Recently a starting quarterback for a local green and gold football team implored his fans to relax. Well I want to implore you to relax when it comes to preparing your yard and landscape for winter. We all want to make short work of our remaining outdoor chores but in many cases it’s still just too early.
Let’s discuss a few examples:
• Your lawn: No you cannot put the lawn mower away just because it’s October. You need to keep mowing and it will benefit your lawn to do so until it stops growing. In some years that’s the end of October but in others it could be the end of November. Remember, relax and let Mother Nature dictate the pace.
• Winter mulches: These mulches which are designed to help your perennials or tender plants shouldn’t be applied until the ground has cooled or even begun to lightly freeze. Applying too early may trick your plants into making the wrong assumption that the cold weather is still weeks away. Remember, relax and let Mother Nature dictate the pace.
• Cannas, dahlias and other summer flowering bulbs should not be dug until the foliage has died down and been hit by a hard freeze. Digging too early will only make them harder to overwinter inside our homes. Remember, relax and let Mother Nature dictate the pace.
• Delay any pruning of woody plants from now until they are fully dormant. Of course you could also just decide to hold off on any pruning until March or April. Fall pruning can leave wounds that simply will not heal at this time and this increases the chance for disease or winter damage. Remember, relax and let Mother Nature dictate the pace.
