Our Gardening Crews are actively doing the “Ground Work” to prepare gardens for their seasonal rest. Following are the Top Five Tips for consideration in putting your garden to bed for a good winter’s sleep:
1. Don’t say no to the glass of water – Although two year olds do not need six cups of cold water before bed, your evergreens do not follow the same rule. While we’ve had some regular rains this fall, there’s no substitute for a good soaking before the ground freezes. Pay special attention to evergreens, broadleaf evergreens – boxwood, cotoneaster, holly, and rhododendron – and all new plantings installed over the past growing season.
Here’s the biggie…ALWAYS remember to DISCONNECT your hoses from the hydrant following watering in the fall. Cracked, frozen pipes can be an even bigger mess then a wet toddler mattress.
2. Put the kibosh on stuffed animals in bed – One stuffed bear is cute, 37 stuffed animals in a twin sized bed means up-all-night toy palooza. The same can be said for th local fauna and critters that arrive to feast on your garden. Some refer to it as browsing; we on the other hand call it destructive and disappointing. A season’s worth of work wiped out with an unsuspecting evening of casual-critter browsing is worth some extra up-front attention. The only way to insure 24-hour protection is to cage either the entire area or individual plants. May not be the prettiest approach, but neither are dead trees and shrubs when its time for your garden to wake up.
3. Tuck them in tight – You like to be cozy in bed, your kids like to be cozy in bed, heck even your trees do! We all know what the weather is like in the Great Plains. It’s entirely possible to receive all four seasons in an afternoon. Such drastic and sudden changes impact plant material in the landscape; In particular, the trunks of newly planted trees – especially those with slick, smooth bark. Damage will occur predominately on the south and west sides of the trunk. This is due to light exposure and expansion/contraction of the bark. We encourage wrapping the trunks of Maple, Locust, Linden, Serviceberry or other vulnerable trees with burlap. Burlap becomes a great winter sleep blanket because it shades the bark, allows for air movement, and reduces sun exposure.
4. A nighttime snack won’t hurt – Kids are always hungry and can’t image waiting till breakfast to eat again! Your garden shares the same appetite. While the winter can be a bit drab, it is a critical time of recovery for plant materials in our region. Over the past growing season you may have noticed that foliage color, or growth characteristics weren’t quite as robust as in the past. If so, a soil test may be in order, or consideration given to building soil composition by adding a good quality compost. Again, taking our cue from the cycles of nature where by our winter freeze/thaw cycle helps incorporate a top-dressing into our soils and improves overall tilth and texture.
5. Extra blankets always help – Sneaky kids are less likely to creep into your room if their own bed is already nice and cozy. Give your garden the same comfy place to slumber during the sometimes long Nebraskan winter. The key consideration for adding mulch in the late fall/winter is once again for the purpose of imposing some stability into the created landscape. Nature’s idea of winter mulch is called snow. A lovely 4 to 6 inch blanket of snow all season long insulates the soil, providing moisture and protection from the wind. Here in the Midwest, we don’t always get dependable snow cover to provide such stability for our plants. That’s where an application of mulch comes in as a great alternative!
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