Remember about three weeks ago, when I gave you the list of everything I still planned to get done in the garden before winter set in? Well, I don’t know about you, but the warmer-than-usual November lulled me into thinking that autumn would last a bit longer here in Northern New England. When the snow finally did come just before Thanksgiving, it caught my household by surprise.
The hose froze in place right in the driveway; the compost pile crusted over with a layer of ice before it was fully spread. With a bit of a thaw, though, it looks as if we’re going to get a reprieve. Daytime temperatures for Tuesday through Thursday of this week are projected to be well above freezing in most of our region — 50-65 in Manhattan, 50 to 60 in Hartford, Conn., and 43 to 53 throughout Maine from Portland to Houlton.
Let’s take one last look at the remaining outdoor to-do list for December.
Labeling— Make the rounds one last time to make sure your plant labels are in place and legible. I’ve long-forgotten cultivar names and without accurate labels, I’m lost. It’s important to me, because I use my gardens to report back to you. Are cultivar names important to you? If so, attend to the labels while you still can.
Mulching— Depending on where you live, the ground may or may not be frozen. In southern New England, you still don’t want to put down that winter mulch. In northern areas, you may be ready. It’s easy to tell. If you try to drive a shovel into the ground and it doesn’t easily pierce the soil surface, then the ground is frozen and mulch can go down.
Remember, the idea with mulch is to keep the ground frozen. If snow happens to fly again before the ground freezes — and the snow sticks — you don’t need to worry about applying the mulch until spring, or at least until the snow melts.
Bulbs—Believe it or not, I do still have some spring-flowering bulbs to go into the ground and plan to use my lunch hour on Wednesday to get them into the ground at last. I have no doubt they’ll sprout and bloom just fine next spring.
Planting— Yes, you can still plant any balled-and-burlapped or container trees, shrubs or perennials until the ground freezes. I have some plants I spoke for at my local garden center and I’ll use my lunchtime on Thursday to go collect those and get them into the ground. Mulching will be doubly important on these plants, since I don’t want them to heave out of the ground when the soil thaws out prematurely next spring.
One other note: If you’re transporting trees or shrubs this late in the year, be certain to wrap them in burlap or a poly tarp for the ride — otherwise the wind will desiccate them and likely kill any exposed stems.
Holiday Trees — The same goes for transporting trees. Everywhere I turn, I see people with bare cut Christmas trees tied to the tops of their cars. These cold, windy rides are a terrible strain on the needles and will cause premature needle drop once the tree gets inside the home. Tote your tree inside the vehicle if possible, or take the time to wrap it inside a tarp if you have one handy.
Also, if you’re planning to bring a living tree indoors that you plan to plant outside after Christmas, it’s a good idea to dig the hole now before the ground fully freezes.
Check Snow Loads —Where I live, that first snow fall was a good opportunity to see how some of the new plants carry snow. You may want to make the effort to build a snow frame wrapped in burlap if you think your plants may not handle a heavy load of snow plunging from a roof or overhang. If this is a recurring problem, you may want to consider moving the plant to a new location next spring.
Check Your Watering —Around my home, we’ve had more than enough moisture and I’m quite certain that’s true throughout the Northeast. If you happen to have any new plantings that might not have received water lately, give them a deep drink now before the ground freezes solid. It will likely be the last water the plants get for a while.
Winterize Your Tools —Remove all soil and lubricate all moving parts. Sharpen your hoes, spades, loppers, saws and pruners and give those a good coating of lubrication as well. Paint any wooded-handled tools. Run the gas out of any power equipment and then drain the oil. Add winterizing agent to any leftover gasoline . . . and, yes, pick up those hoses that are still hanging around outside.
Purchase Your De-Icer — If you’ve got lawns and gardens around your front door, avoid purchasing products that have high sodium content. Kitty litter, salt-free sand and calcium chloride products are better choices for salt-sensitive plants. In many cases, hardscapes are also sensitive to salt.
Apply Anti-Dessicants — This oily coating helps plants’ foliage retain moisture on dry, cold winter days. You’ll probably want to reapply this again in mid to late January.
Paul Tukey - November 28, 2005.
