Is Your Landscape Ready for Winter?

The warmer than average temperatures this fall may create some problems for our landscape plants. Cool temperatures along with shorter days cause our plants to "harden off" and prepare for winter. Some buds on trees are swelling and not maturing normally. We'll have to watch and see what happens in the spring. At this writing we are lacking in rainfall and it is extremely important to deep water mature trees, especially evergreens and any plants added to your landscape in the past 2 years. Do not put the hoses away yet, especially if you are taking advantage of some late sales and are still planting. Trees and shrubs planted this fall and in particular those that are evergreen, those keeping their foliage whether leaves or needles, are most vulnerable to winter damage. Be sure to soak them once a week if it doesn't rain so they are well hydrated going into freezing temperatures. To avoid damage to your plumbing disconnect the hose from outside faucets when it is going to freeze.

Tree Protector

Yes, plants need adequate moisture at the root zone in the winter. Remember, the humidity outside is lower in the winter and when the winds are howling, moisture is lost from exposed bark and the leaves and needles of evergreens. One thing to consider is applying an anti-desiccant spray like Wilt Pruf® or Stop Wilt® which will coat the plant surfaces with a clear membrane to reduce evaporation. There should be a 2" layer of mulch for both moisture and temperature protection of the roots for any newly planted plants. If you have any young shade trees protect the trunks from Sun Scald and eventual bark splitting. Tree guards that provide protection from the southwest sun, AKA "sun scald", should be in place by the end of November until March.(see photos). This is critically important for trees with thin bark. Install white Tree Trunk Protectors, they are very important for trees like red or swamp maple varieties preventing the sun from heating up the southwest side of the tree trunk when cold temperatures are here, causing the bark to split.

Tree Trunk Split

These seeming small details can make a huge difference in protecting the investment that has been in our properties. None of us want our plants to be damaged or killed even though most garden centers guarantee them. We want to avoid having to spend the time and effort of replanting and having to reestablish plants and losing a year or more of valuable growth. If you haven't fertilized your lawn this fall there is still time to do that. Plant roots are active, absorbing nutrients, whenever the soil is not frozen. Late fall feeding of turf is the most important application all year. The plants in our yards will start off next spring much better when they have food available during the winter months. Think about adding some indoor plants to your living area at home or office this winter. Plants improve our environment by improving the quality of the air we breathe as they fortify the environment with oxygen and "soften" the indoor environment. There is no better time to do this than at holiday time with a beautiful, poinsettia or other seasonal blooming plants. They are easy to care for and they improve our psyche with their soothing nature.

Send any questions or comments to info@meadowview.com .


30 years of Growing
Meadow View Growers
New Carlisle, OH
www.meadowview.com

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Landscaping/Gardening Information:

Related Articles


How to Grow Asparagus
Asparagus is a perennial plant with erect, edible stems and tiny branches that bear even tinier flowers that become red berries that contain the black Asparagus seed. Formerly in the Liliaceae family, botanists have realized that Asparagus is in a class by itself and have repositioned its 120 species in the Asparagaceae genus.
Greenhouse Calamities - Thoughts from a Novice Gardener
Greenhouses are a great addition to anyone's garden. They come in all different sizes and you can nestle them right where you want them and with smaller versions of greenhouses you can move them quite easily.
The Perfect Porch Swing
There is a magical quality to porch swings. In his summertime classic Dandelion Wine, Ray Bradbury describes the "ritual of the front-porch swing.
Gardening for Kids
Children are continually bombarded with advertising for fast food and unhealthy treats. One of the most important lessons you can teach them is how to tend and grow their own food from the garden.
Wildlife in Winter Ponds
This may seem contradictory, but you want to leave a little bit of debris in the pond when preparing it for winter.Some water gardeners net out the fish, completely drain the water and scrub out the pond, refilling it with fresh water.
Patio Swings Spruce Up Your Outdoor Space with Comfort and Style
Are you looking for a way to spruce up your patio while providing additional seating at the same time? Are you tired and bored of the same old stationary patio seating that can be purchased in most stores? If so, maybe you should consider furnishing your patio with a unique patio swing.In addition to creating additional seating, patio swings provide a place of relaxation and meditation that will be appreciated by the whole family and guests as well.
Indoor Gardening Tips for Jerry Seinfeld
"I have no plants in my house. They won't live for me.
Creativity with Ponds
Here's where your creative instincts kick in. This is where you make your pond your own.
A Rose is a Rose?
There are many varied definitions of what each color of rose symbolizes. Florists and floral experts alike will agree that flowers hold the meaning we give them and the feeling with which they are given.
Maintaining Oxygen Levels in Fish and KOI Ponds
Severe environmental stressors are the most frequent causes of sudden fish death in garden ponds or other fish habitats, and the lack of oxygen in the water is the number 1 stressor of all.Two major factors contributing to fish-pond oxygen loss concern blooming algae.
Sleeping Beauties: Porches For Dreaming
There's something magical about sleeping outside, drinking in the night sounds of crickets, frogs and wind chimes, watching fireflies and stars, and feeling the cool night breeze. You'll find children giggling long past their bedtime from sheer excitement.
No Dig Gardens - How to Build One
The no dig garden is exactly what it describes..
Popular Adirondack Chairs - Everything You Need To Know
Adirondack chairs were invented during the early 1900's by a vacationer who was looking for ways to furnish his summer home. By utilizing materials found around his Westport, NY, vacation home, Thomas Lee crafted a unique chair that caught the attention of a local carpenter and would eventually gain widespread popularity.
Landscape Design
Landscaping is a wonderful pastime enjoyed by many. It provides a natural beauty and needs no ornaments or other attractive items to help achieve its magnificence.
Light Up Your Garden And Brighten Your Life
Extending Your Living SpaceThe garden is fast being considered to be an extension to your living space and homeowners are putting as much effort into creating a harmonious environment outside as they are inside. A beautiful garden is also considered to be one of the biggest selling features of a home and can certainly help to add value and appeal.
Gardening is Good Therapy
Many of us garden just for the sheer joy of it. But did you know that all over the country the healing aspects of gardening are being used as therapy or as an adjunct to therapy?Although this might sound like a new concept, garden therapy has been around for decades.
Wild Flower Garden - Yours to Design and Plan
To design a wild flower garden, you do not need to be a specialist or an artist, you just need to be observant and let your creative juices flow. Look around you, what is unique about your surroundings? Do you wish to enhance or compliment these things.
Who Sells Flower Bulbs?
Flower bulbs offer some of the most distinctive, unusual flowers around. Gladioli, lilies, crocus, lilac, daylilies? all are instantly recognizable.
Using Push Reel Mowers
If you're not familiar with push reel mowers or if you haven't used one since "back in the day", there are a few points you should be aware of before using a push reel mower:Don't expect to cut tall weeds or dandelions. You notice how your gas-powered mowers get a little "overwhelmed" when cutting weeds or very tall grass? Those issues are a bit worse with reel mowers because they become harder to push and they are limited in the height of what they can cut.
Laying Out Your New Landscape
When planning your new landscape, the first place to start is by driving around your neighborhood and seeing what other people have done with their landscapes. Bring a sketch pad or digital camera to record things you like.