If you have an irrigation system underneath your landscape, ensure its pipes won't break or burst this winter. Have your pipes cleared professionally with compressed air.
Any remaining water in your system, even in small amounts, will freeze and can cause extensive and expensive damage. You can prevent water from swelling and breaking pipes by applying air pressure into the pipe system to remove all traces. This is a rather fast process and can almost always be done in less than a day.
However beware. An air compressor in the hands of the inexperienced could cause more damage than freezing water. Use a contractor with knowledge and experience in clearing systems.
Why? -First of all, the air pressure must be right. Otherwise, too little is not enough to get all water out, and too much could actually damage pipes.
Secondly, water has to be expelled in a logical order. The upper portions of a system should be cleared first, otherwise water from these areas will continue flowing into lower portions, adding extra time and work to the process (and probably extra expenses to your bill). Also, an experienced contractor knows each section should be blown out at least twice to make sure all water is removed.
All water lines going into the system should be turned off and disconnected for late fall and winter, when the growing season comes to a close, and all supply valves should be shut off even before compressed air is applied.
If your system isn't new, you may have brass valves on your pipes. These valves are known to let water into the system, even after an air pressure removal. Today's valves are made of tougher, leak-proof materials which allow no moisture into the pipe. If you have the older valves, we recommend replacing them so no water can enter the system after the removal process.
With the proper preparation you should have an irrigation system that is worry-free during the colder months and ready to perform next spring.
Looks can be deceiving especially in late fall and winter. While plants look inactive, even dead, they are actually fully alive, stoically relyinq on the nutrients in their root systems to get them through the winter.
Fall is a time when plants take stock of their nutrients, growing extended roots in Preparation for survival in the months ahead. Besides the customary fall fertilization there are two things you can do to help your plants develop roots and to protect those roots from upcoming cold.
Develop a fall watering plan schedule. Fertilization gives roots nutrients, but without water the roots are in trouble. This fall, develop a watering schedule. Water can actually make the roots thicker and stronger, allowing them to withstand many freezes and thaws, whereas dry, brittle roots stand a greater chance of breaking.
Water also helps above ground by providing fluid to branches. Branches with an adequate supply of water, like roots, are less brittle and will not break as easily under the weight of snow and ice.
Develop a watering schedule of at least two waterings per week as fall temperatures begin ranging between 40 and 60 degrees. As it gets even colder in late fall, water once a week until the first freeze.
Lay a bed of mulch, 3 to 4 inches deep, around each plant.
Mulch is a powerful weapon again the onslaught of freezing temperatures. It acts as an insulator for the plants roots, protecting them from sudden temperature changes. It also extends the time for late fall root growth by keeping the soil warm longer into the season.
Mulch plays a major role in the absorption and retention of water. It increases the amount of water the roots absorb and decreases the amount of water that evaporates from the plant. It conserves any moisture from fall rains and planned waterings.
Mulch should be applied about 4 to inchs out from the base of most plants.
There are many types of mulches to choose from including:
 | Compost Leaves |
| Wood Chips |
| Chopped Bark |
| Rotting Sawdust |
| Pine Needles |
So this fall, treat your plants to water and mulch. It will give them a healthy winter and a good head start on spring,
Many trees need extra protection to withstand winter-freezes and storms. They need an extra source of support. Stakes can do the job.
Along, with other preparations for the colder months, staking is one of the easiest ways to protect your trees. But it isn't only young tender plants that need it.
Do you have trees that are leaning to one side? Trees that are already damaged from spring and summer storms? Trees that have been recently moved and replanted? Trees with irregular trunks or limbs?
All kinds of trees, even trees up to 20 feet high, can be staked with satisfying results. Staking can be done in several different ways, using different types of materials depending on the shape, size and type of tree being staked and that particular tree's needs.
However, staking can be a tricky art, as anywhere from 1 to 6 stakes can be used on a single tree, and stakes can be of various heights depending on the situation (stakes should be high enough and strong enough to keep the entire plant vertical). A stake too far away from a tree can be ineffectual. A stake too close will have the tree knocking against it, causing more damage than good.
The materials used for ties should be strong yet should have some give to them, preferably having a 6-inch deflection (many a home gardener has used old nylons for effective staking). The most common commercial ties are usually tough, thin rope or guy wire.
Ironically, trees that at too rigidly tied to stakes will often have breaks in the trunk and limbs. Remember, when it comes to staking, you are simply training your trees in how to stand and grow. Trees are a lot like humans in this regard: they can withstand almost any storm, not by being perfectly rigid, but by learning to bend a little with the prevailing winds.
"Never throw old boots and shoes in the dustbin, but bury them in
the garden. They will rot down eventually, and leather is full of good things."
-- Maureen and Bridget Boland,
"Old Wives' Lore for Gardners"
This information is provided as a public
service by Alan Horticultural Enterprises, a full-service landscape management company.
Although we've been in business 20 years and service over 80 multifamily properties, we
maintain personal, one-on-one relationships with all of our clients to ensure customer
satisfaction. We are an environmentally conscious company, using EPA-approved products to
maintain healthy lawns that are beneficial for humans, pets and wildlife. If we can help
you with your lawn needs or questions, please call us at 630-739-0205.
ALAN HORTICULTURAL ENTERPRISES, INC.