Gardens Galore: Reading Trees by Karen Brewka

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I'm not happy to think it, but it's time to start getting our yards and flower beds ready for winter. WHAT!!! But it's still summer! Plants live on a different schedule than we do. Figuring out what they need is something gardeners do all the time.
So, no more fertilizing of anything for me (except my flowers in baskets and containers). No fertilizing my lawn until maybe late September – early October. No fertilizing trees and shrubs and perennials. These plants have to 'harden off' or get ready for dormancy. Plants that do not harden off in time for winter will suffer from 'winterkill'. Top growth that is still soft will burst cells when cold temperatures arrive. Fertilizing now means that the plants will be forced to produce new growth – growth that won't harden off in time. Now is the time for our plants to store carbohydrates in the roots and for deciduous leaves to start being pushed off the branch.
So, no more extra watering (unless it gets very dry or we have newly planted trees and shrubs). We really do not need to add extra water until late fall. Once our plants start to get ready for winter, we need to get out of their way and leave them alone to do so.
But, how do we know what is going on in their schedules? Looking closely, we can see that the new growth that came out in spring is turning dark green and matching the colour of the leaves on the older parts of our trees and shrubs. My shrub rose still has some pale green leaves on the ends of some of the branches. This is because of our late spring. The rose was three weeks late in blooming and it is still late in hardening off. I hope it can catch up. In the meantime, there is no way I would fertilize or water this shrub. I don't want to lose any of this year's new growth.
All the native aspens and poplars are hardening off their new growth. They are well adapted to variations in our crazy climate. My Bur Oak still has bright green leaves on the tips of the branch. I'm really hoping for a long fall and no frost until the end of September. In the meantime I'll be careful to allow more air to circulate around the ground beneath this tree (I'll pull out some of the flowers at its base) so the ground will dry out, allowing the oak to maybe speed up its hardening off process.
I know it's terrible to have to think about winter now but what we do or do not affects our plants. We need to think ahead and plan our gardening activities according to our plants needs.
The Valley Neighbors Garden Club welcomes new members. For information call Bea at 403–933–7131. The Horticultural Club meets every second Tuesday of the month at 7:30pm. For information call Sheila at 403–931–3989.