How to Prepare Trees for the Winter Season

 

Along with your other fall garden chores, it's important to get the trees in your landscape ready for winter.  Winterizing trees includes light pruning, adding some organic materials to the soil, watering and in the case of young trees, wrapping the trunk. Pruning this time of year should be confined to damaged branches and suckers. Tree suckers are branches that can emerge from the base of the tree or low on the trunk. Trees that are under stress will tend to send up more suckers. Prune these branches off now. Small dead branches in the trees canopy can be removed at this time. Using a sharp bypass pruner, cut these small branches near the main trunk. Any major pruning is best done in winter when the tree is dormant. This is a good time of the year to add organic material to the area under the tree, specifically HuMic. HuMic contains humate, a soil conditioner that improves nutrient uptake, increases microbial activity and offers the benefits of a high-quality compost, all in one package.   

 

Improved nutrient utilization is important for all trees, but especially trees that are suffering from iron chlorosis. Adding humate will facilitate more efficient iron and fertilizer uptake in any tree experiencing iron deficiency.

When you're finished adding humate, water the tree thoroughly. This is important because water acts as an insulator, making moist soil warmer than dry. In addition, well-hydrated cells will resist damage from the cold weather. As far as how much water your trees need, a general guideline suggests 10 gallons of water per inch of trunk diameter, as measured at chest height. You can water by hand or use a simple lawn sprinkler. Where you place the sprinkler depends on whether this is a newly planted tree or an established tree. For newly planted trees, water the root ball area. For established trees, place the sprinkler at the drip line. The drip line is the outer edge of the tree’s branches. The key is to water at a slow enough rate that the water soaks in and doesn't run off.  

 

Finally, young deciduous trees need to have their trunks wrapped. This is to prevent damage from the winter sun.  It’s not unusual for winter temperatures to reach 60° Fahrenheit in the daytime. When it gets this warm during the day, the low winter sun heats up the tree bark, especially on the south and southwest sides of the tree. The sun’s warming action breaks the tree's dormancy and the cells on that side of the tree wakeup and become active.  When the temperatures fall after sunset, the active cells and tissue die. Prevent sunscald on young trees by applying tree wrap now. Tree wrap is a corrugated paper product, sold in 50' and 150' rolls. Start at the base of the tree and spiral the wrap upward to the first primary branch. Overlap each turn by one-third.  Once you reach the first set of branches, loop the tree wrap over a strong, sturdy branch and tape it, so it will stay in place. A good rule of thumb is to wrap your trees around Halloween and remove the wrap around Easter. 

 

Now’s the time to feed your lawn

 

 October’s weather is bringing about a change in your lawn.  The grass isn't growing as vigorously and typically, you're mowing less frequently. While top growth has slowed down, grass roots are still very active storing nutrients and moisture, getting ready for the winter season.  All this activity at the root level makes this an important time to feed your lawn. In fact, if you only fertilize once a year, now’s the time to do it. Applying a winterizer fertilizer now benefits your lawn in two ways. Winterizer fertilizers contain both Nitrogen and Potash, to build hardiness into grass stems and roots. By strengthening the grass root system, your lawn will be better prepared to survive the rigors of winter. Second, the slow release Nitrogen component in winterizer fertilizer will ensure there’s enough food available for a quicker green-up and stronger top growth early in the spring season. For even better results, add granular humate to your lawn before you fertilize. Granular humate will break down clay, improve soil structure and increase microbial activity in the soil. Humate will also help your grass take up nutrients more effectively and stay greener with less water.  

HuMic is an excellent source of granular humate. For best results, apply humate first, then the winterizer fertilizer. Water the lawn thoroughly after applying humate and winterizer fertilizer. Aerating the lawn this time of year helps overcome compaction and makes it easier for the fertilizer and organic material to get down to the roots.  You can do aeration yourself or hire it done. Just make sure you get a good core extraction. Over the next few weeks, gradually lower your mower's height so that the last cutting will be about two- and one-half inches tall. 

