We were burlaping cedars all day this past Friday, and I cannot say that it is my favorite job in the trade. Sure it is better then cleaning out forgotten compost piles (that was my Thursday), but when the wind picks up and you are eating jute for lunch it gets a bit tiring.

To me jute burlap is like fiberglass insulation it really irritates my skin. I found that wearing long sleeves helps the jute strands stay off my arms and avoids that need to scratch. Also wear safety glasses to avoid getting the strands in your eyes….oh and keep your mouth closed.

A lot of people use wire to tie the burlap together. This method for me takes too long and my hands are usually bloody and tired by the end of the day. I found that using plastic zip ties not only speeds up the process but the burlap is much easier to take down the next spring. Just use a pair of side cutters and ’snip’!

And don’t throw out the burlap in the spring. Try and dry it out and put it in a box to reuse for next winter. The jute burlap will last about 3 winters.

Can’t survive all winter long in a world of white. Try some of these winter color tips that can be found right in your own garden.

Use cuttings from your red and yellow dogwoods for a splash of winter color. You can put them in your empty annual containers.

Leave up woody type perennials such as Rudbeckia (Black Eye Susans), Sedums (Autumn Joy) and Echinacea (Cone Flower) as they will add color
right up until the snow flies.

Love those ornamental grasses you have been growing all season long. Don’t cut them down until the spring. They provide great winter color
and stand up to a good snowfall.

The nights are getting cooler and the air has that refreshing crisp in it. It is the time for sweaters and light jackets to keep you warm. Once again the seasons are changing and trees are showing their beautiful array of fall colors. Autumn never ceases to amaze me with it spectacular colors that seem to go beyond an artistic pallet. It is a time of harvest and coming together to share the years hard work from our crops and gardens.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year and we should all enjoy it. However, there is still work to be done! A good fall cleanup is perhaps one of the most important steps in preparing your lawn and garden for the spring. In this article I will pass on some very important musts and some time saving tips so you can use and share with others.

Don’t leave the leaves

The leaves are a sight to see on the trees during their color change. But watching them fall to the ground may leave property owners feeling that there is a long road of work ahead of them. Not many people enjoy spending hours and hours of raking leaves and bagging them. But it is an important step in the fall cleanup process because once the snow flies, an unraked layer of leaves will get matted down over your lawn and smother it all winter long. This will result in dead patches and give rodents a cozy home to live in.

*Tip* Instead of waiting for all of the leaves to drop off your trees try mulching small amounts using your mulching lawn mower when you mow your lawn. Doing this weekly will make the work seem lighter when it is time to rake. Plus small amounts of mulched leaves will add nutrients to your soil making your lawn healthier.

Feed the Green

Your lawn is still using energy during the cool nights before winter. And what better way to show your lawn your appreciation for looking its best during the grueling summer then to feed it. Apply a slow release fertilizer to build back up its nutrients and prepare it for the long and cold winter. This is also a very good time to remove all weeds from your lawn as well to give a better start in the spring. Don’t add commercial fertilizer to any other garden plants (except bulbs) or you may spur growth too late in the season.

Compacted? Aerate!

Heavy traffic throughout the summer can cause soil to become compacted. Perforating your lawn with small holes helps reduce compaction and lets water, air and fertilizer get down to the soil, which strengthens the turfs root structure.

*Tip* For smaller yards, a manual aerating tool that removes plugs from the turf while you step should be just fine. If you’ve got a larger yard, consider renting a power aerator or calling your local lawn maintenance company.

Compost and Re-Use

Don’t get rid of all of your fallen leaves they make for attractive mulch in your garden. Collect leaves and put them through a mulching machine (if you don’t have one you can find them at most hardware stores for about $100 – $200) and add them to your garden. You can also use your push lawnmower by running over the leaves and bagging them. Not only does this provide a beautiful mulch but adds vital nutrients to your soil making your plants more vibrant.

*Tip* One way to turn autumn leaves into nutritious compost is to gather them in a big pile surrounded by chicken wire in a corner of yard where they can be left for a year or two to break down into rich crumbly goodness. Don’t compost any plants or leaves that look diseased. Throw them out. You will only contaminate next year’s gardens.

Water your trees?

