WINTER WEATHER IS UPON US
We have been incredibly lucky with a relatively easy winter so far.  It’s been cold, but not unbearable.  February is usually our most challenging month, so I guess we should brace ourselves for what might come.  If you have newly planted evergreen shrubs, and have yet to protect them against winter burn, it’s not too late, if you hurry.  For the young, broadleaf evergreens, sometimes wrapping the sides with burlap is sufficient to protect against desiccating winds.

SNOW & ICE
Try to brush heavy snow off of evergreen trees and shrubs.  If allowed to stay, the snow could cause abnormal spreading between branches.  Such damage is frequently seen in Boxwoods, Arborvitae and Upright Junipers and ‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese Holly.  If desired, you can bind the plants with twine, fishing line or vinyl coated wire before the first snowfall.  Though somewhat visible, it will protect the plants without your help.  The binding can easily be removed in the spring.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about ice.  If you attempt to break off the ice, you are likely to damage the plant even more.  Just hope the ice melts as quickly as possible.  In the spring, careful pruning can fix most of the winter damage.  New spring growth will take care of the rest.

THINKING ABOUT ADDING TO YOUR LANDSCAPING IN THE SPRING?  It’s not too soon to give me a call.  I’ll be happy to help you with your plans.

DO CONTACT YOUR LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR NOW.   If you know there’s a real good chance that you will have winter damage that will need attention this spring, do try to get a date on your contractor’s schedule.  The schedule for the spring will be filling up quickly, especially as soon as the weather breaks. If you have a special occasion coming up this season, do share that information with your contractor. They will usually try to accommodate these requests.

The DEER will be voracious. Spray everything on the first sunny day we have, and the temperature is above 40.  Be on the lookout for browsing in case you will need to take more drastic measures, such as wrapping your shrubs with deer mesh. Check existing deer mesh for holes. In one case, the deer made a slit near the bottom, and came in under the fence.

Stay warm, and remember, you can always call if you have any questions.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR.  Once again, all of our thoughts seem to be overshadowed by the latest surge in COVID.  Most of us are laying low, trying to stay as safe as we can.  So humor me, and try to think pleasant thoughts, at least for a few moments.  When stuck inside, it’s a great time to start dreaming about all the things you want to do in the spring.  Many of you find an outlet with the plant catalogs that come our way.  If you want to double check on a new plant that someone recommends, try going to one of the more reputable websites to see what they say.  My first look for trees and shrubs is usually the Missouri Botanical Garden.  For perennials, you can try New Moon Nursery.  Both websites seem to be well researched, up to date, and thorough.

TOOL SHARPENING CLINIC
Do your pruning shears need help?  I have prepared a Tool Sharpening Clinic to teach you how to sharpen your own tools.

As of this printing, I am scheduled to put on my Tool Sharpening Clinic at Cylburn Arboretum.  We are limiting attendance, and I am modifying the classroom activities in order to make the event safer for all.

Tool Sharpening Clinic
Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022….1-2p

Cylburn Arboretum
4915 Greenspring Ave.
Balto., MD 21209

If you are interested, please send an email to the folks at Cylburn (info@cylburn.org)  advising them of your interest.  Be sure to include your contact information.  They will be adding the event to their calendar shortly.

If your group would like me to offer this 1 hour clinic, just let me know.  These cold winter months offer the perfect opportunity to get your tools in shape.

CARING FOR YOUR HARDSCAPE SURFACES
As the winter storms approach, we all worry about staying warm and safe.  This includes making our walkways safe for ourselves and our visitors.  Many of us have attractive masonry surfaces, and we do want to extend the useful life for as long as possible.  Unfortunately, the Ice Melt or other salt products seep into mortar joints causing them to crumble.  These products cause bluestone to flake, and concrete, especially exposed aggregate to break down. We have found that even products that claim to be safe for masonry surfaces will cause problems.  We used to think that CALCIUM CHLORIDE was better than SODIUM CHLORIDE, but both are harmful to mortar joints.  These salt products may also stain the masonry surface, but vinegar and water will usually remove the stains fairly easily.

When a storm hits, the first choice is to shovel a path as soon as possible, before anyone has attempted to walk through the snow.  The first rays of sun will melt the small amount that is left.

