In addition to great memories, trees
bring a true beauty to all landscapes. The right tree in the right place
provides shade to your home, creating a cooling insulation from hot summer
days.
Fall is the best time to plant
trees. Fall’s cooler temperatures and adequate rainfall ease the tree’s
transition into its new home and decreases transplant shock and stress. Are you
looking for an excuse to plant a tree? Well look no further, as the following
statistics reveal just how important trees are to us in a community setting:
“Landscaping can
reduce air conditioning costs by up to 50 percent, by shading the windows and
walls of a home.”- American Public Power
Association
“If you plant a tree
today on the west side of your home, in 5 years your energy bills should be 3%
less. In 15 years the savings will be nearly 12%.” - Dr. E. Greg McPherson, Center of Urban Forest Research
“A mature tree can
often have an appraised value of between $1,000 and $10,000.” - Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers
“In one study, 83% of
realtors believe that mature trees have a strong or moderate impact” on the
salability of homes listed for under $150,000; on homes over $250,000, this perception
increases to 98%” - Arbor National
Mortgage & American Forests
“Trees properly placed
around buildings can save 20-50 percent in energy used for heating.” - USDA Forest Service
“Trees can be a
stimulus to economic development, attracting new business and tourism.
Commercial retail areas are more attractive to shoppers, apartments rent more
quickly, tenants stay longer, and space in a wooded setting is more valuable to
sell or rent.” - The Arbor Day Foundation
“In laboratory
research, visual exposure to settings with trees has produced significant
recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood
pressure and muscle tension.” - Dr. Roger
S. Ulrich, Texas A&M University
“They look pretty”- Mike Smith (WUFC) and Bernie Hillermann
(Co-Founder of Hillermann Nursery & Florist)
So whatever reason you want to
use…..now is a great time to plant a tree!! Start making your memories today!!
Plant trees for energy conservation, home improvement, curb appeal, or better
yet, to get your new memories started!! Check out the tree selection suggested by the Washington
Urban Forestry Council by logging onto this website: http://www.ci.washington.mo.us/, then go to the City Departments/Parks & Recreation
Menu to find the WUFC
link. Their suggested plant list is on this site. Check it out!! There
are many great varieties to choose from in local garden centers as well. Ask
for proper planting instructions as you purchase so you can have guaranteed
success. Enjoy your time under the trees!
Here are additional Garden
Solutions for October:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Hillermann Nursery & Florist.
- YOUR HOME’S CURB APPEAL can be
enhanced with pumpkins, gourds, corn stalks, mums, pansies, kale, and the
great selection of other fall plants that are grown for the fall season!!
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
See you next month “in
the garden.”
Sandi Hillermann
McDonald
