Is Your Garden Ready for Winter?

by Paula Eisenberg

(September 19, 2002) As summer turns to fall and the hours of daylight wane, Larchmont's lawns and gardens are coping with the effects of two years of drought and facing what could be a dry winter. The Gazette asked a garden expert for advice on how Larchmont homeowners can prepare their gardens, lawns and trees for the change of seasons.

Chris MacDonald, owner of CWM Horticultural Services, said the past two years have been rough ones for the area's greenery. "We've had two really tough years back to back. 2001 was one of the driest years on record, and 2002 broke the record for the most days with temperatures going above 90°," he said. Wildly fluctuating spring temperatures coupled with the stressful dryness this year have caused die-backs in some trees and shrubs, including Japanese maples, dogwoods, hydrangeas and magnolias.

Chris MacDonald of CWM Horticultural Services gives winterizing tips for local gardeners

How can you help your lawn and garden cope? MacDonald suggests thorough watering, continuing until the first frost, as one way to prepare lawns, shrubs and trees for the coming winter. "People should follow the watering restrictions still in place, but they shouldn't stop watering just because it's getting cooler. We need to encourage plants to develop deep root systems so they'll survive dry conditions," he said. This is a good time to fertilize, once now, using a fertilizer high in phosphorous, and again after Thanksgiving, using fertilizer with a high nitrogen content.

What about flowers? Perennials should be cut down late next month or in early November, depending on weather. Spireas, hydrangeas, summersweet and some other deciduous flowering shrubs can be tipped back in late October or early November. Certain hydrangeas flower only on old wood and should be tipped back, not cut down to the ground.

Displays of bulbs are showing up in the garden centers. Purchase bulbs now and store in a cool place. Plant in the middle of next month. If you plant too early, they might come up now; too late, and they won't have a chance to root. Use bulb fertilizer when planting.

Fall is a great time for planting. Plants will continue to root until soil temperatures drop below 45°F. Planting in the fall gives plants a whole season to root before going through the higher stresses of a tough summer.

Monitor your property for pests and disease, and treat specific problems. "We don't like to just spray everything indiscriminately anymore," MacDonald said. "If you find egg masses, this is the time to smother them with an application of horticultural oil." In general, he said, hot, dry weather favors pest reproduction, while humid, wet conditions lead to development of plant diseases. Since we've had two years of drought followed by some very wet weather lately, homeowners need to be on the lookout for pests and disease in their gardens.

Over-zealous gardeners sometimes jump the gun when it comes to tree and shrub pruning, MacDonald said. "Wait until later in the fall, or until early spring, for heavy pruning," he said. "You don't want to encourage new, tender young growth right now, and that's what heavy pruning does." Instead, do only light trimming at this time of year. Spring-blooming plants should be pruned after flowering.

For more information about tending lawns and gardens in this part of the world, see the Cornell University Extension website.

Chris MacDonald is owner of CWM Horticultural Services in Larchmont, 834-7508.

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