Water any trees and shrubs that still have their leaves because they are more than likely dry from the past several months of drought (this year may be an exception to the rule). This is especially true of young trees planted less than three years ago and street trees, which endure extra punishment from traffic, pollution, and paving. Though your town may plant street trees in front of your house, it’s up to you to water them when rain is lacking. Leave a hose dripping by the trunk for several hours so the moisture can sink in.

Also, water your evergreens each week that there’s no rain. Rhododendrons and pine trees will continue to lose moisture from their leaves and needles all winter. So help the roots stock up on water now. Wrapping small evergreens with burlap will especially serve to protect them from browsing deer and from harsh winter winds. However, if your trees are near salted winter roads avoid wrapping your trees in burlap. The salt will soak into the burlap causing direct exposure to the host plant. In this case try making burlap screens instead.

*Tip* Don’t plant evergreens this late in the year, but feel free to plant deciduous trees and shrubs once they’ve dropped their leaves and gone dormant. Take advantage of late season sales at your local garden center.

Mushy Annuals

Once the frost hits, it is usually the end of the road for annuals. They can easily be removed by pulling them by the base of the stem. This is also a good opportunity to remove any weeds from your garden and cultivate the soil. You can compost all of the annuals you pulled out…but make sure to watch for diseased plants, just toss them into the trash.

Veggie Garden

Clean out your vegetable garden. Fruits and vegetables left in the garden can decompose all winter long, and provide comfy living for insect eggs. Gross? Not as gross as they’ll be in the spring…well at least you won’t have to mash your potatoes. Now’s the time to get rid of diseased plants, too, but keep them out of the compost pile so the problem doesn’t spread to the rest of your garden next year.

Spring is just around the Corner

Fall is the perfect time to plant spring flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips. But pay attention to the weather in your area; planting too early can cause bulbs to sprout before winter, and planting them too late can mean their roots don’t have enough time to develop before the ground freezes.

*Tip* Make sure to plant the bulb 2 – 2 1/2 times deeper than the size of the bulb. So if your bulb is a small 1 inch bulb, you would plant the bulb 2 to 2 1/2 inches deep. If your bulb is a larger 3 inch bulb, you will want to plant the bulb 6 to 7 1/2 inches deep.

Get ready for next spring

Give your tools and equipment some love. When it comes time to put away the backyard tools for the season, don’t just shove them into the corner. Spend a few minutes wiping them down and removing debris and dirt, then apply a light layer of oil to keep them from rusting over the winter. That way they’ll be all set to go again come spring. And as for your lawnmower, if you are not going to drain the fuel from the tank and carburetor make sure to add some fuel stabilizer to the gas. Doing this will prevent your gas from going bad and keep the carburetor in good working order.

Fall is here and by applying some of these best practices you’ll be in great shape for the spring…just as long as we make it through the winter.

From my lawn to yours,

Richard Murphy

Spring is a great time to explore how we can be greener in all areas of our lives, including our lawns and gardens. Making simple, but different choices with lawn care products can make a positive impact on the environment and the way we live. Here are some easy tips on how you can become more eco-friendly this spring.

* Use mulch to help conserve water outdoors and improve your drainage. One of the best eco-friendly products is Vigoro Rubber Mulch, an innovative, non-toxic mulch made from 100 percent recycled rubber tires. The mulch maintains its color for 12 years, so there’s no need for annual mulching.

* Look into switching out fertilizers and pesticides that can be hazardous to your health and the environment. Dynamite Organic All Purpose Plant Food is the only OMRI-certified (Organic Material Review Institute) plant food guaranteed to last up to three months, reducing the need for frequent applications. Scotts® Organic Choice Soils & Fertilizers offer a few other options. Scotts® Organic Choice Potting Mix is made of sphagnum peat moss and composted bark fines, and the natural ingredients deliver twice the growth of ordinary potting soil. Scotts® Organic Choice Lawn Food is made from chicken litter and feather meal nutrients, so it is 100 percent safe for the home.

* Avoid that stack of plastic garden pots we seem to end up with each spring and try using potless plants. The new PotLess Plants in Biodegradable Containers allow you to plant the container right in the ground. The container decomposes as the plant grows.

* Finally, be smart about waste disposal. A lot of retailers are offering lawn bags to help clean up your yard mess. This year, try Biodegradable Lawn & Refuse Bags that ensure lawn clippings and yard waste will decompose and not create more trash for the environment.

