December Tips for the Garden 2007

“The month of December brings the holiday season and warm thoughts of family, friends and community. I would like to say “Thank You,” and I wish you and yours a “Blessed Holiday Season” with all the best in the New Year!” Furthermore, fall will turn into winter this month. With the addition of fire pits in our outdoor living rooms, evenings outdoors can still be enjoyable sampling hot chocolate or cider with friends around the blaze of a comfortable warm fire. You can even gather the kids for the making of s’mores! Enjoy the crisp cool weather.

Plants get “chapped lips” too! Cold, dry winter winds and bright winter sun make our skin chapped and unhealthy. Those winds have a devastatingly similar effect on your plants, which are out in the winds all winter. No wonder your evergreens don’t look so great come spring. This drying effect is called desiccation and is often the most devastating aspect of winter damage on plants in our Midwest region. To fight desiccation, first choose the right plants for windy, dry areas. Especially try to avoid placing broadleaf evergreens, such as azaleas, in places shady in summer but sunny and windy in winter. Second, make sure to water your evergreens well through early December, before the ground freezes and plants cannot “drink” from the soil. Third, mulch your plants for winter to retain soil moisture as well as soil temperature. Fourth, use an anti-desiccant. These products coat leaves and needles to slow down the loss of moisture. One of the best products to use is Wilt Stop by Bonide. This product is a natural polymer that covers plants with a FLEXIBLE coating to lock moisture in the plant tissue. The flexible coating is important to keep the coating on plants as they bend and sway in the wind. Wilt Stop lasts 45-60 days so apply the first treatment in early December and again in early February.

Here are a few tips on winter houseplant care. When the heat goes on and the daylight becomes shorter, houseplants sometimes begin to yellow and drop their leaves. It may be necessary to move the plants to a different place in the home and to give them different treatment from that given during the summer. Flowering plants need at least half a day of direct sunlight to develop flower buds. Cacti and many succulents require a sunny location, and coleus and crotons need direct sun to maintain the decorative color. Foliage plants, such as ivy, philodendron, and dieffenbachia plants, do well in indirect light rather than direct sunlight. The ideal temperatures for foliage plants are 68-70 degrees during the day and slightly lower at night. Flowering plants retain blossoms longer at lower temperatures. Remember, windowsill locations are much colder during the winter and plants may need to be moved to prevent getting chilled. The amount of water the houseplants need declines during winter, so increase the amount of time between watering. Reduce fertilizing as well; flowering plants should be fertilized half as often and foliage plants should only be fertilized if needed.

December also brings the preparation time for the Holidays. Poinsettias are an all time favorite to add a festive look to any décor. Follow these simple poinsettia basics for success. They should have sun for at least ½ the day and keep them away from drafts, registers and radiators. The soil should dry only slightly between thorough waterings. Be sure to punch holes in decorative foil wraps to prevent soggy soil conditions. Are you looking for that unusual color? Poinsettias can be painted to match any décor you desire. Here is another idea, try one painted to match colors for your sports team of choice. The possibilities are endless. In addition, you need not worry about the myth of poinsettias being poisonous; there is extensive scientific research that gives the poinsettia a clean bill of health. Enjoy one this year yourself.

Christmas trees are usually the focal point of home holiday decorations. Living Christmas trees are gaining in popularity. These simple basics can help you succeed with this tradition. Dig the planting hole outside before the ground freezes. Mulch and cover the backfill soil and the planting hole to keep them dry and unfrozen. Store the tree outdoors in a cool, shady, windless area until you are ready to move it indoors. Do not allow the trees roots to become dry. (Once the tree is in the house, you can water it with ice cubes on the root ball daily.) Spray the tree with Wilt Stop to reduce needle moisture loss. Do NOT keep the tree indoors for more than 5-6 days. Then plant the tree promptly when you take it outside.

