12December 21, 2011
It looks like this weekend; Mother Nature took care of freezing the ground. You have to admit; it finally feels like winter has arrived.
Now that the ground has frozen, it is time to mulch your perennials, if you have not already done so. You want the ground to remain frozen all winter. The mulch will prevent the alternate freezing and thawing that comes with temperatures going above and then below freezing. This alternative freezing and thawing will lead to root damage on your plants.
As the cold weather sets in, rabbits and mice will be looking for food. There may be enough food now in the wild but soon the bark on your fruit trees and your flowering trees will be an inviting source of food. The trunks of these trees should be protected with tree wrap. This product is relatively inexpensive and if the critters eat all the bark on your trees, it will be really cheap compared to the cost of buying a new tree.
As soon as we get some snow or sooner if the natural food diminishes, deer will be feeding on your shrubs. There has been plenty of talk about the lack of acorns meaning that deer will have less food to eat this winter. They will turn to your shrubs if they cannot find food in the woods. If you know that there are deer in your neighborhood, you should be applying deer repellent to your plants. If you can get the deer to avoid eating your plants now, you have a good chance at keeping them away all winter.
If you have put up a Christmas tree, make sure that you keep up with replacing the water in the tree stand. If the water level goes below the bottom of the trunk, the trunk will seal off and the only way you will be able to get the tree to take up water again is to remove the tree from the stand and then you will need to cut about an inch off the trunk. You can imagine how much fun this can be with a tree that is draped with lights and ornaments. We carry a device that fits onto the tree stand that allows you to water the tree automatically. The device adds water as the level of water drops in the stand. It also saves you from having to crawl around on the floor to get to the tree stand to add water.
Well, that’s all for this week. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukah. I’ll talk to you again next week.