Radio Show Recap
This Week in Your Lawn & Garden
- Watering the Plants | The last significant rainfall we had was in late September. The ground is rather dry, despite rain here & there. Do not let your trees & shrubs go into winter dry as they are now, as it will cause winter die-back and dry freeze (which can kill them). Take care to provide a good soaking, 1 inch of water per week, until the ground freezes, if Mother Nature is not providing that much rainfall per week.
- Mowing the Lawn | The mower deck should be down to 1.5 inches now. Growth is slowing, but keep mowing at that level until the grass stops and goes dormant. Once done for the year, empty the gas and sharpen the blades, so they’re ready to go next spring.
- Mulching Fall Leaves | Fallen leaves should not be left to sit on the lawn because they create opportunity for disease, pests, and bare spots. If you don’t want to rake, mulch them in by running the mower over them. They’ll break down quickly, adding nitrogen and carbon back into the soil. Continue lowering the mower, so the deck is at 1.5″ by your last mowing.
- Tying up Arborvitaes | Wrap upright evergreens like junipers & arborvitaes by the end of November, so wet, heavy, winter snowfall doesn’t split the plants and damage branches. Jute twine is an inconspicuous option for this.
- Preventing Desiccation | Wait for a mild day in December to thoroughly apply Wilt Stop® to any plants susceptible to desiccation from winter winds (Japanese Maples, Rhododendrons, Macrophylla Hydrangeas, most evergreens, and others you have that have shown winter die-back from dryness). It’ll last a good 60-75 days, helping the plants withstand the toughest stretch of winter.
- Protecting Young Trees | Deer will soon be rubbing their antlers on small caliper trees, especially new trees, which can take off the bark and injure (even kill) the tree. Protect your trees with Treekote® vinyl tree wraps and spray with Plantskydd®. This will also prevent sun scald and cracks sometimes caused by the damaging NE Ohio winter freeze-and-thaw cycles.
- Lifting Summer Bulbs | It’s time to dig up tender flowering bulbs like canna, dahlia, and gladiolus from the ground. Lift gently, remove foliage & soil by hand, and place them on a table in the garage to dry and cure for 7-10 days. Do not wash. Pack in a box with dry peat, perlite, or vermiculite, and sprinkle with sulfur dust. Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
- Overwintering Figs | It’s still too soon to bring figs in or begin the winter protection process. Temperatures need to dip below 20°F, usually around Thanksgiving to mid-December, and that’s your cue to bring figs inside for winter. It’s important to allow fig trees to go dormant properly, and they need exposure to nighttime temperatures in that range for about a week to do this.
- Planting Bulbs | There’s still plenty of time to plant fall bulbs for spring blooms and also garlic. You have all the way until the ground freezes (sometimes that’s January!).
- Cleaning the Veggie Garden | Clean up plants and debris in the garden. Test the soil for pH level and nutrient deficiencies. If results indicate soil is low in nutrients or too acidic, amend the soil with compost & lime. Apply Preen® to prevent cool-weather weeds from taking hold. Taking these steps will create a healthier, more productive garden.
- Caring for Houseplants | Don’t feed your houseplants until next spring. Give them a quarter-turn frequently, so they grow evenly all around instead of leaning toward the light and growing on one side.