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GARDENING IN LATE DECEMBER
BY
In
Winter is here
with a vengeance, so what is the effect on our lawns and gardens. Avoid
walking or driving on your lawn when it is frosted or frozen. You can
damage the crown very easy. When the kids are out playing in the snow,
they also need to be careful and not make a path. Constant walking along
one path will kill the grass along that area which will require aerating
and re-seeding in the Spring.
And be careful
in removing snow from trees and shrubs.
Improper removal of ice or snow from a tree or shrub can increase
damage, and be a safety hazard. Never break ice off trees or shrubs by
beating the ice covered branches. The cold, frozen branches can be very
brittle and break very easy. Snow loads can be gently brushed off of
trees and shrubs with a broom. Then allow the remaining snow and ice to
melt naturally. If not broken, most evergreens branches will return to
their natural form.
With the cold
weather the ground is starting to cool down, but is frozen only a couple
inches deep at most in my backyard. It will be frozen hard in a couple
weeks if this really cold, cold weather continues. Even though the
ground is not frozen really hard, it is time to put on mulch. At the
same time it is time to protect trees and shrubs from squirrels and
rabbits. We looked out our back windows the other day and watched a
squirrel try to get into the bird feeder that is hanging on a shepherds
hook. It has a spring loaded lid over the hopper that kept him out. He
finally gave up but then went directly to the “Star Magnolia” we have
let grow as a bush. He chewed off some flower buds and went off to eat.
The rabbits have already started to chew on the Roses. If I don’t put
wire cages around the Roses, Raspberries, small shrubs, Corkscrew Willow
Tree, and Pussy Willow Shrub, the rabbits and squirrels live through the
winter on the bark and completely remove some of the small branches.
Last year the rabbits pruned about half of my Red Raspberry bushes and
many of my Fall Gold Raspberry bushes by chewing off the canes. This is
not the first time this has happened.
I am downsizing
in my garden so have some large Tomato cages left over. I made them from
reinforcing fence that is used to reinforce driveways and roads. I took
about 5 feet of fencing and made them into a circle. I will cut them in
half (the cages are 5 feet tall) and then cover with chicken wire or
hardware cloth. I will put them where needed and then fill with leaves
picked up with my mower, straw, or wood mulch. Chopped leaves work best
as leaves just raked up tend to mat when wet. Most new gardeners put the
mulch on too early and take it off to early. The purpose of mulch is not
to keep the ground warm, but to keep the soil cold. More plants are
killed by plants not being dormant or not being hardened off before
going into winter. Also in February we usually have some warm days and
if not mulched, the soil may warm up and then the plants may break
dormancy. When cold returns the juices freeze and the plant dies. Also,
in the Spring, do not remove the mulch too early as we usually have a
late freeze and plants uncovered too early will have a hard time
surviving.
With the ice, I
saw a lot of de-icing products being put on the sidewalks. Make sure you
select the right product and follow the label directions to avoid plant
injury. The four most common products are: (From the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Division article listed below.) 1. “Sodium chloride
(NaCl).” This chemical, commonly referred to as rock salt, is the most
prevalent deicing chemical, and in general, has the lowest price tag of
all deicers. An estimated 10 to 14 million tons will be used yearly on
roads in the 2. “Magnesium
chloride (MgCl).” MgCl is usually sold in a 30 percent concentration
with an associated freeze point of 3 degrees F. 3. “Calcium chloride
(CaCl).” Available in flakes, pellets or liquid, CaCl produces an
exothermic reaction, giving off heat. Because of this, it often performs
better than many other deicing salts, especially at lower temperatures.
Some highway departments spray liquid CaCl over rock salt to lower its
melting temperature. The practical melting temperature is typically
considered to be approximately minus 10 degrees F. 4. “Potassium
chloride (KCl).” KCl is similar to or equivalent to potassium based
fertilizer products. It is often promoted as beneficial to plants. The
product as a deicer doesn’t work unless temperatures are more than 25
degrees F. As a stand along product it is relatively expensive and more
often is seen as part of a deicer blend.
The article
from the University also includes other products but says that urea,
ammonium sulfate, and other Nitrogen salts are rarely used as deicers
because of the potential for nitrogen runoff and leaching into water
sources. In many areas nitrogen salts are not approved for deicing
because of these environmental concerns.
Abrasives such
as sand, cinders, and ash have relatively few impacts on the environment
or plants. These materials do not melt ice but improve traction on
slippery surfaces. The disadvantage of these materials is that they can
track into the house and accumulate in the landscape, and may require
removal after the de-icing season.
Regardless of
what product you use, be sure and check the label for what products are
in the bag, how much of each, how to apply, and how often it can be
applied.
For more
information go to: http://turf.unl.edu.
On the left in the search box, type in “de-icing agents” Click on
the article. This can be saved or printed off for your files. Or go to
“http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews”. On the left in the search box
type in “de-icing agents”. Copyright 2011 |