These products can all be found at your local The Home Depot store.

PERENNIALS FOR DIFFERENT PLACES

The Shady Garden

Low Perennials (0 – 30cm)

Shrubs to be pruned after blooming

Buddleia alternifolia
Cotinus coggygria
Daphne
Deutzia
Forsythia
Kerria japonica
Kolkwitzia
Lonicera
Philadelphus Mock Orange
Physocarpus Ninebark
Spiraea
Syringa
Weigela

Shrubs to be pruned before the buds show green

Aralia elata
Buddleia
Callicarpa japonica
Caryopteris
Hamamelis virginiana
Hibiscus syriacus
Hydrangea arborescens
Hydrangea paniculata
Potentilla
Sambucus
Sorbaria
Symphoricarpos

If you have more you would like to add to the list please email me at rmurphy@thelawnblog.com

First of all what is a tree? A tree can be defined as a large, perennial, woody plant. Though there is no set definition regarding minimum size, the term generally applies to plants at least 6 m (20 ft) high at maturity and, more importantly, having secondary branches supported on a single main stem or trunk (see shrub for comparison). Compared with most other plant forms, trees are long-lived. A few species of trees grow to 100 m tall, and some can live for several millennia.

Lots of studies have been done so we can recognize may stresses that can occur in trees. We can diagnose the problem, by determining whether stress is biotic or abiotic.

BIOTIC

Biotic stress involves; insects, mites, disease, animals, etc. Ways to diagnose are:

- Insects are visible
- Saw dust or frass on the ground
- Egg cases, webbing, beces, curled leaves, and honeydew
- Examine wood for brownish colour
- Girdling roots
- Examine twigs for sunken areas, blister like structures, fugal and fruiting bodies
- Foliar disease, discoloured spots and blotches, discoloured viens, galls

ABIOTIC

These types of stress are harder to recognize and correct than biotic. Abiotic stress is non-living factors such as soil, weather or the overall growing conditions.

When assessing abiotic, examination of more than the damaged parts is nessassary. Make sure to check surrounding vicinity and other plants to see if they are showing the same symptoms. Is the stress affecting the tree all of a sudden or has it been this way for awhile? Assess the soil, local weather conditions, any recent conditions; construction, pesticide and grading.

There are four factors to be examined when assessing what is affecting tree growth.

1) soil
2) hardiness
3) environmental stresses
4) human activites

Soil: Quality, Organic Material, pH, nutritional status, porosity and aeration.

Drainage: Soil drainage affects oxygen to roots and nutrient uptake. Drainage affected by many factors including texture of clay, silt or sand, mineral composition, OM and local water table.

Hardiness: The ability to withstand cold temperatures.

Environmental Stresses:

- Weather conditions or other natural factors
- Winter injury
- Lightning injury
- Wind damage
- Hail
- Ice and wet snow
- Competition from other plants
- Drought

Human Activites:

- Construction
- Improper maintenance
- Girdling stresses
- Site alterations
- Salt damage
- Pesticide damage

There are a lot of different stresses that can affect the way trees grow and live. Are you paying attention? Do you understand what to look for?

Historical Perspectives
Archeological evidence indicates that a form of indoor gardening was practiced for Oriental royalty about 3000 years ago. True pot gardening probably began in Greece during the fifth century BC, for religious purposes. Container and roof gardening spread from Greece throughout the Mediterranean, and were found in Roman culture 2000 years ago.

The discoveries of America, India and Java, during the European Renaissance, brought back exotic plants for the pleasure of the royalty who sponsored their exploration.

For some time in Western culture, enjoyment of indoor gardens was possible only for the privileged aristocracy. Then the Industrial Revolution created a middle class with both the technology and the financial ability to enjoy similar benefits. Advancing technology now makes the benefits of indoor gardening easier to obtain. Complex indoor gardens are actually possible in ways once only dreamt of by royalty.

Facts

Air Filter
NASA studies have found that a number of indoor plants are able to filter out various common airborne chemicals.

Stressed Out?
Studies by Surrey University, England, found that stress levels were decreased in work areas containing plants.

Plants are Comfort
Studies by Oxford Brookes University, England, found that indoor plants placed in a hospital atrium significantly increased use of the atrium and adjoining snack bar; anxiety decreased; perception of the building improved; with no negative affects.