Along with these Holiday tips, here are a few other ideas for the month:
• Hollies may be trimmed now and the trimmings can be used in holiday decorations.
• Use caution when spreading salt or calcium on ice or snow packed walks and driveways. Salt can damage lawns and plantings, calcium is much safer to use. Be sure to designate areas to for piling snow from plowing in advance to prevent damage to trees, shrubs and lawns.
• Clean and oil all garden hand tools before storing for the winter.
• Winterize all power equipment before storage. Change the oil and lubricate moving parts.
• Either drain fuel systems or mix gas-stabilizing additive into the tank.
• You can continue planting bulbs until frost in the ground prevents you from digging.
• Perennial beds and roses should have been put to rest for winter by now. If not, cut back, clean up and mulch. Roses should be mulched 10-12” deep.
• Continue to feed our fine feathered friends and place heated birdbaths with fresh water out for them.

Again, I wish you and your family a very Blessed Christmas season. Let’s get to work on planning those beautiful garden scenes for next year!!!

See you in the Garden…

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

November Tips for the Garden 2007

An extra week of daylight savings time will be a welcome gift this year. Turn your clocks back this first weekend in November. There are many things to do in the yard and garden before the season ends. So, dig in to the tasks at hand listed below and enjoy the outdoors before it is too late!


• Keep leaves raked up and off the lawn to prevent injury to turf grasses.
• Continue mowing lawn grasses as long as they keep growing, 2-3” high is good.
• Apply Winterizer fertilizer to lawns to strengthen plant stems and roots for winter growth and early spring green up.
• Plant tulips and other spring bulbs now through December.
• Start paperwhite, narcissus, and amaryllis bulbs indoors now thru December.
• Because of our dry summer and fall, continue to water perennial beds, shrubs, and trees.
• Toward the end of the month, be sure to shut off and drain any outdoor water pipes or irrigation systems that may freeze during cold weather.
• Roll up and store garden hoses on a warm, sunny day.
• Covering garden ponds with bird or pond netting will prevent leaves from fouling the water. Oxygen depletion from rotting organic matter can cause a winterkill of pond fish.
• Take steps to prevent garden ponds from freezing solid in winter. Floating a water garden heater in the pond will lessen the chance of ice damage.
• Now is a good time to collect soil samples to test the pH and nutritional levels. Lime will raise the pH level if it is low. Sulfur will lower the pH level if it is high. The product labels and the staff at your local Garden Center can help you determine the rate to use for your situation.
• Fall tilling of the vegetable garden exposes many insect pests to winter cold, reducing their numbers in next year’s garden.
• Mulch strawberries with straw for winter. This should be done after several nights of 20 F, but before temperatures drop into the teens. Apply straw loosely, but thick enough to hide plants from view.
• Set up bird feeders. Birds also appreciate a source of unfrozen drinking water during the winter. Use one of the many styles of birdbath heaters or heated birdbaths available at garden centers.
• When feeding the birds, set up a variety of feeder types to get the best assortment of birds to come to your yard. Tube feeders are good for songbirds, platform feeders are good for cardinals and larger birds, and suet is a great source of fat and energy for woodpeckers and all bird types.
• Winter houseplant basics: reduce or eliminate fertilizer until spring, shorter days mean slower growth, slower growth means less frequent watering. Plants in plastic pots need less water than those in clay pots. Plants in cooler rooms need less water and will have slower growth than those in warm rooms. Creating additional humidity is always beneficial.
• After the first hard freeze, mulch rose bushes heavily to a depth of 12” to cover the plant graph area properly using bark, compost, or straw with rose collars. Prune back longer canes to 24-36” to prevent whipping from wind in the winter. Hold off on heavy pruning until April of next year.

The fall season is ending, but outdoor enjoyment can continue especially with the new outdoor living trends of today. Can you believe that it is November 1 already? Wow, that means only 22 more days until Thanksgiving, 52 days until the first day of winter, 55 more days until Christmas and 62 more days until January 1, 2008! And you know how fast the next 61 days are going to fly by! So fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the outdoors as you prepare for winter….Enjoy your yard and garden in every season!

