HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! We truly welcome
2014! If you can tolerate the cold weather, there are several things that you
can do this month in your landscape that will lighten the load for the rest of
the season. The main item is pruning or thinning of our woody ornamentals.
Deciduous trees such as maples, oaks, ash, etc., can be pruned at this time.
Interior, broken, or crossing branches should be removed now while you can see
exactly what you are removing.
If the weather is extremely bad this
month, then snow and/or ice removal are going to be the big tasks. If you are
one of the lucky ones with a teenager at home, you can get your son or daughter
to shovel the driveway and walks for you. Whether they or you do the shoveling,
you need to know where you are putting all of this frozen precipitation. Heavy
accumulations of snow or ice can easily damage plants. Accidentally dump a snow
shovel full of wet snow on top of some of your shrubs and you may end up
replacing the broken mass next spring. Snowplows can also do quite a bit of
damage to plantings and lawn areas. Use location stakes with flags to show
where your driveways and walkways are as well as where to “dump” excess snow.
If
you need to remove ice from drives and walkways, be extremely careful with the
melting compound you use. Rock salt will destroy concrete sidewalks, driveways,
and concrete pavers. It will also kill most shrubs, perennials, and lawns.
There are many other compounds used to melt ice that won’t damage your concrete
or kill your plants. These compounds contain potassium, magnesium or calcium
chloride. These compounds also work in lower temperatures. You can use products
such as birdseed, sawdust, and non-clumping cat litter to provide traction. Of
course, these will not melt the ice, but they won’t harm your plants, pets or
concrete.
Now,
I want to mention a little about “bird feeding.” Celebrate our feathered friends
and make it a family affair! It’s hard to say who benefits more from backyard
bird feeders, the birds or the people who feed them. Some of life’s more
enjoyable moments include the songs and antics of the birds outside our
windows. Whether you are just beginning or greatly expanding your bird-feeding
program, give careful consideration to making it easy and fun for the whole
family. If the feeders are hard to reach, the bags too heavy for the kids to
maneuver, or the birdbath too far from the hose, pretty soon someone will lose
patience and object to being involved. Hang different types of feeders at
different heights and near enough to your house so you can watch the birds at
relatively close range. You can use empty coffee cans and homemade funnels (cut
the bottom off a large soft drink bottle) for feeder-filling convenience.
Don’t
be discouraged if you have just put up a new feeder and the birds don’t flock
to it immediately. Because birds recognize food by sight, it can take a while for
them to locate a new source. Try putting aluminum foil on the ground
underneath, where sunlight can be reflected. If you already have other feeders,
put the new one nearby until the birds discover it. Bird feeding activity
attracts other species, so when you add a specialty feeder (such as a nyjer
feeder) to your feeding station, it probably won’t take new birds long to find
it. Remember that, for the sake of the
birds’ health, it is always important to keep the feeders and the ground
beneath them cleaned up of old seed that can harbor disease.
It
is important to provide unfrozen water for the birds throughout winter. Put
your birdbath in an open area, but near some trees or bushes to permit a quick
escape if predators approach. Birds will visit regularly once they discover it
is a safe and steady source of fresh water. Open water in freezing weather will
attract as many or more birds, as a well-stocked feeder! Birds use it to help
keep them warmer in winter. By cleaning their feathers and grooming them with
natural oils, our feathered friends are able to help insulate their bodies from
cold. You can keep water thawed with a submersible heater placed directly in
the water… it’s economical and safe as long as you use a high-quality, outdoor
extension cord to plug the heater into an electrical source. Heated birdbaths
are also available.
Birds
appear to be homeless in winter, which makes people wonder where they go at
night. In general, they choose to roost in the same kind of places as they
build their nest during breeding season. Some birds will use the same roosting
spot every night unless predators disturb them.
Time flies fast, so enjoy this
winter, do an analysis on your landscape and prepare for spring projects… and
we will “see you in the garden”.
Sandi Hillermann McDonald
