Wednesday, December 17, 2008

WINTER IS DEFINITELY HERE IN FORCE!

After a week of nasty weather, we're being buried again by snow.
The last one was a big ice event. It crippled the state of New Hampshire, and worked on Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont as well. Most folks in our area were without electricity from a few hours to many days, some still without.
As I drive around and look at all the tree branches down and shrubs covered in ice, I am reminded of the fact that you should NOT attempt to remove ice from any of your plants. They are very cold and vulnerable at this point, and disturbing them may very likely break those vulnerable plants in ways that you will NOT like!
Today as I look at an additional 6 new inches of snow, I realize that we must be very careful of how we remove this burden from shrubs.
Just take a broom handle and poke it into the plant dislodging the snow which will gently fall to the ground. If there is ice mixed in, that same broom handle may very well break the branch. You don't want to do that! So, if there's ice...leave it alone. If it's snow, poke away. The heavy snow will weigh down on the branches causing breakage as well...so be away with it!

Monday, December 01, 2008

DECEMBER CHORES

Well, I don't know about where YOU are, but here we've got snow and ice on the ground which means some of these chores can't be done any longer. However, if you're lucky enough to have grass showing...have some last minute fun!
Many of them can happen, snow or not, so read carefully.

DECEMBER

If you can, dig a hole to put your live holiday tree in. Store the soil you dig out in the garage, or other non-frozen place so you can just dump it into the hole after the tree is planted!

Have you made "tee-pee's" to cover your smaller shrubs, protecting them from snow loads? Be sure they are out in the garden, doing their job! You can also wrap the plants, or shrubs in burlap.

Plant your pre-cooled bulbs in pots for some wonderful indoor color. Put them first in a cool and dark spot to begin growing roots. Water them, so they don't dry out.

Remove decorative foil from gift plants. Set the plants into waterproof containers, after placing a layer of gravel in the bottom (of the outside pot) so the plant doesn't sit in water. Plants are far more harmed by too MUCH water, than too little!

Poinsettias should be in moist, NOT wet soil.

Fertilize houseplants.

If you haven't done it yet, put stakes around your gardens bordering driveways and roads where plowed snow might harm them. The stakes will guide the plow elsewhere!

Save hardwood ashes to amend the soil in the spring. If your compost pile is not covered, the ashes can go right in there.

Think about gardening tools, equipment and books as Christmas gifts.

Take a gardening break!
Gemplers