Time to go….See you in the Garden....
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

October Tips for the Garden

Wow! What a welcome feeling to have cooler days and lower humidity. This is truly a beautiful time of year. It is a time of year we want to get back outside, reclaim our yards and gardens, and enjoy the fresh air. It is time for fall barbeques and bonfires and hayrides. Fall is the perfect time to evaluate the garden for improvement to your curb appeal, and it is the perfect planting time. The cooler crisp days of October are great for these following garden tips:

· Lawn seeding should be finished by October 15th this month to insure germination and plant growth yet this fall. Choose a seed mix for your specific lawn area: sun, shade, sun/shade, play, drought, etc. Fescue mixtures are best for durability for our area. Fescue blends are spread at a rate of 5 lbs. per 1,000 sq ft on bare ground and 2-3 lbs. per 1,000 sq ft on a lawn with a 50% stand of grass.
· Be sure to aerate and renovate your yard when over seeding for BEST results. Without these steps, it is like throwing grass seed on to concrete because our soil is so hard now from such a dry summer. Have questions??? Ask the experts at your local garden center.
· Keep leaves raked or blown off of lawns to prevent smothering new grass plants, especially in shady areas.
· Winterize your lawn mowers before storage by draining gasoline from the tank and the gas line. It is also a great time to sharpen the blades so you will be ready for spring!
· Put a Winterizer type fertilizer on all lawns from mid October through November to promote early spring green growth, and have the best-looking lawn in the neighborhood.
· Now is a good time to apply lime if your soil tests indicate the need. (Acidic soils require lime, a pH of 6.8 or below.) Use the recommended rate of 50 pounds per 500 square feet per treatment. Free pH testing is available at most independent garden centers.
· YOUR HOME’S CURB APPEAL can be enhanced with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, mums, pansies, kale, and the great selection of other Fall Magic plants genetically grown for the fall season!! Check out some of the great new selections available today! Ornamental grasses add a lot of texture as well. Let your imagine run wild!
· Pre-emergent herbicides can be applied to control cool season weeds, such as chickweed and henbit now. You can apply either a granular or liquid application to an established lawn.
· The average first frost usually arrives about October 15th to October 20th. A few degrees of frost protection can be gained by covering tender plants with sheets, newspaper, burlap or lightweight fabric row covers. DO NOT USE PLASTIC; this tends to “draw in” the cold temperatures.
· Cannas, Dahlias and Elephant Ears can be dug when frost nips their foliage. Before storing them, allow the plants to dry under cover in an airy frost-free place, such as a carport. Store them in a cool, dry area such as a basement in paper sacks packed with peat moss. Drying bulbs thoroughly will keep them from rotting.
· Plant bulbs now for spring bloom (Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Crocus, etc.). Plant bulbs into groupings for a massed effect of spring color. To fertilize them, use bone meal or a complete bulb fertilizer at planting time.
· Bulb container gardens can be planted with a lasagna type planting arrangement (layering of bulbs in potting soil). Check with your garden center for ideas and recipes on this feature.
· October is an excellent month to plant trees, shrubs and perennials. This gives the plants a great start in the warm soil and cool weather of fall with plenty of moisture in the spring to become established before the harsh summer heat and drought. The plants’ roots will continue to develop under ground until frost in the ground literally stops them!
· Continue to water your plants, especially evergreens, since soils are dry. Until the ground freezes, they need moisture for root growth even if they are going dormant. Once a week should be sufficient.
· After perennial and flower beds have been cleaned and raked for winter preparation, refresh them with a bark mulch for the winter months at a depth of 2-3”.
· Towards the end of October, trees should be fertilized and tree spikes at their drip line are a perfect choice. Use one tree spike per one inch of tree trunk diameter. This will make for beautiful foliage next spring! (The diameter of the tree is a measurement found at a cross section of the trunk 12” above the ground)
· Gourds should be harvested when their shells become hard or when their color changes from green to brown.
· DON’T take hummingbird feeders down before mid October. The bird’s biological clock tells them when to migrate south. THEY ARE NOT dependent on us removing the feeders at a certain time! Hummingbirds who have started their migration will appreciate finding your feeders along the way.

Enjoy your yard and garden in every season!

Time to go……….See you in the Garden…………..
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

"Tips for the Garden"

September Issue 2007

The kids are back in school and off to college. This means it is time to get back to work in the yard and garden since you may have put your outdoor living projects off this summer because of bonding, vacations, and sports programs……..or hot, dry weather.

