Gardening Tips - Winter

Winter Watering

Kicking back next to the fireplace and watching TV while snacking on some hot nachos? Thinking that there is nothing to do out in the yard? Well, for the most part, you may be right, however, when was the last time your landscape received a good watering? If there has not been a foot of snow or an inch of rain, it could be quite dry out there. If these conditions have not been met at least once a month though out the winter months, you'll need to supplement. To make life simpler for yourself, keep an eye out for days that will be above 40 around the major holidays that come monthly this time of year (are Valentine's day and St. Patrick's day major holidays? Well, you get the idea.). Water to soak, that is, leave the hose on a slow trickle at one place for awhile and then move on.

Now you may be asking yourself "There isn't a green leaf to be found, why do I need to be doing this?" There are a few reasons, first, let's consider the evergreen's point of view. While that green stuff on there may not be leaves it is foliage. If there is foliage, there is a way for moisture to escape. As the moisture in the foliage decreases, the possibility of winter burn (the browning of the tips of the foliage) increases. Now let's consider the larger picture. As long as the ground is not frozen around the roots, they continue to grow. Growth uses moisture and moist soil is easier to grow into. Also, a moist root system resists cold far better than roots that are dry as the loose moisture freezes protecting the roots that it surrounds.