Your 2016 Landscape: Tips for the New Year Garden
December 28, 2015 | By webadmin
This was a banner year for rain! More than 60-inches broke records in the DFW area. And while we appreciate the extra rainfall, it also did its share of damage to our plants and landscapes. As we head into this El Niño winter and into the New Year, there are some reminders and tips we want to offer to help you keep your landscape healthy.
Have frost cloth on hand for those times when we have a hard freeze. Here in North Texas we all know that freezing temperatures and ice can hit us suddenly and hard! Plan to cover tender perennials, newly planted plants, disconnect outdoor hoses, wrap outdoor spigots, turn off sprinklers and empty fountains.
Keep winter pests at bay by applying horticultural oil in January. This natural and effective insect treatment will kill pests that overwinter in the cracks and fissures in your trees and shrubs. Mites, scale, leafhoppers, leafrollers, mealybugs and aphids. Holly plants are especially susceptible to scale.
When was the last time you pruned your trees? Winter is a great time to prune large shade trees. Plus, pruning before a winter storm hits could save not only your tree, but your property as well. Just because our trees look “asleep” doesn’t mean we should leave them alone. Feeding the soil around tree roots in winter will also encourage healthy growth through winter and beyond.
Keep it colorful. Remember that we have a 12-month gardening season here in Dallas. You don’t have to wait until it’s warm to refresh your container and landscape color. February brings with it many options to spruce up your curb appeal through spring. Delphiniums, diascia, cheiranthus, and nemesia are just a few cold hardy colorful options for planting in late winter and early spring. More on early spring color here.
Want to save water in the landscape this summer? Now is the time to refurbish, fix and renovate your automatic irrigation system. Because you don’t need to rely on your irrigation system very often through winter, it’s much easier to make repairs or upgrade your system. Get it up and running now and your lawn, landscape and water bill will thank you come summer.
Give you soil some love. Healthy soil is like a strong foundation for your home. Without rich, healthy soil full of microbial activity, you won’t have a healthy lawn and landscape. Adding organic matter, aerating and feeding the soil is just as important (if not more important) as giving your plants fertilizer.
Happy New Year from your loyal staff at Roundtree Landscaping!