Our yards definitely DID suffer this summer. Thank goodness the hottest month of the year is now behind us. Well, there is no better time to renovate and reseed your lawn than this month of September. In fact, the perfect window of opportunity for yard growth is August 15 - October 15. Even though it may be hot and dry, it is the perfect time of year to aerate and over seed established yards. The process should be done as follows: Cut the lawn a little shorter than normal (2-3 inches). Then run over the yard with a core aerator (this machine pulls plugs out of the ground about the size of your little finger). This whole process works best after a good rain or a deep watering. The core aeration process helps with the soil aeration, lessens soil compaction and makes for better, stronger grass root systems. Now, run a renovator over the area. This machine slices the ground with many little teeth and will break down the dirt clods from the core aeration process and bring up any dead thatch in the area. Now you are ready to sow your grass seed (use a 50% spread rate for a 50% stand of grass) and add fertilizer. A starter type fertilizer that is high in phosphorus is best. For a 50% stand of grass or less, you will not need additional cover such as straw. If you are over seeding bare areas or new lawn areas, you will need to straw these areas to hold moisture for seed protection. For the specific grass seed type, shop for seed specific to your area of need: shade, part-shade and sun, etc. There are special grass seed mixes made up for our Mid-Missouri region that perform beautifully here so, make sure you check that out for guaranteed success. You can then re-fertilize and add a Winterizer fertilizer to the entire area in late October or November. This whole process will “promise” you a beautiful strong lawn for spring of next year. Water is, of course, essential for this growth if Mother Nature doesn’t cooperate. New lawn installations are also best at this time of year as well. You need to continue thinking about watering during this month…..and remember that there are ways to make it economical and easy, just ask the experts. We are down about 7” of rain for the year and we were down in total from last year also! The wildlife in your yard, as well as all new and established plantings, needs our help this year as we have experienced several exceptionally dry seasons.

Now turn your focus to Fall Decorations….and change the Curb Appeal of your yard by giving it a face lift for fall. Change out those summer containers and flower beds with fall bedding plants that work long into the fall season, which in our case here in Missouri can be thru mid November. You should be able to find such plants as pansies, ornamental cabbage, kale, Fall Magic annuals, ornamental grasses, hardy garden mums and MUCH more. Don’t forget to add in straw, corn stalks, pumpkins and gourds to give it a complete look. Extend the look of your outdoor room and enjoy the extended season. Fall bulbs are available now and should be considered for spring color in your garden! So start to think ahead to next year and get in on the action now.

*For additional information about garden tips for fall, check out this website, www.hillermann.com.

Time to go……….See you in the Garden…………..
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Key Elements for Attracting Birds

It’s fun to watch the activity of wild birds in your yard. Sitting back and listening to a mix of their songs can help you relax and forget a stressful day. These, as well as diminishing habitat and food sources, are good reasons to attract birds and provide some necessities to help them flourish. Food, shelter, water and nesting habitat are the four key elements that will attract birds to your yard.

Feeding the birds has been a popular hobby for many years. However, we do not always think about different species and the different foods they require. Attract a variety of bird species by using several types of feed such as seed, suet, and meal worms. There are also different types of bird feeders to work well with the different types of food. Plants and flowers also provide a food source for the birds. Many trees and shrubs produce berries and fruit, and flowers provide nectar and seeds.

Birds need shelter not only for nesting but to escape from weather and predators. Trees and shrubs are a natural form of shelter. Plant a variety of them in your yard including evergreens and varieties that provide a food source. Birdhouses or nesting boxes provide places for the birds to raise their young and escape extreme weather. There are different types of houses available to accommodate different species of birds.

Water is a vital necessity for birds in all seasons. Garden ponds, fountains, and birdbaths beautify your yard and provide drinking and bathing sources for birds. We offer all of the above in our Garden Center including pond kits for do-it-yourselfers. Contact our Landscape Division if you’re interested in a professionally installed garden pond. Even plant saucers will work as birdbaths lying in a flowerbed or on top of a tree stump. Change water frequently to prevent disease and mosquitoes. Use a deicer to provide needed unfrozen water in winter. Visit our Garden Center for help with selection. Pick up some of our free information sheets on birds, wildlife, gardening, plants, and more!

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