Every year when the cold weather arrives, and the last leaves are falling off your favorite tree, you may think to yourself: “My garden is done for the year!” Well, think again! Some of the most important and rewarding garden endeavors can only be initiated during the winter months. One of these is winter pruning, and it is something that will pay big dividends in your garden or landscape! Pruning your trees and shrubs during the winter months can greatly improve the look (Not to mention the health) of your plants, so that they go into spring looking fabulous! Here are some insights into winter pruning, and why it is so essential:
The single biggest reason that winter is a great time to prune is the fact that your plants will be in a
state of dormancy. When plants are dormant, they are far less susceptible to shock from pruning. One thing to keep in mind when it comes to pruning is that you should aspire to prune your plants as needed from a young age rather than having to do a bunch of drastic pruning later on. You can still prune many older plants, but they are far more likely to become “Frankentrees” if they must be pruned drastically.
Another great reason for winter pruning is that the lack of foliage on your deciduous plants makes
pruning cuts easy to see. This really helps when it comes to bringing out your plant’s best form. If you’ve never pruned ornamental trees and shrubs before, here are some of the things to look for when pruning for form:
- Prune off any dead or dying branches. These branches can harbor pests and disease, plus they just don’t look very good!
- Prune crossing branches or branches that are going towards the center of the plant. Ideally, you want the branching structure of your plant to radiate outward. This is the healthiest shape for your plant, because branches that cross or meet each other are more likely to split or break.
- Prune off any small interior branches that don’t really amount to anything. The goal is to allow good airflow to pass through your plant, and many trees and shrubs can get gummed up with unnecessary foliage on the interior that does nothing for the look of your plant but encourages potential disease issues.
- You’ll also want to selectively thin out the branching on the exterior of the plant so that it allows air and light to pass through the plant. Keep the healthiest, nicest looking branches while removing some of their neighbors. When you prune off these branches, take them back to a branch union (Where they attach to another branch) This helps to keep your pruning cuts from being obvious.
- If you are pruning a plant for size (Like a fruit tree or hedge), be sure to make your pruning cuts right above outward-facing buds. This will generally help future growth to grow in the right direction, and will avoid having long dead stubs at the ends of your branches.
One more great thing about winter pruning? Your plants will flush out lots of fresh growth quickly the
following spring, and you will get to spend the whole warm season enjoying the beauty of your plants rather than looking at chopped up looking trees and shrubs! Enjoy your beautifully pruned plants! Our Certified Arborists can help you get the job done right. Contact us today at 360-574- 8979 if you are interested in sprucing up your fine garden.
It looks like we’re going to get a week of sunny and dry weather so it’s a perfect time to tackle some of our top Winter Tasks to help you get a start on Spring. Then, curl up with a warm drink at the end of the day and outline the projects you want to accomplish next year. Here are our top tips:
- Skip a day at the gym and sweep regularly to keep sidewalks safe. Exercise clears the mind and lets you daydream about your goals.
- Be observant and keep on top of cool-season weeds like Lamium, Clover, and Chickweeds. Don’t know which weed? Check out Oregon State’s Weed ID Handbook.
- If the ground isn’t frozen, you still have time to plant bulbs for a beautiful Spring display. But if you’re smothered in snow? Call us for snow plowing or parking-lot de-icing!
- Is your lawn shaggy or does it have any bald-spots? Take your hairdresser’s advice and take only a little bit off the top.
- Send leaves from any plants that showed stress or disease to the Municipal Yard Waste; their hot composting system will break it down completely. Mow the remaining leaves and put them back on your garden beds as a protective mulch.
- Broken branches or other storm damage? Have our expert tree-pruning crew keep you safe.
- Grow your own? If you’re a home vegetable gardener, planning your seed order is both fun and challenging! The Oregon Extension office has great resources for growing techniques for our area, and the best varieties to help you narrow down your seed order.
- Ensure your new landscaping sails through a stressful summer and put in a water-saving irrigation system.
- Concerned about flooding on your property? Is it time to build that rain garden for year-round water management that is as beautiful, as it is effective?
- Dreaming about outdoor dining on our warm summer nights? Is this the year to finally build that patio? Pull out that stack of magazines and start marking pages, or visit our Houzz page and create your own idea book.
Check out our other winter maintenance services and give us a call.
In a year when winter has been particularly long, cold, and wet, it’s not unusual to enter spring with a distressed lawn. The high pressure produced by intense winter conditions creates a lot of opportunities for pests and diseases to move in and cause problems.
Here are a few common issues we observe in the Clark County and Portland metro area. If you’re seeing bare patches, brown patches, or circular patches of pink or white, you may be facing one of the following:
Red Thread
Red thread, or Laetisaria fuciformis, is an opportunistic lawn disease. Its name comes from thin red strands this fungus sends out from the tips of infected grass blades. If your lawn and soil isn’t well drained, a wet winter can throw the door wide open for problems due to this infection. Prolonged exposure to moisture is the primary cause of red thread in unhealthy turf.
From a distance, you may notice circular patches of pinkish grass ranging up to 8 inches in diameter. It’s important to take a closer look to see if ‘threads’ are present, though, as there are similar symptoms that result from other kinds of issues.
The good news is that red thread does not destroy grass roots and crowns. There is potential for full recovery if you commit to thorough treatment. The best way to ward off future infections of red thread is by conditioning your soil, providing good drainage, and sticking to a proven, consistent maintenance plan.
Pink Snow Mold
Pink snow mold, as its name implies, is associated with extended snow cover. Like red thread, it’s caused by a fungus, Microdochium nivale. Pink and white foamy fungal spores sit on top of infected grass blades, creating pink circular splotches across the lawn. In a prolonged wet and snowy winter, it can result in severe damage to turf.
The road to recovery begins with skilled thatching and aeration. Committing to best practices for fertilization, drainage, snow management, and pest control is the key to keeping damage from snow mold to a minimum, whatever future winters may bring.
Crane Fly
Crane fly infestations are notorious for their potential to kill an entire lawn. While adult crane flies swoop and fly around the yard, it’s the eggs they lay down that spell serious trouble. Crane fly larvae (also known as ‘leatherjackets’) are 1-inch long and tan or grayish white in color. The hungry larvae wreak havoc on turf as they feast on grass roots and crowns.
Look for patches of damaged grass that may appear to grow together and spread. Peeling back the soil will reveal whether crane fly larvae are to blame. While a healthy lawn can handle a medium population of larvae, a teeming infestation means it’s time to call for help.
The encouraging thing about battling crane fly is the potential for treatment and full recovery. The crew at Frontier Landscaping has generated impressive results for lawn restoration and would be happy to work with you to save your lawn if you’re dealing with an outbreak this year.
Maintaining healthy turfgrass is the #1 way to prevent future pest and disease issues!
Lawn Rescues and Revamps
In the moist Pacific Northwest, especially after a very wet winter, it’s not uncommon to have problems show up if your soil and grass haven’t been regularly maintained for optimal health.
If you’re in need of treatment, the Frontier Landscaping crew is expertly qualified to help you back to a thriving, healthy lawn. The process we have developed through years of local experience consistently produces successful, healthy turf.
Aeration
Aeration is a generic term for exposing soil to the air by removing plugs of soil from the turf. The openings created by aeration help water and nutrients move more easily through the soil.
While it’s common practice to leave soil plugs in a lawn after aeration, the crew at Frontier Landscaping has determined that the most successful lawns are created when we pick up and dispose of the hardened plugs. This additional step allows topdressing to better penetrate the new holes in the soil, enhancing the entire aeration process overall. While it is a greater effort, this step has consistently shown itself to be an effective key to helping sick lawns bounce back quickly and look better than ever.
Additional benefits of aeration:
- Limits fertilizer runoff
- Improves ability to absorb water
- Slows buildup of thatch
- Builds strong root system and layer of topsoil
Frontier Landscaping recommends aeration once each year for all lawns to maintain great health.
Reseeding and Fertilization
Once soil has been aerated, ¼ to 1 inch of rich soil conditioner is applied. This mix works down through the new holes left by aeration and sets the lawn up for improved future drainage.
Why does this matter? Good soil texture promotes healthy turf. In turn, healthy turf is significantly less susceptible to disease.
Once soil has been treated, your lawn will be ready to be reseeded and fertilized. It’s not uncommon to see new grass emerging within a month of completion.
Intense seasons of wet weather can result in significant pest and disease pressure on lawns, especially if the grass isn’t robust and healthy to begin with.
If you find yourself facing ugly bare spots, remember that many issues are treatable if caught in time. Give us a call to learn about treatment options for your lawn. We’ll help you through and are happy to design a custom care plan for the future based on the specific needs of your landscape.
Ready for a winter lawn rescue? Call (360) 574-8979 or send us an email to arrange a consultation today.
