Saturday, October 25, 2014

Warm Dry Autumn Days Might Equal Stressed Plants


Autumn at Wiese Acres

Last year, we had our first snow storm on October 4.  This year, it is October 25 and we are outside in our short sleeves.  High temperatures during the day have been in the 70's and even up into the 80's.  That's good for us.  Unfortunately, it can be pretty stressful for the trees, shrubs, and perennials, especially when those warm temperatures are accompanied by low humidity and no rain.

Any non-dormant plants, especially trees and shrubs, should be kept well watered going into winter.  Usually, cooler October temperatures mean that if you gave them a good soaking, either with rain or irrigation in mid to late September, they will be ok for the winter.  Not this year, though.  They will need additional water until they are fully dormant, or air and soil temperatures are below 40 degrees.  Watering should be done early enough in the day so that it has time to soak in thoroughly before temperatures drop below freezing at night.

Newly planted trees are most susceptible to winter drought injury. Trees can take several years of growth to establish a good, deep root system.  The larger the tree when it is transplanted, generally the longer it takes to become well established.  A general rule of thumb is one year per inch of trunk diameter.  Most shrubs and perennials can be considered well established after one full year of growth.

It is especially important to assure that evergreen trees and shrubs are very well hydrated going into winter.  They are very prone to dehydration in the harsh, drying winds of winter.  The more moisture in the needles going into winter, the better they do.  

A good thorough watering for trees means that water is allowed to soak into the soil slowly to a depth of about 12 inches. When watering trees, water should be applied throughout the drip line area of the tree, that is, wherever the tree casts a shadow when the sun is directly overheard.  The larger the tree, the more water will be required.  A good guideline is to apply ten gallons of water for every inch of trunk diameter, so if your tree's trunk is 3 inches around at a level approximately six inches above the ground, it will need 30 gallons of water at each watering. 

Newly planted shrubs should be given 5 gallons of water twice a  month until the ground freezes. Small established shrubs, those 3 feet tall or smaller, need 5 gallons of water monthly. Larger established shrubs should be given about 20 gallons on a monthly basis. Shrubs should also be water within the dripline of the shrub and around the base of the shrub.

Herbaceous perennials usually are well established by the end of a growing season. Bare root plants take longer to establish than container plants and late fall transplants take longer to establish than spring plantings. Fall planted perennials, bare root plants, and perennials located in windy or southwest exposures should receive one-half to one inch of water whenever the first one to two inches of soil feels dry, until the ground freezes.

And, finally, the lawn grass is still green and growing.  Lawn grass needs continued watering until it goes dormant for the winter.  Grass should also be cut a bit shorter for its last cutting of the season to keep the longer blades from being matted by the heavy snows of winter, which can cause diseases and mold.

Sooner or later, cold and snow will arrive.  For now, though, it's pretty wonderful to walk outside and enjoy greenery and warm sun, even if it does mean a little more garden work for the season.

Friday, October 10, 2014

The End of Another Growing Season

Once again, the bittersweet time of year arrives.  I hate to see the beautiful flowers go to bed for the winter and no longer have the selection of fresh picked fruits and vegetables to put on the dinner table.  On the other hand, it is nice to look forward to more relaxing days and evenings.

I realized this summer that blogging really does need to be a winter time activity for me.  There just isn't enough time in the day to work on it in the summer.  Plus, I must admit, that blogging requires me to be inside at my computer and being inside while the weather is nice is simply not something I can do very easily.

I also noticed that I work a lot slower than I used too.  :(  Part of the reason for that this year was because of a foot injury that caused me more than a little bit of misery this summer.  I am currently recovering from bone and tendon reconstruction surgery in that foot and am looking forward to a much better season in 2015.

We did construct a new pond this summer to replace the one damaged in last year's freak October blizzard and planted nearly 50 trees to replace those destroyed in that storm, as well as adding a row between us and the highway which has become a major traffic artery to the Bakken oil field.  We also began construction on my long-awaited barn.  It's been busy!

I'm sharing a few photos from this year at Wiese Acres.  Because of the pyridine poisoning in the sheep manure we placed on the vegetable garden, that was not as fruitful this year, but where the soil was good, the crops were phenomenal.  The perennial gardens were spectacular because of cool temperatures and ample moisture.

We also added some new members to the animal kingdom of Wiese Acres.  The last week in June, Callie, a very pregnant calico female cat arrived and took up residence in our garden shed.  On July 2, she blessed us with four cute as a button, healthy kittens.  I am angry that someone is mean and thoughtless enough to abandon an animal of any kind, but especially a pregnant one.  Unfortunately, we find abandoned animals frequently because we live so close to a main roadway.  We always try to find them a good home and hope that someday the ignorant person(s) who dump them learn a life lesson about caring for animals.  Callie, along with Boots, Mittens, Traveler, and Squeaks, have become a part of our family, but not every abandoned animal is that lucky.  We have a number of cats and dogs in our pet cemetery who didn't survive being dumped along the busy highway.

But, on a happier note, here is a mini tour through Wiese Acres 2014.

The new pond

The pergola and new planting area around the pond

Moonshine yarrow, lilies, and baptisia


Hostas, Lady in Red Fern, Ligularia, and Cranesbill





Screening the air conditioner unit



The firepit area in the Sun, Moon, and Stars garden



Callie and her babies

Boots is quite the little poser


The purple is "grafitti" cauliflower - my favorite cauliflower for looks and taste