Second choice is to use Kitty Litter.  Our contractors have found that this works even better than sand.

On asphalt surfaces, the salt products are still a fairly good option.  Obviously, many folks will still use the salt products on all masonry surfaces.  Just understand the anticipated damage for doing so.

SNOW & ICE
Try to brush heavy snow off of evergreen trees and shrubs.  If allowed to stay, the snow could cause abnormal spreading between branches.  Such damage is frequently seen in Boxwoods, Arborvitae, Upright Junipers and ‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese Holly.  If desired, you can bind the plants with twine, fishing line or vinyl coated wire before the first snowfall.  Though somewhat visible, these will protect the plants without your help.  The binding can easily be removed in the spring.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about ice.  If you attempt to break off the ice, you are likely to damage the plant even more.  Just hope the ice melts as quickly as possible.  In the spring, careful pruning can fix most of the winter damage.  New spring growth will take care of the rest.

PLANTS LOSE MOISTURE IN WINTER
I know the severe weather is coming, and am trying to prepare myself and my garden for the inevitable.  Plants lose a lot of moisture during the winter, especially the evergreen plants.  If you are unable to give your plants extra water, do make sure to keep a layer of mulch or leaves on top of the root systems in order to keep moisture in the soil.  A nice layer of snow on the ground would be a big help.

STAY WARM.

 

THE WEATHER

It looks as though we may see our first snowfall later this week.  The kids will be happy.  The extended drought from the summer into the fall has certainly taken a toll on all of our plants.  I was pleasantly surprised to see some nice fall foliage, though some plants went straight from green to brown.  The Japanese Maples were outstanding.  I hope you were lucky enough to enjoy them.  If you lose some plants due to the drought, try not to become too distraught.  Gardens are an ever evolving element in our lives, and it’s best to embrace the loss of plants as an opportunity to try something new.

PREPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

As we get ready for the holidays, enjoy trimming some of your evergreens and berries to bring inside.  If you planted anything late in the season, no need to water any more.  Our ground is completely saturated, and the cold temperatures are keeping the moisture in.  I recommend wrapping first year broadleaf evergreens with burlap around the perimeter, or tying up your columnar evergreens with hemp in December or early January.  If the plants are right by your front door, you may want to wait until after the parties are over in early January.  DON’T FORGET TO TURN OFF AND DRAIN OUTDOOR HOSE BIBS.

SPRING FLOWERING BULBS

If you still have some bulbs left in your garage, go ahead and put them in the ground.  Even if the top 2” are frozen, below that is usually fine.  DO NOT plant with Bone Meal, since the nutritional benefit is minimal while, unfortunately attracting animals to your bulbs.  For Tulips, I frequently plant with some mothballs to help ward off the chipmunks and squirrels who love them.

SNOW & ICE

Try to brush heavy snow off of evergreen trees and shrubs.  If allowed to stay, the snow could cause abnormal spreading between branches.  Such damage is frequently seen in Boxwoods, Arborvitae and Upright Junipers and ‘Sky Pencil’ Japanese Holly.  If desired, you can bind the plants with twine before the first snowfall.  Though unsightly, it will protect the plants without your help.  The twine can easily be removed in the spring.

For the young, broadleaf evergreens, sometimes wrapping the sides with burlap is sufficient to protect against desiccating winds.

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about ice.  If you attempt to break off the ice, you are likely to damage the plant even more.  Just hope the ice melts as quickly as possible.  In the spring, careful pruning can fix most of the winter damage.  New spring growth will take care of the rest.

LAWN CARE

Winter is the perfect time to broadcast a slow release lime product to raise the alkalinity of the soil.  For most lawns, an application of lime once a year is sufficient.  If you are in a wooded area, there is always something dropping from the trees – flowers, seeds and leaves.  As these decompose, they increase the acidity of the soil which in turn contributes to root rot in your lawn.  You may need to spread lime several times a year to counteract this natural tendency.   Try late fall before the leaves really begin to drop, mid-winter if there is no snow on the ground, and early spring before the new growth begins.  In the Maryland area, March is generally a good time for the last application.  These days, most lawn service companies are reluctant to apply this much lime due to concerns about chemical runoff.  They may only be willing to provide one or two applications per year.

Stay warm, stay well, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL.