The crocus in our office garden began blooming last week!

Well, it looks like spring is really here so it’s time to think about cleaning up those gardens.  The weather last weekend was glorious, and if you haven’t done so already, there are a few things you can get out there and do.

• Remove any burlap from evergreens
• Uncage & remove mulch from any tender perennials you added extra protection to over the winter
• Cutback perennials left up for winter interest
• Remove any matted leaves from the lawn – you may have more “leftover” leaf litter than normal since we had such a late leaf drop in the fall

Get out there and enjoy our unusually warm spring!

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By Ann Davenport

Well, the consensus is in (by consensus I mean a poll of those of us working in the office this winter—very official I know) and it seems that we are experiencing a drought here in Minnesota.  Just to confirm my suspicions, I checked in with the folks over at the University of Minnesota and my favorite climatologist, Mark Seeley, to see what they were saying about our unusual winter.  Yep—It’s dry and strangely warm….but for more detailed, not to mention interesting information about our Minnesota climate, check out their cool climatology website.

What?? No Snow??

I know that we’ve all enjoyed this warm weather and I certainly haven’t been sad to not be shoveling snow every other minute but the big question looming out there is what does this mean for our gardens????  Here are a few things that I’ve been thinking about.

I think one of the biggest concerns is drought stress on trees and shrubs.  We experienced a warm, extended fall and hopefully everyone took advantage of it and kept watering their trees and shrubs up until the very last possible moment.  Providing supplemental water going into winter (drought or not) is one of the best ways to arm your trees and shrubs against our harsh winter elements.  In our area, the ground is now frozen anywhere from 4-8” in depth.  Providing additional water at this point likely won’t help your plants too much, as more is likely to run off than be absorbed.  If you do choose to try providing a little more water at this point, make sure to add it very slowly in order to minimize runoff and maximize the amount available to the plant.  It’s also not too late to burlap any newly planted evergreens which haven’t had a year or two to become established in the garden.  Evergreens are very susceptible to winter burn, caused by a drying out of their needles by the wind.  Only time will tell what kind of spring is in store for us but if the drought continues, getting an early start on watering may be necessary once the ground thaws and the new growth begins to appear.

Snow: Mother Nature's Insulator

This winter’s lack of snow is another potential issue for the gardens.  Snow acts as an insulator for our plants.  It helps keep the ground frozen when we experience temperature fluctuations.  It prevents heaving as the moisture in the soil expands and contracts, and also provides extra protection for tender perennials.  Most of our Zone 4 plants should be able to withstand a winter with little to no snow cover but it is possible that we’ll see more dieback on things this year.

Will We See More Of These Pests?

The warmer than normal temperatures may also impact the number of pests we see in the garden.  The mild winter may help larger populations of insects whose numbers normally would be diminished by cold winter temperatures survive.  Winter certainly isn’t over yet and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find that we still experience some bitterly cold days but will it be enough?

It’s easy to think that all this is doom and gloom for the garden but when I look out at my snow-less landscape, I’m intrigued, amazed, and very excited to see what spring will bring.  Plants can be so resilient.  They’ve been “going with the flow” forever.  It’s us who have a hard time changing.  Yes, maybe not all of my plants will make it this year.  Of course I’ll be sad for the ones that don’t.  But at the same time, I see it as an opportunity to try something new and what gardener isn’t thrilled with the prospect of that!

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By Jason Rathe

Leaves can provide additional winter protection for the garden

Customers often ask us when they should do garden cut-backs and general clean-up – spring or fall? Well… there are compelling reasons on both sides.

The arguments for spring clean-up:
* Many perennial garden plants offer structure and interest in the winter – especially ornamental grasses and plants with dark seed heads like black eyed-susan.
* Insects use the plant stalks and stems for habitat in the winter and early spring.
* Birds eat the dried seeds from plants like echinacea and black-eyed susan.
* The leaf-litter left on the beds provides insulation for the plants and the stems give plenty of nooks and crannies for the leaves to get caught it.
* Plants seem to overwinter more successfully with the stems on. Having cut stems close to the crown can lead to more drying out (this is probably really minimal).

