| |
DRY, UNSEASONABLY WARM FALL CONFUSING FOR PLANTS
It's déjà vu all over again, as Yogi Berra is credited with saying. Last December we were all wondering what would be the springtime result of trees and shrubs budding out prematurely. Then, as now, lilacs, ash and various other trees and shrubs were forming buds that delighted hungry squirrels as they harvested a rare late-fall feast.
We learned this past spring that trees and shrubs responded to the warm fall of 1998 with a healthy and abundant display of blossoms in 1999 so, based on that experience, we shouldn't have to worry about this fall's premature budding.
A greater concern, according to Deb Brown, University of Minnesota extension horticulturist, is this fall's severe moisture shortage and the effect it will have on plants when the cold blast that is sure to come hits us later this month or in January and February.
"Most autumns, late-fall rains replenish groundwater and plants go into the winter in good condition," Brown explained. "This fall, the ground is bone dry and the winter wind, sun and cold temperatures are going to be hard on many plants, especially evergreens."
My frustration this fall has been the repetition of watering evergreens, turning off the outside water hydrants so they don't freeze at night, draining the pipes, and then deciding a week later that evergreens, bulbs and other shrubs and perennials are thirsting for another drink. So I've turned the outside water back on, done another cycle of watering, and then drained the water system again. How many times will I have to repeat this process?
"The truth is, we just aren't sure how various plants will withstand this winter because of the warm, drought-like conditions," Brown said. "Nature tends to equalize things, so when the soil in the fall is dry, any snow that does come tends to soak into the soil in the spring, rather than running off when the melt comes."
Another winter gardening task that is causing debate among the experts is wrapping trunks of trees as a precaution against sunscald and frost cracking.
Properly applied, tree wrap can help protect trees from these problems. Recent advice from the Society of Arboriculture is to not wrap trees. Their position is that too much wrap is applied improperly and removed too late in the spring, resulting in insect and disease problems. Any wrap should be removed before trees begin their spring awakening, usually in mid-April.
The preferred wrap among professionals is plastic tube-type material that looks like a piece of white corrugated drainage pipe with a slit on one side. One popular brand comes in precut 30-inch lengths and is sized according to trunk diameter (2 - 4 inches). The tubes slide easily onto the trunks.
Tubes are recommended over paper wrap, which has a tendency cut off circulation and to catch and retain moisture next to the bark.
In defense of 'real' Christmas trees
I still hear people claim that they're giving the environment a break when they decorate with artificial evergreens. The truth is that pine, spruce and fir Christmas trees are grown specifically for that purpose on environmentally sound tree farms. Christmas trees are a crop - a renewable resource - that benefits the environment as they are grown and are usually recycled after the holidays.
The Minnesota Christmas Tree Association estimates that Minnesota has about seven million Christmas trees growing in the state and about 2.5 million are sold each year for holiday decorating. For each tree marketed, at least two are left in the ground, adding oxygen and habitat values to the environment.
A confusing language
A friend sent me this demonstration of how our language can confound a student trying to figure out the meaning of some common English words:
A farm can produce produce.
To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
I spent last evening evening out a pile of dirt.
The dump was so full it had to refuse refuse.
The present is a good time to present the present.
He could lead if he would get the lead out.
The dove dove into the bushes.
I did not object to the object.
The bandage was wound around the wound.
I shed a tear when I saw the tear in my clothes.
The buck does funny things when the does are present.
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
 |
| |
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
 |
 |
| |
|
