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November 20, 2002 |
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Lots Of Leaves...
What a glorious gardening day! Noah,
my 6 year old son, and I worked outside
this morning for 2 hours gathering the leaves that keep falling
from our trees as well as the neighbors. From
the beginning of November to the end of December Westwood is
blanketed with leaves.
Kevin spent the better part of last weekend blowing
leaves off the lawn and within 24 hours it was again completely
covered - leaves are a full time job
this time of year. As the gardens
are not quite ready to be covered we are utilizing trash cans and
the far corners of the gardens for
storage of our mulched leaves.
It is important to wait
before placing
the leaves on the gardens. With
these warms spells that we have been having it does not make
sense to cover the gardens just yet. Wait
for the ground to freeze and then place
the mulched leaves and any other mulching
material you have on top. It
makes for a nice, insulated winter blanket for everything
beneath. This process will help
to keep the plants from heaving when there are days of warmer
temperatures this winter.
Kevin and I
are excited about Steve Hess's Holiday Open House this weekend.
We will be attending Thursday
night so if you choose to come at that time we look forward to
seeing you there. If you choose
another time please make sure you let Steve and the other artists
know that you are an avid Savvygardener.com reader.
I can hardly wait to see all of
the cool stuff. The holiday
spirit is catching up with me!
~
Shelly
Well
Watered For Winter...
For maximum winter protection, Savvygardeners need to
water landscape evergreens thoroughly once every week or so until
the ground freezes. Evergreens continue to lose moisture from
their foliage all winter, but once the ground is frozen, they'll
be unable to take up enough water to replace it. Sending them
into winter well watered reduces the potential for damaged
foliage. There's more... broadleaved and tender evergreens
exposed to drying winds and sun may need to be shaded on the
south and southwest sides to reduce moisture loss and foliage
injury.
Source
All
Coiled Up And No Place To Go...
If you are putting your hoses away for the season take care
of how you store them. Be very careful not to kink the hose.
Any kink becomes a weak point and hoses often crack in these
locations. Do not hang your hoses on nails as this promotes
kinking and weak spot formation. Instead store them on reels,
hose supports or simply coil them loosely on the floor. Before
storing make sure all the water has been drained out. Find a dry
place for it and your hose will be ready to go when spring
returns.
Houseplant Hints...
The growth of your houseplants will slow as the days get
shorter and light intensity is reduced. This means that they
will need less frequent watering and fertilizing through the
winter. Too much of either in the coming months can cause weak
growth leading to undue stress next spring.
Don't Miss The Hess's Open House!
Exceptional Handmade Garden Gifts
for the Ones You Love!
Garden Stones, Bird Baths, Planters,
Wood Carving, and Much More!
All Handcrafted by 18 Area Artists
Click Here For Details!
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Bunny Love...
During the winter months, rabbits often gnaw on the bark of
many woody plants. Heavy browsing can result in the complete
girdling of small trees and small branches clipped off at snow
level. Apple, pear, crabapple and serviceberry are frequent
targets of rabbits. Small trees with smooth, thin bark are the
most vulnerable. Other frequently damaged plants include the
winged euonymus or burning bush, Japanese barberry, dogwood,
roses and raspberries.
The best
way to prevent rabbit damage to young trees is to place a
cylinder of hardware cloth (1/4 inch mesh wire fencing) around
the tree trunk. The hardware cloth cylinder should stand about 1
to 2 inches from the tree trunk and 20 inches above the ground.
The bottom 2 to 3 inches should be buried beneath the soil. Small
shrubs, roses and raspberries can be protected with chicken wire
fencing.
Protect
Those Pots...
Cold nights have Savvygardeners worrying
about protecting their gardening valuables (plant and non-plant
alike). Often overlooked items include
your outdoor plant pots. Any pots that contain moist soil are
subject to cracking and breaking as we cycle through freezing and
thawing weather. Just empty all
the soil from your pots and store them in a sheltered area for the
winter.
Winter Wisdom...
The bright fall foliage of our trees and shrubs pleasantly
surprised many of us during the past two or three weeks.
After a hot, dry summer, the
color was more than most expected. A
number of trees and shrubs will put on a nice display in
wintertime too. Find out in this week's
Winter Wisdom...
Power
Equipment Protection...
Power equipment, such as lawn mowers, tillers and chippers
require additional winter preparations. As you finish with any
of these machines for the season give them some TLC before
putting them away.
- Wipe
collected grease, dirt and plant material from all equipment.
- Tighten
loose screws and nuts.
- Sharpen
cutting edges and wipe them with an oily rag.
- If your
equipment has a four-cycle engine, change the oil by following
instructions listed in your owner's manual.
- Clean
the oil and air filter line by starting the engine and letting
it run until it stops.
-
Two-cycle engines, or engines that run with a gas and oil
mixture, also should have the oil-gas mixture removed for the
winter. Run the engine with the choke open to remove fuel from
the lines.
- Check
the spark plug and replace it if it is worn.
- Replace
other worn or damaged parts as well.
Also, avoid
storing gasoline over the winter. Old gasoline does not ignite
easily, making the machines using it work harder.
Finally... "The
hazy, cloudless skies of Indian Summer. Leaves
scurrying down the street before the wind. The
cold shiver from an arctic blast. Indian Summer.
The last warmth of the sun.
Chilly mornings and glorious warm
afternoons. The Harvest Moon.
The Hunter's Moon.
The Rainy Season.
Dry corn stalks clattering in the
wind. The touch of frost on grass
and window pane. The smell of
burning leaves." ~
Keith C. Heidorn, Meteorologist |