It is time to prepare your landscape for a long winter’s nap.  Due to cooler temperatures you can now reduce watering needs for your property. However, if you have planted new plants It is a good idea to water them into December.

Now is the time of the year to look at your landscape especially trees.  Look for trunk defects, cracked and/or broken limbs and trim if necessary. Did you fertilize your trees and shrubs?  If not, be sure to do this.  Have anti-transpirants/anti-desiccant applied to Evergreens to keep them strong and to prevent browning.

Lawn Work:  

• Apply Winterizing Formula of Fertilizer Late November. A late Fall fertilization will store nutrients in the roots which will allow the grass to green up in the spring.
• Reduce lawn cutting frequency, but do not stop. Give final cut in early December.
• Remove leaves from lawn so as not to smother the grass.

Gardens and Beds:

• If you brought tender plants (Geraniums, Impatiens, Begonias and Gerbera Daisies) bring them indoors, before the first frost. Spray with insecticide prior to bringing indoors.
• Check that gardens have sufficient soil moisture. Insufficient soil moisture is directly related to plant mortality over the winter.

Trees/Shrubs:

• Arrange winter pruning appointment now.
• Fasten climbing plants wind damage.
• Rake up rose leaves as they fall and mound extra dirt around roses to protect from winter damage. Only prune those branches that may rub up against each other during a heavy windstorm and wait until the spring for any major pruning.
• Plant and/or transplant Needle Evergreens & Shrubs and Deciduous Trees & Shrubs now.
• Root Fertilization should be applied to newly planted trees, newly transplanted trees and other trees that were stressed to help prepare them for the spring.
• Burlap unprotected Evergreens.
• Apply Deer Repellent now and again in 4-6 weeks.
• Your landscape during winter, the ground is frozen, and the roots cannot get moisture back into the leaves. Sun causes evaporation from the leaves and needles of Evergreens causing Sunscald; Wind causes transpiration out of leaves and needles (windburn); Cold alternating temperatures cause internal injuries and root damage which show up next season ad dead branches or plants (Winter Kill).  For this reason, we strongly suggest an anti-desiccant winter protectant spray coating to keep moisture in the plants on all Evergreens.
• Prune Fig trees then wrap up in late November to protect from freezing.