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Updates & tips
Winterizing Evergreens-Anti-Desiccant Spray
Winterizing Evergreens-Anti-Desiccant Spray Winter cold and winds can be harsh on your landscape. Evergreen trees and shrubs maintain foliage throughout the winter months where they continue to lose moisture. With winter temperature fluctuations, moisture loss and the ground still frozen, transpiration occurs from the needles and leaves increasing water demand. If the roots cannot keep up with these demands the needles and leaves start to turn brown and die. Winter burn or desiccation is a dehydration of the plant due to water loss from the leaves through transpiration. This is caused by long dry periods of cold and thaw along with winter winds. Some broadleaf evergreens such as holly, rhododendron, cherry laurel, skip laurel, mountain laurel, Japanese skimmia, leucothoe, aucuba and boxwood are even more susceptible to winter drying and long-term damage. An easy way of avoiding winter damage to plants is to apply an anti-desiccant spray to the upper and lower parts of the foliage before the temperatures drop below freezing or during a winter thaw.PLANTS PRONE TO WINTER BURN: broadleaf evergreens such as holly, rhododendron, cherry laurel, skip laurel, mountain laurel, Japanese skimmia, leucothoe, aucuba and boxwood.WHEN TO APPLY: Apply anti-desiccant when the daytime temperatures start falling below 50 degrees (late fall/early winter). Apply when the temperatures are above freezing and there is no threat of rain or frost within 24 hours. (This tip applies to areas going into their winter season-temperatures dropping below freezing: 0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit.) Anti-desiccants are organic and break down under heat and light so it is recommended to spray again in late winter. Be sure to read all directions on the label since anti-desiccants can cause photo toxicity on some narrow needled evergreens such as Arborvitae and Spruce that could cause more harm than winter burn.HOW OFTEN DOES IT NEED TO BE APPLIED: Sudden warm spells can trigger your evergreens to open their pores allowing for more water loss. If there is a winter thaw part way through the season it is recommended to re-spray your plants but only if the temperatures are to remain above freezing for at least 24 hours. The most commonly used brands of anti-desiccant are Wilt-Pruf, Vapor Guard and Transfilm that can be found in nurseries and garden centers. There is a new brand of anti-desiccant on the market which requires only one application. Ask your landscape professional for more information.HOW IT WORKS: Anti-desiccant spray is organic and biodegradable. It adds a protective waxy coating to the tops and undersides of the leaves of broadleaf evergreens to help slow the process of transpiration which causes water loss and winter damage.
Pruning Salvia-A simple How To
Saturday, July 3, 2010 Pruning Salvia - A Simple How to Iwas contemplating what my next blog was going to be on and as I was just in my garden pruning my salvia it came to me. One of the most often asked questions by many of my customers is, "What do I do with my salvia now that it is done blooming?" Very often when the salvia stalks start to turn brown it appears that the plants are dead but they are only finished with their first show. Now for some of you the timing of this blog may be a bit early but here in the Northeast everything is about two weeks earlier than usual due to the abundant spring rain and snow cover over our past winter. Due to these factors the perennials are bigger and better than ever and the salvia are magnificent! By the way if you are wondering what type of salvia this is, it is my favorite, Salvia 'Maynight'. Its deep purple coloring and long blooming habit make it a welcome addition to any full sun garden. Now lets talk about how to prune your salvia for maximum bloom.When your plants are starting to look a little less desirable than you prefer it is time to dead head. It is sometimes difficult to explain how to prune salvia so follow me on this. Take a look at any three fingers on your hand that are next to each other. When you prune your salvia you will be cutting out the center stalk that is done blooming. One each side of the center stalk you will see two other stalks with new buds and blooms forming. If there are blooms done on the two side stalks you can cut those out as well. Only cut the spent stalks and the new flowers will form. I usually get about three blooms out of my salvia throughout the summer and into the early fall. By the second or third bloom you may want to give your plants a little plant food to give them a boost and add energy for the rest of the season. If your plants are brand new they may have been force bloomed so for the first season you may only get one or two blooms but come next year you will be able to push out three blooms if you time your pruning right.Now that you are ready to prune your salvia the best time of day is either early morning or late afternoon or just when you need a little garden therapy. Pruning salvia can be both rewarding and therapeutic so pick the right time to perform this task! With regular maintenance of your plants you will receive blooms to enjoy for the entire season. Now-back to my garden!Visit my entire blogspot at:http://landscapedesignbylee.blogspot.com/
Winterizing Your Garden
Winter winds and snow can be harsh on your landscape. Here are some helpful tips. Some broadleaf evergreens such as holly, rhododendron and boxwood are more succeptable to winter drying and frost burn where the leaves become brown and brittle. An easy way of avoiding this is to apply an anti-desicant spray to the upper and lower parts of the foliage before the temperatures drop below freezing or during a winter thaw. The anti-desicant spray will put a protective coating on your evergreens and help to avoid possible winter drying and damage. Some Other Plants to Protect: Cherry Laurel Japanese Aucuba Leucothoe Another helpful tip has to do with your ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses can be damaged by winter snow. The best time to cut back grasses is in March so that the roots are protected during the winter. If you are going to cut them back beforehand cut them back only half way so that the messy plumes are removed but that the rest of the plant and root system are protected. That way your garden will still look beautiful and your plants will be protected.