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For the
Birds Fall Care for Fruit
Trees
Glorious Garlic
Harvesting and Storing Bulbs for
Winter
Spring
Flowering Bulbs
Fall Care for Fruit Trees
Fruit trees will over-winter better if a few simple tasks are
completed before freezing weather occurs.
 Rake
up all the leaves and any fallen fruit under your fruit trees.
Many fungus diseases and insect pests over-winter in un-raked
leaves and old fruit. If your trees had any serious diseases or
insect infestations this year, remove the litter from your
yard. Otherwise, it can be added to your compost pile.
Fruit
trees should be well-watered after their leaves fall, and before
the ground freezes. This should be a good soaking which will
take several hours of sprinkling. Provide enough water to soak
the soil to 3 or 4 feet. When the soil freezes and winter sets
in, trees continue to loose some moisture through the bark on
branches and twigs. Roots in the deep, unfrozen layer of soil
will need to have enough moisture to replace water lost. Make
sure water is there at these deeper depths for your fruit trees.
Trees
will also benefit from a trunk wrap for the winter. This wrap
will insulate the trunk from alternate freezing and thawing
cycles caused by winter sun heating the trunk, and freezing
nights cooling it again. This freezing and thawing is
particularly hard on young trees that have thin bark. And
results in bark cracks; particularly on the south and west sides
of the trunk. Reflective white wrap is probably the best to
use. Remove this protective layer in the spring.
Protection
from rodent damage may also be necessary. Mice will tunnel at
ground level, below the snow, and feed on tree bark at that
level causing serious damage. Again, young trees are
particularly susceptible to this type of damage. Tree wraps
will help, but a wire or plastic screen cylinder extending an
inch or two into the ground and up the trunk a foot or two will
exclude the critters. Make sure this enclosure is not wrapped
tightly around the trunk, letting the mice feed through the
holes.
Following
these simple tips will help your fruit trees through the winter
and help assure a full crop of fruit in 2008.
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Glorious Garlic
Southern Idaho conditions are perfect for home grown garlic.
John Kieffer, Idaho Master Gardener and Hagerman, Idaho
resident, produces ample garlic, selling it at local fund
raising events and sharing it with all of his neighbors. He
specializes in elephant garlic, but his growing techniques work
well with any garlic type.
Kieffer suggests fall planting of the small bulbletts found on
the flower head after flowering. Planting 4 to 6 inches deep
works for him in light, sandy soil. Planting 2 to 4 inches deep
is recommended in heavier soil. Garlic does best in full sun.
Beginning as early as August. plant the bulbletts
3
inches to 1 foot apart, depending on how large your garlic will
be at maturity. Planting can extend into November, depending on
the weather. Early fall planted garlic may send up a small
shoot, but if planted later, will not grow until spring. These
small bulbletts will over-winter, sprout in the spring, and
produce large garlic bulbs the following season.
Spring planting also works, according to Kieffer. Plant cloves
of over-wintered garlic bulbs when you can work your soil in
March or April. Earlier planting produces larger bulbs.
Whenever you plant your garlic, eventually the plants will form
a flowering stalk and begin to flower. If you want large, full
garlic bulbs, Kieffer recommends cutting off the flower stalk
about half way down the length of the stem before the flower
opens. Flowering will reduce the ultimate size and storage
ability of the underground bulb. He lets some plants flower to
form the bulbletts that he will plant in the fall.
Care
of growing garlic involves mostly watering. Plants are rarely
troubled by disease or insects. Water normally until you wish
to harvest. Digging can begin when the bulbs reach 1 1/2 inch,
but leaving them longer, or until the tops begin to dry will
result in larger bulbs. Carefully dig the plants to avoid
cutting into the bulb. Rinse off the dirt and trim the roots,
taking care not to cut into the bulb. After they have dried,
store bulbs in a dark, cool spot. Remove the outer membrane
covering the individual cloves if you wish.
According to Kieffer, garlic has many positive health effects
and medicinal uses. He uses a garlic extract to control
insects on other types of plants. Whatever its other
attributes, garlic grown using John Kieffer’s method will keep
well and add flavor to your cooking all winter long.