During the winter, use a simple sprinkler to water your lawn. This will also benefit the trees and shrubs planted in or near your lawn. Winter watering is especially important where the lawn and trees are surrounded by sidewalks and streets. Do this when the temperature is above 40°F. Taking these steps now will help ensure a healthier lawn next spring.  

 

 

Now’s the Time to Put the Vegetable Garden to Bed

 

Putting the vegetable garden to bed in the fall is a process which includes a complete clean up, improving the garden soil and preparing for next spring. It’s important to remember that what you don’t accomplish in the garden now, you’ll need to do in the spring, when you’re eager to plant your garden, not clean it up. Garden chores done now, allow you to focus on planting in the spring, knowing that your garden beds are healthy and your soil is ready. Start with a thorough cleaning of your vegetable garden.  Leaving tomato plants, cucumber vines and other vegetable plant debris in your garden after you've finished harvesting, will provide hiding places for pests and plant diseases, giving them a head start on your garden next spring. The second reason for fall cleanup is to facilitate adding organic material to your garden bed while the soil is warm and workable. Healthy soil is key to your garden and a clean garden bed is the ideal time to amend your soil. Plan to add 2" to 3" of organic materials to your existing soil. This includes raised beds as well as traditional in-ground garden plots.  This can be in the form of packaged organic compost, peat moss and earthworm castings that you can easily transport and work into the garden. Adding organic material will improve soil structure and increase microbial activity, which leads to stronger root development and improved nutrient uptake, next season. This is also a good time to apply granular humate. Adding humate now will improve crop nutrient uptake and help improve yields overall next season. Three, protect your garden soil through the winter with cover crops and mulch.  Winter rye, buckwheat and oats are good choices for cover crops.  Cover crops are planted now to protect your garden soil’s microbial life as well as improve soil structure. Tree leaves are also a good choice to protect your soil through the winter. Shredded leaves can be broadcast over the garden, providing protection for soil structure and microbial life. Come spring, the decomposing leaves can be worked into the garden soil or added to your compost pile. Added together, cover crops and organic material will build and maintain healthy, microbial-rich soil, a sure way to improve the yields in your garden.  Make fall garden clean up a part of your routine. It will set up your vegetable garden for a great start next spring.  

 

Bulb Planting Tips

Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and crocus offer a profusion of color for your garden next spring. The best time to plant these bulbs is now, in October. The soil temperature is cooler, but still warm enough to allow the bulbs to root before winter sets in.  When planning your bulb garden, it’s important to choose planting sites where your bulbs will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight. Bulbs will do okay in partial shade, but bloom best in full sun. You'll also need to decide whether you’re going to plant a formal bed or scatter the bulbs throughout your landscape for a more natural look. 

With your plan in place, the next step is bulb selection. In addition to color, bloom time and height are important factors. Crocus are the earliest of the spring blooming bulbs, followed by hyacinths, daffodils, then early, mid-season and late tulips. You'll find height and bloom time information on the box. As a general rule, you'll want to plant the early short bulbs at the front of the bed, followed by taller, mid and late-blooming bulbs.  Prepare the planting site by amending your existing soil with organic material, such as Sheep, Peat and Compost.  

Add some steamed Bone Meal to the ground before you place your bulbs, so the roots will grow into the fertilizer. Once the site is ready, plant the bulbs pointed side up, at a depth that’s equal to three times the bulb’s height. A two-inch bulb should be planted six inches deep, as measured from the base of the bulb. Bulb augers and planters are handy especially if you’re planting groups of bulbs throughout the landscape. For best visual effect, plant bulbs in clusters of three or more. Cover the bulbs and mark the spot where they are planted. Water the site thoroughly. Check on your bulbs through the winter. They should be watered every four to five weeks, along with the rest of the trees and shrubs in your landscape.   

Bulbs blooming are a sure sign that spring is on its way and another gardening season is about to start.