Have you been itching to get out in the garden regardless of the cold and snow? Make your landscape secure and welcoming for seeing wildlife and friends alike. A little care and attention this month can help keep your plants healthy and strong well in the new calendar year.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Feed the birds. High-quality seeds and snacks such as peanuts and suet could be necessary for wild bird wellbeing when other food resources are buried by snow or depleted. Different birds are attracted to different kinds of foods, that are served in particular manners of feeders. The National Audubon Society suggests using species-specific food and feeders based on the birds that you want to attract. Its website provides excellent tips on bird feeding year-round.
The peanut feeder revealed here hangs right out of my window. All winter I like visits from woodpeckers, chickadees, sparrows, juncos (who feed on bits and pieces on the floor) and much more.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Fresh water for drinking and bathing is also vital to bird health. Keep your birdbath free of ice using a industrial heater, available at most garden centers.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Keep ice at bay. Clearing snow and ice from walks and driveways is a safety issue that can not be ignored, but plant health is significant too.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Ice-melting products composed of additives — including plain old rock salt — work by bringing moisture to themselves and forming a liquid brine that creates heat and melts the ice. However, salt will lead to damage to plant roots and, once consumed by the plant, will cause brownish, desiccated advantages on new leaves and shoots — or even death. Here are a few hints for working with de-icers:
Apply the item prior to the storm to keep ice from bonding to the pavement.Cut the item with sand, kitty litter or sawdust to offer traction and reduce the amount of merchandise needed.After the storm, and remove the shovel or snow blower and clear pavement areas whenever possible. This can help prevent overuse of the product.Once the pavement was removed, sweep up and dispose of surplus item. Don’t sweep it on lawns, on garden beds or to the road; this will keep it out of the stormwater drainage system and natural waterways.Flush landscape and pavement areas with water in which you suspect product overuse or damage. Last but not least, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and choose the best product for the ailments. For instance, rock salt (sodium chloride) is effective only at temperatures above 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Water crops. Many regions of the Rocky Mountain area suffer from thin snow cover, low soil moisture and low humidity during winter. These dry conditions can severely weaken plant root systems. The damage will not be evident until late spring or summer when plants die or become vulnerable to pest or disease issues.
Woody plants — shrubs and trees — have relatively shallow root systems and are vulnerable to winter drought damage (particularly evergreens), as are submerged- and – west-facing lawns, plants near south east- and west-facing walls or foundations, and any recently installed (within 1 year) plants.
Follow these tips to make sure your plants have a great beginning to a healthy new year:
Water plants only when the air and soil temperatures are above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and there’s absolutely not any snow cover.For newly planted or young trees, then use a soil needle or deep-root fork to apply water. Insert it into the soil approximately 8 inches deep, about halfway between the brow and many feet beyond the drip line (the tips of the outermost branches), working your way round the whole tree. For large, established trees, a sprinkler is much more efficient.Apply 10 gallons of water per inch of tree diameter. For instance, a 3-inch-diameter tree could require 30 gallons. Water once a month or as conditions dictate.Newly planted trees require 5 gallons of water twice a month.Small, based shrubs need 5 gallons per month.Large (roughly 6 feet), based trees require 18 gallons of water a month.No one needs to waste water, so keep in mind the quantity of water recommended here is a entire volume — include water only to supplement natural precipitation.
Jocelyn H. Chilvers
Avoid snow mold. Lawn areas in the shade during the winter — about the north sides of fences and buildings, for example — can accumulate snow that persists for months or weeks. These regions are more at risk for developing snow mold. Simply shovel the snow from the shaded lawn and distribute it to drier, sunnier regions of the picture.