Green-cycle is coming — save your clippings for now

Q: We recently moved here to a lovely home on the West Side that has lots of trees and shrubs that are starting to lose their leaves. Our most friendly neighbor says that the city has a program where they will come and pick up the collected leaves to recycle them. Is this true and if so do you know when this happens? — R.T., Albuquerque

A: As of yet, no, the city hasn’t announced the dates for its biannual green-cycle program. This service will more than likely happen in November, and I will keep you informed as to the dates when they are available.

In the meantime, you can keep your garden and landscaping tidied, being ready for the green-cycle. Keep collecting the leaves and any clippings you gather in stout black plastic bags. I will also suggest that for the meantime you store the collections out of the sun, so the bags don’t have the chance to become brittle. Once announced, you simply set the collections curbside — near but not next to — your household refuse containers and whoosh, they are picked up and put to good use. Just not yet.

Then, since you are new to the area, I’m wondering if you know about the city’s 1-2-3-2-1 watering program. There is usually a leaflet included with your water/refuse bill that suggests since the weather is cooling, your watering habits should change with it.

We’re well into October now and it’s time to listen to the plant life. Granted the daytime high temperatures are still quite warm, there isn’t a lot of what I call pushing growth happening now. Most plants are changing course and getting ready for dormancy. So on that note, they don’t need and will not use the same amounts of water this time of year.

If you employ a watering system, reprogram it to water twice a week now. If you are a hand waterer, then you should change your schedule to twice a week watering also. Now, that doesn’t mean that you can’t water as your plants need it, just aim to ramp down, so the plants get an extra cue that it’s nearing time to settle for winter. Keep your landscaping tidied, gather and, for the time being, store the fallen leaves and rearrange your watering habits to fit the season — and welcome to the community you’ve chosen to live in.

Q: While I was looking for flower bulbs I’m going to force later, I was so thrilled to find a couple of tulip and daffodil varieties that I have space for in my gardens. When should I plant them? It still seems so warm. — C.W., Los Lunas

A: You’re correct that it’s still warm, but the changes of seasons are happening. So, yes, I’ll suggest you get these new treasures planted into your gardens. You will want to offer waterings for the newly planted. Not enough to encourage top growth, but enough to keep the soil dampened, so the bulbs settle in and grow the roots they need to. Have fun while you’re out there getting this new bunch of color in the ground.

Q: POOF! Just like that, my hummingbirds are gone. Should I bring in the feeders for the season now? — F.R., Albuquerque

A: Two schools of thought ... yes and no.

Me? Historically I have never taken down my feeders before the end of October. Others do as soon as they haven’t seen nor heard a hummer for three to five days straight.

I keep my feeders up, so any late season travelers have a clean and fresh feeder to dine from before they continue to migrate. Also, I have a pair of what a co-worker calls flickers, a type of woodpecker, that come and partake at my diner. Their chattering and nifty looks give my cat something fun to watch during the day. She actually chatters along with them.

So as long as you are ready to keep your feeders clean and offer fresh sugar water, why not wait? If you feel that for sure there are no more hummers coming to your diner, then take them down. Hummingbirds have been coming and going forever so by keeping your feeder up, no, they are not encouraged to hang out, and you just might see someone new coming to check out the fresh eats.

Happy Diggin’ In!

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson St. NE, Albuquerque, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.