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November 19, 2003

How Does My Garden Grow?
I ran into a girlfriend at the gym this morning and she (an avid Savvygardener.com reader) asked me, "How is your garden growing?" Of course I could not wait to tell her about our grass. It is the most beautiful shade of green. A tribute to all of the watering we continued to do while patiently waiting for some rain. My roses are still blooming and I have a couple of summer perennials producing flowers
(photos). There seems to be some confusion among some plants as to what season it is. I guess they are just as confused as we are with the temperatures fluctuating daily from quite cold to very warm. It is supposed to be in the upper 70's tomorrow with a chance of snow showers on Sunday. How crazy is that? I hope you enjoyed the thunderstorms on Monday as much as we did. Lightening, thunder and some real rain. What fun! The storms reminded me of a May spring day. Wishful thinking perhaps.

Time for a sad note here.  Sidney Coffman, winner of our tastiest Tomato contest this year, died this week at the age of 90.  He was a lifetime gardener and an inspiration to us all.  Heaven's going to have some great tomatoes growing pretty soon!

For those of you who purchase your Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving make sure you visit The Sweet Onion for the best selection of Frasier Firs and other Christmas tree varieties. Besides getting a fabulous tree you will find garland, wreaths, poinsettias and a wide assortment of Christmas items to spruce up your decor for the Holidays. A must at the top of the holiday shopping list!

~ Shelly  

Cold Cuts...
Now that we've got a couple of killing frosts under our belts it's time to do some cutting back of dormant perennials.  Cut them back to about 3 inches above the soil surface.  Once the ground is frozen, they can be mulched to guard against displacement due to soil heaving.  These simple steps will help ensure a successful show of foliage and color next season.

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

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.

 


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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.

Cold Storage At Your Feet...
Looking for a good place to store root crops?  Just look down!  Carrots, radishes, turnips and Jerusalem artichokes store well outdoors in the ground.  Just before the ground freezes, bury them under a deep layer of leaves or straw to protect the ground from freezing.  Simply harvest them as needed during winter by pulling back this protective mulch and digging them up.  Just make sure you replace the mulch after each visit!

When Fruits And Vegetables Don't Get Along...
If you decide to store your vegetables indoors (instead of in the ground like we mentioned above) make sure you don't place them with any apples or pears.  As they sit these fruits give off ethylene gas which speeds up the breakdown of vegetables and causes them to develop off-flavors.  Yuck!

 


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Winter Wisdom...
Each year we are asked for a reminder of what to do to prepare for winter. While we are experiencing a short warm spell right now, there is no doubt that cold weather is around the corner. Take advantage of the weather and prepare for winter now, while you can still work in relative comfort outdoors!  You'll find a handy checklist 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...
"Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain."

~ Henry David Thoreau

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