On the other hand fall is a good time for clean-up, because…

Cleaning up fall leaves can make cleaning up around spring bulbs much easier

* Let’s face it, there is something really great about being outside in the fall doing work.
* It is easier to do the work in the fall when things are dried rather than in the spring when everything is mushy and soggy.
* If you have bulbs coming up, it is nice to not have to do a lot of work around them.
* Come spring you are really happy you don’t have all that work left to do.

In the end, if you have the time it is probably best to do a little bit of both. In the fall, clean-up anything mushy, mangly, and unsightly, but leave up the grasses and plants with structure or seed heads. Be sure to clean-out areas where bulbs will come up so that doesn’t need to be done in the spring. And in the spring clean-up the rest.

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Running a thin stream of water from the hose is a good way to water new trees

The calendar has turned to September and the air is getting cooler.  It’s easy to think that your “work” in the garden is done but don’t put those hoses away yet!!!  Providing adequate water into the fall is a critical piece in assisting plants to prepare for our tough, Minnesota winters.  Continuing to water until the ground freezes increases plant survival as well as improving year round plant health.  Although Mother Nature often helps us out with rain in the fall, sometimes you will need to do a little supplementing to ensuring that your plants get 1-1.5 inches of water every seven to ten days.  With that said, it’s important not to over water.  Over watering can cause plants to send out new growth resulting in tissue that won’t be hardened off for winter.  It also can simply result in too much moisture in the ground, causing the roots to rot.  This is especially true in heavy, clay soils.

All of the plants in your landscape will benefit from fall watering, but it is especially beneficial to evergreens as well as trees and shrubs planted with in the last five years.  Because plant roots cannot extract water from the frozen soil, helping them to be retain moisture in the fall will help prepare them to survive whatever Old Man Winter throws their way!  So keep an eye on the weather and make sure your landscape gets that 1-1.5 inches of water per week.  Next season your plants will thank you for it.

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By Carolyn Johnson

Summer is finally in full swing.  It sure feels like it with all this heat, doesn’t it?  We are now noticing in the garden, the effects of our cool and rainy spring.  Some things to watch for right now in your garden include magnolia scale, Japanese beetles, and cutworm on creeping jenny.

"Wooly" covering of the magnolia scale

Magnolia Scale:  We have seen evidence of scale on magnolias recently.  The scale is shiny and smooth, and often covered with a white, waxy coating.  Branches can become heavily infested which results in weakened or dead wood.  Scale creates a substance called honeydew which is excreted on the plant’s foliage and branches.  Sooty mold, a dark fungus, then develops on the honeydew on the leaves, thus detracting from the ornamental value of the tree.  You can rid the plant of scale by scratching them off (though you would have to remain diligent about this practice), applying horticultural oils in late August, or systemically spraying in late August or early September.

Japanese Beetles: We have begun to spot these insects on ornamental

The Japanese beetle up close and personal

plants in the past week.  The beetles are shiny, metallic green insects with tufts of white under their wing covers.  Most beetles tend to congregate and can do large amounts of damage by chewing on leaves and flowers of your prized roses.  Don’t think they are limited to roses for feeding, however.  Their taste palette includes more than 300 species of plants ranging from trees to shrubs to non-woody plants, including annuals.  The most effective method of controlling Japanese beetles is to hand pick them off your plants and drop them into a container with soapy water.  There are some contact sprays out there, like insecticidal soap, but if the beetle isn’t hit directly with the spray then it will not be controlled.  If you notice a large infestation of Japanese beetles, you may want to check your turf.  The beetles start as grubs in your turf and can cause the turf to die.

