Date:  Mon, 08 Nov 2004 21:21:26 -0500

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This autumn has been filled with dry mild days and cool

nights. Up until this week we had not seen a killing frost; only

scattered light frost in some areas. The weather has been very comfortable for

gardening projects.

Lawn repair projects need to be finished by early

this month. The mild weather has allowed more time to treat the grub damage

and re-seed bare spots in the lawn. There is plenty of time to apply lime

to the lawn and garden beds. Make sure to spread a winterizing fertilizer on

the lawn

at the end of November. The ground temperature is just right for planting

the spring flowering bulbs. Finish planting the bulbs before the ground freezes.

Daffodils and hyacinths are good choices for this area. Tulips are a favorite of

deer and can only be planted in areas protected from their browsing. Some of the

smaller bulbs are also deer resistant. Try scillas, snowdrops, alliums and

winter aconite. The smaller bulbs are easy to plant and you squeeze them in to

the smallest of garden spaces.

Garden clean up is the main chore this month. Rake

and compost the fallen leaves. Finish pulling out the dead annuals and cut

back the

dying foliage on perennial plants. Cutting back foliage on iris will

help prevent iris borer damage next year. Chrysanthemums can be cut down

after they finish blooming and the foliage turns brown.

Mulch helps both new and established plantings

through the winter months. Refresh mulched areas to maintain a 2-3 inch layer. Keep

the mulch away from the trunks of trees and shrubs. Bark is the plant’s

protective layer and needs to be kept dry and hard. Deep piles of mulch are also

the perfect places for mice to borrow for the winter. Borrowed mice have

been known to feed on the bark, sometimes girdling the trunk.

New perennial plantings will benefit from a light

covering of mulch during the winter months. Shredded leaves or trimmed evergreen

branches placed over the crown of the plants are good choices. The

mulch will prevent the plants from heaving out of the ground during the freeze and

thaw cycle of our typical New Jersey winter.

Rose bushes still continue to bloom in the cool

weather. Let the last blooms remain on the bush to form rose hips. These are the

rose fruits and contain the seeds. Setting seed signals the plant to slow growth

and begin dormancy. Rake up the fallen foliage from the roses to prevent the

spread of fungal diseases next year.

Rose pruning should be left until next March. For

now, prune back only the extremely long canes that might snap off during winter

winds. A light mulch of shredded leaves (maple, oak) placed at the base of the

bush will protect the crown of the plant for the winter.

The winter of 2004 was hard on many broadleaved

evergreens, especially hollies. By April the majority of holly leaves were at least

partially, if not all, brown from the winter winds. Fortunately hollies

usually grow new leaves from the many lateral buds along their branches. But

brown leaves can be prevented with an application of anti-desiccant and

thorough watering of the plant roots before the ground freezes.

Anti-desiccants should be applied in November

while the daytime temperature is at least 40 degrees F. The application will slow

down water loss from transpiration through the winter. The transpiration

rate on a cold windy day is very high and causes rapid desiccation of leaf

tissue. The result is usually browned edges or total leaf death. A second

application can be applied on a warm day in February to ensure protection through March

when wind damage is common. Wind blocks also provide excellent protection to

evergreens planted in exposed or windy locations. Set up a burlap screen attached

to wooden or metal stakes. The burlap should be as tall as the shrub. It

only needs to block the wind, leave the top of the shrub uncovered. Burlap

screens can also be used to prevent deer browsing.

Deer repellents also need to be applied while

daytime temperatures remain 40 degrees F or above. Repellents applied to trees

and shrubs this month will remain effective for several months. Touch-ups

can be applied later in the winter on a day when the temperature climbs to 40 degrees

F. For heavy deer pressure areas try a combination of repellents and deer

netting to ensure protection of the landscape.

Beth Nardone, botanist, is a resident of

Hillsborough and is

the Nursery Manager at the Belle Mead Co-op. Questions and comments can

be sent

to bethtanical@patmedia.net