Post-winter damage control for the yard mess

No doubt that many area homeowners spent at least part of the past weekend doing what they’ve not been able to do in months:

Puttering in the yard.

Now that winter has more or less passed on, garden enthusiasts are breaking out the lawn tools and their green thumbs, itching to get back to work. What many saw in their yards, however, may have given them pause.

Usually by now, the spring bulbs are in full bloom. Not this year. Master Gardeners report that in general, plants are about two weeks behind. Beyond that, the near-record snows made an impression.

Flattened shrubs. Broken tree limbs. Yucky looking lawns.

Penny Simonson, Master Gardener Program coordinator for the Washington State University Spokane County Extension, discusses the “long, brutal winter” in a recent newsletter.

“While all the damage is still largely unknown, when we begin assessing plant damage in late spring or early summer, we will probably see significant problems,” she writes. “Injures will vary from damaged leaves and flower buds from late frosts to damaged stems or death of entire plant tops from the heavy snow load we experienced.”

Yes, this long, snowy winter left its mark.

While we have only a few days of spring weather under our belts, it’s not too early to get out and evaluate our yards and fix what we can.

Flattened shrubs

Anywhere snow piled up, small shrubs may have been smashed. Even taller shrubs such as arborvitae may have emerged from the storms with crushed tops and bent limbs.

“Particularly with shrubs like arborvitae that were not trimmed well last fall and weren’t tied up, the snow was heavy and they just went boom,” says Jan Baker, a Master Gardener and volunteer with the WSU Extension’s Plant Clinic. “The snow just spread them down.”

If branches are broken, they should be trimmed to an intersection or a main trunk, Simonson says. Otherwise, homeowners can tie up flattened shrubs and hope they’ll regain their shape.

“Many probably will come back up, and they’ll be alright,” Baker says.

Broken tree limbs

When it comes to dealing with broken tree limbs, homeowners have two choices: do it themselves or hire a professional.

For many, that decision will depend on how large the tree is and where the damaged limbs are located.

“I wouldn’t want to try to climb up in a 100-foot tree and try to trim off broken branches,” Baker says. “An arborist has expertise on reshaping the whole tree.”

On smaller trees, or when dealing with lower branches, removing broken limbs is something most homeowners can do. According to the University of Idaho Extension Service’s Web site, www.extension.uidaho.edu/idahogardens, a small twig or branch can be pruned back to a bud or lateral branch. On a small branch, make the cut one-quarter inch above the bud, and slant the cut away from the bud. The site offers illustrated examples of how and where to prune tree limbs. The WSU Extension site, www.spokane-county.wsu.edu, has similar information

Not interested in doing it yourself? Ask friends for referrals, look up the list of certified arborists at the WSU Extension site or look under “tree services” in the phone book.

“It would be a good idea for (homeowners) if there was a lot of tree damage in a yard to call an arborist and have them come out and do an assessment,” Baker says. “They’re experts, and they know what to do and how to do it.”

Lawn care

Area master gardeners agree that local lawns should be hardy enough to have weathered the heavy snows. Dr. Dan Barney, superintendent/horticulturalist with the University of Idaho’s Sandpoint Research and Extension Center, says that as long as lawns were well tended before the snow fell, they should be OK.

With the prolonged exposure to snow, however, there is an increased chance of snow mold, particularly if a lot of needles, leaves or other debris were left on the grass before the snow piled up.

“This often happens when we get snow cover over unfrozen ground and the snow stays for a prolonged period of time,” says Dorothy Kienke, Master Gardener Program coordinator for UI Extension Kootenai County. “It is first noticed as the snow melts.”

Snow mold will appear as grayish spots on a lawn that, upon close inspection, indeed look moldy. If the mold is widespread, an application of fungicide should clear it up. If the outbreak is small, homeowners can solve the problem by gently raking or sweeping out the moldy patches, allowing fresh grass to emerge. Left alone, the mold often disappears as the weather warms, Kienke adds.

Barney suggests homeowners get out and pick up any debris and doggie landmines – which will kill the grass if left too long – as soon as possible to help the lawn rehabilitate. “Get it cleaned up and give the grass a light dose of fertilizer,” he said.

Not too much fertilizer right away, he added. A heavy dose now will help promote leaf growth, but do little to improve the root system. Two or three light applications of fertilizer during the spring should do the trick.

Also, if there are any holes in the grass, get them reseeded quickly, Barney advises. Broadleaf weeds in particular will find those bare spots attractive places to put down roots.

Kienke also advises gardeners to be on the lookout for voles. Voles are small field mice that take refuge under the snow and begin to make more voles.

“If possible, it is recommended to keep the snow mulch at least 3 feet away from tender young tree trunks to prevent the voles from girdling them,” Kienke writes in an e-mail. “Trapping and poison baits are not practical and should be used with care. Usually after spring activity begins in the yard, the critters move to another location. It is helpful to eliminate weeds, ground cover and litter in and around crops, lawns and cultivated areas to reduce habitat. All mulch should be at least 3 feet from the base of trees, as voles also hide under mulch other than snow.”

Get to work

For now, the most important job in the yard is clean up.

“Rake up all dead leaves and get them out from under trees and shrubs and plants,” Baker says. “Those are breeding grounds for all kinds of disease and insects.”

Also safe to do now: pulling straw and mulch away from the rose bushes and cutting back the dead stuff.

“If people didn’t trim off their perennials stems – things like lavender – they can start trimming off the old dead stems,” she says. “Because of the cold weather, it’s a little bit early for planting the garden. As soon as the soil is a little more dry, where it doesn’t spade up in clumps, then you can start spading up for the vegetable garden.”