, the tree uses a lot of energy growing new bark, setting it back for a few years. Multi-stemmed shrubs usually can recover, but they look awful in the meantime, and if it happens year after year they can die. Now is the time to buy 12" or 18" wide chicken wire and cut four or four- and- a- half foot long sections to fasten around saplings with rope or gardeners' twist ties (you can buy a large roll of heavy-duty plastic-coated green twist ties for $5 to$10). You may be able to do the same for exposed stems of shrubs, or you can get four-foot-wide chicken wire and wrap the whole shrub. Vines growing up a sapling may provide protection from buck rubbing, but then you will have to save the plant from the vines in the spring. The chicken wire can also prevent rabbits from chewing the bark off the trees and shrubs, if it extends to the ground all the way around and doesn't have gaps.

Also around September first the deer start running around more, and deer-automobile accidents increase. Please drive safely, especially on back roads and at dusk and after.