Click below to listen to my 2 min. Garden Bite radio show: It’s not too early to prepare your plants for Winter
This year it is especially important to continue to water our plants, trees and shrubs till the ground freezes, which means likely through November and perhaps into December!
For newly planted trees, they can use 10 to 20 gallons of water a week when they’re getting established! The crabapple above was planted just last year.
Fall watering is especially important for evergreens as they continue to lose moisture through their needles throughout winter.
Moist soil holds heat better than dry soil. Our soil never gets as cold as our air temperature, thank goodness or we’d be living on the tundra! The point is the roots of our plants can’t take as much cold as the above ground branches. Check around the base of your plants to see how dry the soil is.
Pamper newly planted trees and shrubs, evergreens and not-quite-cold-hardy plants. If the first few inches of soil are dry, it’s time to water.
The U of MN extension has all the information you need on HOW much to water and for how long. It can take a couple of years for larger plants to become established.
Remember… the first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap.
In addition to watering, mulching is a must. Add a 3 inch layer of an organic mulch out to the dripline of your planting.
If you take your hoses in, use a buckets of water from the house to water your plants!