Cutworm and feeding damage on creeping jenny

Cutworm: We have been noticing a lot of cutworm damage to the creeping jenny ground cover as well.  It’s seems to be worse this year than in the past and possibly due to the wet spring we’ve experienced.  The leaves are practically chewed to nothing leaving the stems of the plant looking very sad, indeed!  We spread a natural product called Diatomaceaous Earth that you can find at your local garden center.  The product has an abrasive feel that when the exoskeletons of pests, such as cutworm and slugs, cross over the product it causes the insects to dehydrate and die.

We hope this gives you a few things to be watchful for in your gardens.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

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By Ann Davenport

Chickweed's "daisy-like" flower

At first glance, I wouldn’t call chickweed a horribly offensive weed.  In fact, it is kind of cute…in small doses.  However, this year it seems as though there are no “small doses” of chickweed.  Everywhere I turn, I see it forming a groundcover-like mat in the garden.

Common chickweed, Stellaria media, is an annual weed that produces thin, long stems that sprawl along then ground.  It is a weed with shallow roots, making it easy to pull.  However, when pulled, the stems appear to stretch a little than easily break.  Kind of an annoying habit when you think about it!

Despite its annoying habits, common chickweed is relatively easy to control by hand pulling or cultivating.  Get out there in your garden and go after it when you are feeling patient and wanting to pay attention to the small details.

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By Carolyn Johnson

Mulching Provides a Clean, Finished Look to the Garden

Spring clean ups are wrapping up and our next focus at Field will be composting and mulching.  This is the perfect time of year to apply compost and mulch because the plants are just now starting to poke their little heads up.  It’s easier to work around the plants in the garden now rather than when they are fully-leafed out.

The benefits from compost and mulch are immense.  Compost and mulch can do the following:

• Conserve moisture, reducing watering needs
• Prevent weed germination
• Regulate soil temperatures
• Improve the condition of the soil by adding nutrients
• Reduce compaction
• Provide a ‘finished’ look in your landscape.  Should I keep going?

We recommend applying new mulch and compost every two to three years to help your garden stay healthy and look its best.  Please call me, Carolyn, at 612-554-8179, if you would like to schedule our services.   You can reach me at fieldcare@fieldoutdoorspaces.com as well.  We would be happy to help you strive to have the best looking garden on your block!

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By Carolyn Johnson & Ann Davenport

Raking to loosen thatch & increase air & water circulation to soil

During those first few warm days of spring (yes, those days will actually come to us here in Minnesota) we all have the urge to get out into the sunshine and do some work in the yard and garden.  As tempting as that is, your patience will pay off in the end.  One of the first things people want to do in the spring is rake the yard.  Raking is healthy for lawns.  It helps to loosen matted down grass, allowing air and light to reach the soil surface.  However, doing this too early when the soils are still cold and muddy can cause more harm than good by compacting the soil.  As a rule of thumb, stay off the lawn as much as possible until it is has begun to dry out and is no longer muddy and soft under foot.  The same rule applies to working in the garden.  Each lawn and garden will differ on how long it takes to warm up and dry out.  Keeping an eye on it and checking every few days will allow you to determine when it’s ok to begin walking on and raking your lawn.

Cutting back last year's foliage

Once the garden has dried out, it’s time to remove winter protection from tender perennials.  Remove burlap from evergreens and tree wrap from tree trunks.  Clean out remaining leaves from garden beds.  This is a great time to pick up leaves, trash, fallen limbs and any other materials that have accumulated over the winter.   It’s good to evaluate any structural changes you would like to make too.  Now is a good time to take a look at the garden and think about what may need to be divided or moved and where you might have space for new plants.  Spring is also the perfect time to cut back dead foliage of perennials and grasses before new growth starts and tangles with the old.  The removal of dead foliage will improve your gardens chances of a healthy start.  The chances of becoming susceptible to pests and diseases are greatly reduced.   Finally, pruning dead branches promotes healthy new growth on trees and shrubs.

With a proper clean up, your garden will be well on it's way!

At Field our primary focus is the health of your garden.   We want your garden off to a healthy start whether you do it yourself or call us to help.   As always, we are available for questions so please don’t hesitate to call.  Contact Carolyn at 612-554-8179.

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