Colder than…

When you hear that January’s weather has been colder than Alaska, one has to wonder, how can any of our trees, shrubs and plants survive these below normal temperatures? Monday’s quick tip – anticipate winter damage and potential replacements, especially if your landscape was newly planted. This would cover any landscape plantings done in the last two to three years as plants are still acclimating to its new digs and surroundings. 

One other word of caution to those with newly planted landscapes: hold off on any of your woody plant material winter pruning. Extreme fluctuations in temperature cause some of the worst winter damage.  This can be typical of winter - a stretch of mild temperatures followed by plummeting, below zero, Artic weather. Plants get confused with these mixed temperature signals. Unfortunately, this is when new plants incur the most winter damage. It’s best to wait until mid-March to prune newly planted material, when the threat of damaging winter weather is behind us.

This may be a repeated message but a newly planted landscape is the most vulnerable during these fluctuating weather patterns. So when it’s colder than Alaska and geographically the location is East, Zone 6 or 5B, get ready for a 'wait and see' come spring. And hold off on snipping until you see the true winter damage. Horace Mann reminds us, “Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us the determination to make the right things happen.”

Until then, keep planting some seeds. The above Chives and Parsley only require a sunny window and good potting soil. Herbs are easy to grow and useful in taking a dish from bland to tasty. Planting seeds 'give us the determination to make the right things happen.' Have a great Monday.

© Image by Ann Bilowz – Herbs growing in a sunny window

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