 |
||||
 |
 |
|||
|
Preparing a Lawn for Winter. The last time you mow the lawn, leave at least 2-inches of grass. - Aerate new sod. Use a firm rake or pitchfork and poke holes into the ground so that water, air and nutrients can seep through. - Clean your lawn from debris and leaves. This prevents molds and diseases from developing and reduces the chances of insects over wintering. - If you lawn needs lime, the fall is a good time to apply it. - Fertilize your soil by spreading compost of slow-release winterizing fertilizers. - Be sure to water your lawn before it freezes for the winter. Moist soils are not as prone to winter damage as dry soils.
|
Late October or early November is the best time to prepare your flowerbeds and shrubbery for those cold windy sieges that are so much a part of our Canadian winters. For Annika Hjelkrem of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia this is anything but a chore. She said, "My garden is the child I had in my late years, therefore I call it Isaak - which means ‘the smiling one’- and I do believe that my garden smiles to me when I put it to bed each fall." The annual ritual consists of four main activities. Cleanup, tie-up, feed and cover up. Cleanup First the cleanup. Annika points out that that weeds thrive in the winter, so it is important to do a thorough weeding of all flowerbeds. Pull out the annuals; cut back deadheads and unsightly growth on perennials. Lop the tops off roses. (For hybrid tea varieties, cut back to 12-18 in. Floribundas should be cut back to 18-24 in. For climbing roses, just remove old flowers and unsightly buds. You may want to gently tie climbing shoots to fences, poles, or backdrops but this is not necessary.) Tip: Do not prune anything in the fall. Plant density helps to prevent winter damage. Tie-up Next comes the tie-up and securing phase. Annika uses old pantyhose for this. She also cuts six-inch strips from old sheets and curtains. Start at the base of an evergreen shrub or a flowering bush, gently gather the branches toward the centre and wrap the pantyhose or cloth strips around a few times so branches are comfortably snuggled in.
Tip for dwarf cedars or any miniature plant: Use the top part of a pair of pantyhose as a "hat". Gather the branches of your plant and slip under the hat. Then take leaves or straw and lightly stuff the inside of the hat. This creates a layer of insulation between the plant and the pantyhose. |
and weighted under snow conditions. For extra stability, bamboo sticks can be woven through the fish net and stuck into the ground. Burlap comes in handy, especially for young evergreens and flowering bushes like Rhododendrons and Azaleas. Use four sticks or small poles to create a box effect when the burlap is wrapped around the outside of the sticks.
"For the trees most exposed to the wind, I build a three pole kind of tee-pee tied at the top, just to avoid the tree being shaken too much and uprooted by the wind," Annika added. Feeding Now it is time to feed your babies. Annika has three compost bins that are always in production. Routinely she dumps all fruit and vegetable waste from her kitchen, along with all the garden cuttings such as grass, leaves, and old flowers. When she has 2-3 feet of waste, she sprinkles a liberal dose of fishmeal fertilizer followed by 2-3 in. of soil. Three years later, she has a mixture worth its weight in gold. Cover up "After
the ground is frozen, I cover the crowns of the rose bushes about Finally, she
tucks in her flowerbeds by covering them with evergreen bows. (You can
use fir, spruce or pine.) Do not be stingy! Cover everything with large
bows, in multiple layers. Now step back and utter a sigh of relief. Ahhh.
Your babies are safe for the winter.
|
||
