Have you noticed any spots like this on your trees or shrubs?

With the abundance of snow and lack of food sources available to deer and rabbits, our plants tend to fall victim to this damage known as girdling.

Girdling occurs when animals chew the outer layer of bark off a branch, harming the cambium layer.

The cambium layer is responsible for transportation of nutrients through the xylem and phloem. Once this layer has been chewed through all the way around the branch or trunk, the transportation becomes disrupted and the nutrients fail to continue on past the chewed area.

Unfortunately, once this happens the tree will slowly die. In some cases, a shrub can make a comeback if pruned below the girdled area.
If you’ve noticed a small area has been chewed on, but isn’t a complete ring around the branch or trunk, your plant should come out unharmed.

The best way to prevent girdling is to use plastic trunk protectors or paper tree wrap from the ground up to the lowest branch. The best time to apply the protective barrier is in fall, but if you’re noticing damage can be applied mid-winter. White plastic trunk protectors can be left on trees until the bark has matured.

It should be noted that sometimes a tree will leaf out after being girdled due to stored nutrients; eventually it will die.

Buying your tree a month before Christmas doesn’t mean it’ll be dried out and shedding before it’s time to open presents.

Follow these Christmas trees do’s and don’ts to keep your tree green and fresh all the way to the new year!

Do: Make a fresh cut to remove a ¼” to 1” thick disk of wood from the base of the trunk before putting it in the stand. 

Don’t: Cut the trunk at an angle, or into a v-shape. This makes it much more difficult to set the tree in the stand and also reduces the amount of water available to the tree.

Do: Use a stand that fits your tree.

Don’t: Whittle the sides of the trunk down to fit the stand. The outer layers of wood are the most efficient in taking water and should not be removed.

Do: Place the tree in water as soon as possible. If needed, trees can be temporarily stored for several days in a cool location. Place the freshly cut trunk in a bucket that is kept full of water until you place it in your stand. 

BELOW ARE MORE TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR TREE FRESH IN YOUR HOUSE.

When choosing a stand, use one with adequate water holding capacity for the tree. As a general rule, stands should provide one quart of water per inch of stem diameter.

Maintain a constant water level in the stand. This may require filling the stand several times the first few days.

Check the stand daily to make sure that the level of water does not go below the base of the tree. Once the tree goes dry, it will form a seal over the cut base and it is very difficult to get it to draw water again.

DRILLING A HOLE IN THE BASE OF THE TRUNK DOES NOT IMPROVE WATER UPTAKE.

Keep trees away from sources of heat (fireplaces, heaters, heat vents, direct sunlight).

Lowering the room temperature will slow the drying process, resulting in less water consumption each day. 

Use lights that produce low heat, such as LED lights. Be sure to inspect light sets prior to placing them on the tree, if worn replace with a new set. Do not overload electrical circuits. Always turn off the lights when leaving the house or going to bed.

Monitor the tree for freshness, if the tree is dry remove it from the house. 

Remember, once a tree is cut, it is in the process of dying. The usual life for a live cut Christmas tree indoors is approximately two to three weeks. 

If you want a real Christmas tree indoors for a longer length of time, consider a flocked Christmas tree which is sprayed with a fire retardant and will last longer.

When removing the Christmas tree from the home, find a recycling program near your area. Never burn any part of a Christmas tree in a wood stove or fireplace.

Early spring, everyone gets a little giddy when the tulips, daffodils and hyacinth start to show signs of life after a long, cold winter. It never fails that we get asked “Are your bulbs in yet?” 

Although the plants are blooming in spring, they’re actually fall bulbs and need to be planted near the end of September or later.

FALL BULBS NEED APPROXIMATELY 12-16 WEEKS OF COLD WEATHER TO PROPERLY DEVELOP FLOWER BUDS COME SPRING.

When planting fall bulbs, you want to keep an eye on the weather to make sure day time temperatures are consistently in the 60’s or lower.

 If the weather is too warm, it can cause premature growth, rotting bulbs, or poor development of the root system. 

When in doubt, it’s better to wait until a light frost before planting, just make sure to get them in the ground before a hard freeze! (If you can dig a hole, you can still plant).

IN ADDITION TO PLANTING, FALL IS THE BEST TIME TO SPLIT OR MOVE EXISTING BULBS.

Steps To Bulb Planting Success

Check your soil – Make sure you are planting in an area with well draining soil. If the soil is dense, amend the soil with some peat moss or perlite to increase drainage.
Plant your bulb at the proper depth – It is a good idea to keep the package of your bulbs to help determine the proper planting depth. As a general rule, plant the bulb 2-3 times the height of the bulb. (Example a 2” bulb will need to be planted 4-6” deep) It is better to plant too deep rather than not deep enough.
When planting your bulbs, make sure to plant the pointed end of the bulb towards the sky. If it is hard to distinguish which side is pointed, you can look for remnants of dried roots to indicate the bottom. 
If after a full examination of the bulb you still can’t determine top from bottom, plant the bulb sideways. The plant will correct itself and find its way to the surface.
In addition to proper depth, the bulb package will give you the proper spacing to plant your bulbs. You can space bulbs closer or further apart than recommended. 
Dense plantings will have a bold impact when blooming but can affect the bulbs from coming back as strong the following season, and may need to be divided sooner.
Once bulbs have been spaced, cover with soil and sprinkle some bone meal on top of the soil. This will help promote strong root development.
Finally, water thoroughly. Do not water after the initial planting as the bulbs are dormant and excessive water could rot out bulbs.

As fall begins to set in, it’s time to prepare for cooler temperatures. Below we have compiled a fall yard and garden checklist to make sure you’re ready for fall and to set yourself up for success in the spring.

TREE, SHRUB AND PERENNIAL MAINTENANCE:

Divide and replant existing perennials and plant any new perennials, trees or shrubs that you are wanting to add to your landscaping for the year. (Yes, you can still plant in fall.)
Continue to water perennials (one gallon once every 7 days), trees (5-7 Gallons once every 10-14 days) and shrubs (3-5 gallons once every 7-10 days) until a hard freeze.
Plant spring blooming bulbs. (All About Fall Bulbs)
Prune shrubs to shape and promote new growth. (Excluding lilacs, forsythia, flowering plum; Spring blooming shrubs should be pruned immediately after blooming.)
Wrapping Trees
Remove tops of raspberry canes that have fruited; lower portions will bear next summer.
Cut back and protect perennials using mulch or leaves.
Spray wilt pruf on evergreens to prevent browning.

AROUND THE HOUSE:

Refresh tired planters by removing summer annuals and spruce up your planters with colorful mums, asters, and ornamental kale and pumpkins for fall interest.
Before a hard freeze remove flowering plants and store planters indoors to prevent freezing and cracking. If you plan to use spruce tips and fresh greens for winter interest keep the soil in the pot to hold the greens once temps are low enough.
Keep an eye on overnight temperatures – Once the weather starts approaching 40 degrees or lower, make sure to pull inside any tropical/ non hardy plants to prevent killing them. 
Store pesticides and herbicides in airtight containers and keep in a spot that will not freeze.

LAWN PREPARATION:

Keep newly seeded lawns watered.
Continue to mow your lawn to prevent snow mold next spring.
Apply winterizer to promote a healthy lawn
Spray broadleaf weeds in lawns (able to spray until a hard frost).