What better way to welcome in the New Year than bundling up,
going outside and getting some much-needed gardening chores
accomplished? OK, it may not be on the top of your resolution list,
but your garden does need some attention this time of year.
What better way to welcome in the New Year than bundling up, going outside and getting some much-needed gardening chores accomplished? OK, it may not be on the top of your resolution list, but your garden does need some attention this time of year.
For instance, for those of you who didn’t take my advice of about six weeks ago, frost-tender specimens still need protection. Roses also need pruning this time of year. You can prune roses from now through the end of February. Finally, do a general clean-up of the garden – raking up leaves, removing dead foliage and branches from plants, etc.
People also ask me what exactly are frost-tender specimens? Well, any tropical plant, such as hibiscus, bougainvillea, fuchsia, banana, etc. Some citrus, particularly limes and lemons also could use some shelter. Plants that don’t require protection are deciduous specimens that lose their leaves – things like roses and Japanese maples.
Frost protection could be as simple as throwing an old sheet, towel, burlap bag, plastic, cardboard, newspaper over the top of a plant. While garden experts will recommend that your cover usually not touch the plant, anything is better than nothing. You can also build your own little protective cover by hammering in three or four stakes around prized possessions, and then staple or drape a sheet around the plant. Shoveling a few inches of mulch around the base of plants will also help protect the roots a bit. Spraying them with an anti-transpirant like Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover will also put a semi-protective gloss onto the plant.
If you have frost-tender specimens growing in containers, at least move them close to the house under the eves or onto a porch. Also, especially with container plants that dry out faster than plants growing in the ground, make sure you water them around once a week. Container plants under the protection of a porch will not get rain water.
I’m in my rose-pruning phase right now, too. Since I have more than two dozen roses, I try to do a handful each week. Then, by the end of February, all my roses will have had a good haircut. Basically, you can trim off almost all protruding branches. Also remove branches that criss-cross through the middle of the rose, preventing air and light to pass through. The exception is with climbing roses that you’re trying to train in a particular direction. Climbing roses should not be pruned so severely or else you’ll never get the coverage you desire.
Finally, just do a general clean-up of the garden. Leaves that haven’t been raked, dead branches, plants that have died, etc., all need tending to. Messy gardens make prime overwintering spots for diseases and insects. Clean your garden now to prevent problems come spring.
