Gardening: It’s time to think about winterizing your garden
The Master Gardener Plant Clinic has been getting questions about how to handle shrub and tree pruning, storing tender bulbs and protecting grafted tea roses as we move into late fall. So here are a few tips.
• Deciduous shrubs and trees haven’t even lost their leaves yet and will take until early December to go completely dormant so it’s best to wait until February and March to do any pruning on them. Besides, all the leaves will be off by then and it will be much easier to see what you are doing
• Dahlias need two or three days in the ground after the killing frost to harden their skin before they are dug. Dig the clump gently and wash off the excess dirt and set them aside to dry. Once they are dry, cut them apart with a sharp knife keeping a pink growing eye with each piece. Write the variety name on each new piece. Dust the pieces with a fungicide to guard against mold and rot. Wrap pieces of each variety loosely in plastic wrap so they don’t touch and pack loosely in flat boxes or Styrofoam coolers. This keeps them from drying out. Store them at 40 to 45 degrees in a basement or insulated garage. Check the tuber periodically for rot. If they appear shriveled, mist them lightly and adjust the plastic covering them.
• Cannas tubers also need to harden two to three days in the ground after the frost. Gently dig them up; they will be large and will tend to break apart which is fine as they are easier to handle. Keep only the solid, cream colored tubers, wash off the excess dirt and allow them to dry. Pack the tubers into dry peat moss in boxes or a garbage can and cover. Place them in a 40 to 50 degree dry space. Check periodically through the winter for rotting tubers.
• Grafted tea roses need protection in our cold climate. The graft is often not as hardy as the root stock. The graft is the swollen part of the plant that the branches grow out of. Start by cutting the rose down by half its height to reduce the potential of the branches being whipped around in the winter wind. Mound dirt or compost from another part of the garden over the graft and then pile on a foot or more of shredded pine needles, bark or straw. Shredded pine needles are perfect because they drain water away easily, are usually free and don’t blow away in the wind. Leave the mulch on until early April.
• If you plan to have a living Christmas tree this year, dig the hole where you want to plant it now while the ground is still thawed. Store the dirt from the hole somewhere it won’t freeze so you can easily shovel it into the hole at planting time. Drive a couple of tree stakes in the ground to help hold the tree in place over the winter. Remove them in the spring.