December THINGS TO DO Seattle & Denver Areas revised 121525 ____________________ SHRUBS AND TREE'S *Denver area trees usually go dormant in late December - following a period of hard-freeze (several sub-freezing daytime temps) * Delay routine pruning / thinning until after a hard freeze. * Identify the plants you intend to prune and follow your local County Extension pruning guidelines. ---------- Inspect for: * cankers and swollen area's * damaged and crossing branches * dead, off-color, leaves and twigs * guy wires that need to be loosened or removed -------------------- LAWNS no mowing needed ---------- Leaves * Do a final leaf cleanup around December 15th * I rake heavy leaf fall off the lawn into the beds and around tree's (this conserves organic material and saves time, but I leave some inches of space around the trunks of tree's and shrubs) ---------- Moss and Weed Control * It is too cold for grass to germinate now, so do not try moss or weed control - you will just end up with patches on your lawn until next spring. * You can try digging out perennial weeds if feasible. ____________________ BED MAINTENANCE * Routine weeding and cleanup * divide rhubarb * bulbs can be still be planted early in month * Some perennials continue to receive nourishment and protection from cold weather from their dying leaves and stems. When in doubt, remove only what comes out with a light tug. * (peonies generally are left alone) ---------- Winter Annual weeds: * Weed winter annuals with a bow-rake or cultivator * Vinegar or non-toxic spot-treatments may work when the weather is warm. (avoid using them on ivy growing up tree's and shrubs, or anywhere around their root zones) * A flamer is also an available tool - use with EXTREME CAUTION Some plants are highly flamable! Keep a water or vinegar spray tank close at hand to douse smouldering embers. * A flamer can be used effectively on wet grounds. Do not scorch the weeds, just lightly singe them. ____________________ MULCH *1 * helps suppress weeds and makes them easier to remove * protects soil from compaction and erosion due to rain * protects sensitive plants against cold damage * Add mulch to beds if needed. More than 2" total depth of mulch is not recommended ----- * Compost is a mulch containing significant amounts of decomposed organic matter * Compost, leaves, and moss, are effective soil builders * Leaves provide good cover for bare-dirt beds and slopes * Leaves left in beds can be raked up if they become unacceptably unsightly after at least some of the mass breaks down; or, till them back into the bed in the spring, or add more mulch later over the leaves. * Keep mulch some inches away from trunks of shrubs and trees. ---------- * For garden area's and closely planted beds, Compost is a good mulch to improve soil quality and provide organic nutrients. * Municipal compost should be a good product. (It may be initially odorous and mucky during fall and winter months) * Compost mixes of variable quality are usually available at landscape materials outlets. Check for excessive sand and sawdust in mix. In Seattle, the cedar grove compost / topsoil mix is reliably good, (nowadays). Sav-a-tree in denver has some good products, in bulk. In bags, i have found ace hardware and Krameria nursery in Denver to carry some good products. Check labels to ascertain relative quality of different brands. ---------- * For open bed area's, play area's, trails; * Arbor chips work well - they can be applied more thickly than other mulches, but is more time consuming to apply, and variable in quality. * play chips can also be used as mulch but it will have a different appearance and color you may not prefer. * Coarse bark mulch will last longer than finer bark but provide less coverage per sq.ft. and is more time consuming to apply. * Dyed wood chip mulch if used should be certified not to contain shredded pallets before using it. It also may stain clothing, pets, people, etc. ____________________ WATER * Shut down sprinkler system if not yet done. * Drain or protect shallow or exposed pipe which might freeze. * fix drainage problems, or; mulch over boggy areas with arborchips or coarse bark. ( plant them with bog rosemary or other water tolerant plants when weather and season is favorable ) DENVER: It is recommended by extension service to continue watering shrubs and new plantings .. I will continue to water until a hard freeze. Snow does provide some moisture thru the winter., * Watering in the winter is tricky. Since your irrigation should already be winterized, this can only be done by hand - remove your faucet protector, reattach your hose, and water every week or so on a warm day - the water requirement I think would be much less as plants enter winter dormancy. * Remember to turn off the faucet, disconnect the hose, leave the nozzle open and lay out or coil the hose so that the hose will drain out, and replace the faucet protector after watering. ____________________ ROOF AND GUTTER *2 * Remove debris and moss accumulation on the roof, as time and weather permit * clear overflowing gutters and plugged downspouts. install cylinders, grates, or cones of chicken-wire screen over downspouts as needed to prevent plugging of drainpipes * (use of commercially available fine mesh screens may plug up and/or disintegrate) * gutter screening systems can lose effectiveness if covered by debris or plugged with moss * lightly brush, rake,or sweep off moss and debris - pressure washing is not recommended * specially formulated moss control products labeled for roofs can then help control any remaining moss. (moss may take some time to loosen up or weather away after a moss-control treatment) * Regular roof maintenance can extend roof-life by 25% (*2) (NOTE: removing moss from cedar shake roofing is not feasible or recommended) ____________________ HARDSCAPES * keep leaves off pathways, driveway, street gutters, sidewalks __________ Moss First scrape off what you can using a flat point shovel and/or the backside of a flexible metal leaf rake. Then as needed, apply a specially formulated moss control product labeled for hardscape use - it may take awhile for the moss to weather away. Pressure wash if remaining moss is dangerously slick or more immediate results are needed * Household vinegar kills moss but remember it can kill grass, groundcovers, and plantings. Keep it off lawns and root zones in plantings. It does not subsist long in soils - instead it turns to water. Lilly Miller worry-free products are pretty good but read the label and follow all directions carefully. __________ Snow and Ice * Keep sand in a lidded bucket on hand for pathways and dangerous icy spots. * Shovel snow frequently to avoid buildups. * Apply sand to icy areas. (I think sand is a better option than salt; it doesn't damage concrete or increase the salt index of surrounding soil) ____________________ NOTES *1 see "LAWNCARE" pamphlet for further info on mulching clippings *2 see "RESEARCH LINKS" for further info on moss on roofs