Sutton Garden Club

Forced Fall Pruning

Walking through the garden and the adjoining woodland, after the recent October snow storm, is downright depressing. There are so many trees with broken branches and bark peeled off by the weight of the snow. What to do?

In general, Fall pruning is not advisable as it tends to stimulate new growth that will not have time to harden off before freezing temperatures arrive. However, given the damage that occurred from the October storm, gardeners/homeowners will want/need to clean up the debris. For large trees, it's best to hire a specialist with the appropriate equipment to handle the job. If you plan to do the clean-up yourself, make the cuts as smooth as possible in order to promote healing. One benefit to trimming the branches this time of year is the reduction of insect infestation as the onset of winter is right around the corner.

**The following is a basic guideline to pruning trees:

Prune trees, including fruit trees, in late winter.

Prune spring-flowering shrubs immediately after bloom.

Prune late-flowering shrubs (blooming in mid to late summer) in late winter or early spring.

Prune evergreens in winter and early spring; needled evergreens can also take a very modest pruning in early summer.

It's OK to remove diseased, dead or broken branches any time of the year and especially in fall, when allowing diseased parts to linger on a tree over the winter could just bring on headaches the next spring. Gardeners sometimes prune heavy bleeders like birches and maples in the fall if their sap would fall on sidewalks and patios. Also, the need to remove branches that could, if laden with snow or ice, interfere with power lines or structures, justifies pruning at any time- as we have just learned with the October storm.

Try to take advantage of the warmer than normaL temperatures we've been having and get those pruning chores out of the way before the snow flies. Winter is right around the corner!!

**http://www.hgtv.com/landscaping/qa-fall-pruning/index.html

Fall Container Plantings & Black Gold

By this time of year, the summer container plantings are looking a bit tired, droopy and probably dead from the recent 32 degree temps we've had! There's really no choice but to send those blackened plants to the compost pile. But now it looks so empty and dull with them gone!! Instead of spending the next few months looking at a drab landscape, you might consider creating a late season container planting that will not only fill the void left by the demise of those summer annuals but will also encourage the resident birds to visit and entertain you. There are a couple of 'rules' to be aware of before you proceed. First, be sure to choose a container that can withstand our winter's freeze/thaw temperature cycles. Terra cotta ,typically, is not a great choice since it tends to crack. Plastic or glazed would be better. Next, it's crucial to choose plants that are hardy to,at least, two zones colder than yours. This puts us in the Zone 3 to 4 range. Plants in that category include some of the bergenia, pansies, sedums and, of course, most evergreens. New Zealand Flax (hardy to 27 degrees) is another possibility. Even though it won't survive our winter temps, it can still be used to great effect as a vertical accent similar to ornamental grasses-another good choice. Including red twig and yellow dogwood branches to your design, will add color and a convenient perch for the birds. Add crabapple branches, holly berries and a whimsical garden ornament, too. Now, won't winter be so much easier to survive with your lovely planter to look at!!

It's raking season. Not a chore anyone truly looks forward to! Since we have to get rid of the leaves, anyway, consider using them to make leaf mold mulch. Making a wire mesh bin to contain the leaves is ideal but not necessary. An uncontained pile will work just as well. All that's necessary is make a pile, compact it, if possible, and wait a couple of years to harvest the black gold it'll create. A couple of years!! I'm not that patient so I've figured out a way to get the process speeded up. The obvious one is to turn the pile frequently and add some bloodmeal. It's faster but still not fast enough for me and it's a lot of work! The job will be easier if you already have a mulching mower (attachment). My ride-on lawn mower doesn't do a very good job at pulverizing the leaves so I use the push mower. For some reason, removing the lawn clippings bag catcher helps to pulverize the leaves into much smaller pieces. Instead of putting them into a pile,I spread them directly on the garden beds as a mulch about 2-3 inches deep.Chopped up leaves are not all that pretty to look at but the snow's going to cover it and then I, or anyone else, won't have to see it all winter. Spreading it around in a thin layer is what will make those leaves into the wonderful black gold we're looking for and...it's one less thing to do next Spring! FYI: This is not compost but a soil conditioner that will allow your gardens to retain moisture far better. It can be used as an amendment in potting soil, too. Either way, pile or no pile, I like the idea of 'recycling' Mother Nature's gift.