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WINTER IS FOR THE BIRDS
Some birds hang around southern Idaho during the dead of winter.
Providing for the needs of these creatures can enhance more than
just the quality of life for the birds. If you provide food,
shelter, and water to the birds, they will make your home theirs.
You can feel good about helping them out, while enjoying their
company.
Shelter for birds is provided by thick growing evergreens such as
junipers and spruces. Thick stems of deciduous vines or densely
growing deciduous shrubs can provide winter shelter for birds.
A
second necessity for birds in the winter is water. Unless you
have a convenient ice-free cattle tank in your neighborhood,
consider providing a source of winter water for the wildlife.
This can be as simple as a heated pet bowl, to as elaborate as a
birdbath or pond fitted with a heater.
Food is essential for overwintering birds. Berry-producing shrubs
and trees in home yards attract over-wintering birds by providing
food. Last year I watched as the grapes I left on the vines
became a winter feast for the local birds. Plants like the Rocky
Mountain juniper (see plant feature), crabapple, snowberry, and
dogwood will provide fruits for the birds into the winter. Many
grasses provide excellent bird feed. Some of these are ornamental
enough to be part of your main landscape, while others can be
planted to keep idle ground weed free. Consider planting some of
these plants in order to make your yard more “bird friendly. In
the meantime, whip up a batch of “bird casserole” to carry them
through this winter. Put cans of this food out in a protected
space and watch the birds enjoy. Another fun way to present this
to birds is to stuff in-between the bracts of pinecones and hang
the laden cones in the trees. Either way, this casserole can help
your birds get through the winter.
1 lb. of lard
12 oz. jar of crunchy peanut
butter
Melt and mix thoroughly in double
boiler, and combine with the following dry ingredients:
2 lbs. 12 oz. package of yellow
cornmeal
5 lbs. baby chick scratch
5 lbs. wild bird seed
This recipe makes enough to fill
34 cans of the tuna-fish size cans |
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Harvesting and Storing Bulbs for Winter
Fall
is the time of year to dig bulbs from plants that are not hardy in
our climate. Anemones, tuberous begonias, canna lilies and
gladiolus all must be dug and stored for the winter. Dig the
bulbs after they have gone dormant and before the ground freezes.
Dig
carefully to avoid slicing the bulbs. The spading fork is the
best digging tool; it is least likely to slice through a bulb.
Discard any bulbs that have been badly wounded.
After
digging bulbs, shake off loose soil and dry the bulbs for about a
week in a warm, shady, protected spot with good ventilation. Then
brush off any remaining soil and dust with a fungicide to help
control rot and other diseases.
Store bulbs
in a porous bag or a shallow tray filled with dry peat moss,
perlite, vermiculite or sand. This keeps them from drying out,
but still allows them to breathe. Store them in a cool (35 to 45
F), dry place where they will not freeze.
Replant your bulbs next spring – before they begin to grow in the
storage area. Waiting too long will deplete their energy reserves
and possibly even kill them.
Spring Flowering Bulbs
Spring flowering bulbs such as
tulips, narcissus, crocus, and hyacinth are some bulbs that must
be planted in the fall.
Plant newly purchased bulbs
outdoors as soon as practical. September or October is a good
month for bulb planting.
 Bulbs
planted at this time will have time to produce some roots before
the ground freezes. If you must store bulbs prior to planting,
use a paper bag and store in a cool location.
Spring flowering bulbs are some of
the least demanding members of the garden community. Their bright
flower
colors and attractive foliage can make a major contribution to the
early spring beauty of your landscape.
The underground storage tissue, or “bulb”,
stores the energy needed to produce the plant and flower. Most
bulbs do best in full sun to light shade. Well-drained soil is a
must, and an area protected from high winds is preferable.
When planting, check with a bulb
depth chart, since bulbs must be planted at different depths,
depending on the variety. Add some bone meal or super-phosphate
to the soil
at the bottom of the planting hole. This stimulates early growth
and root development.
With your bulbs in the ground, you
can look forward to their spring beauty following the melting
snows.
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