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Spring is here, but What's under all the Snow?
We Can Help!
Emerging green shoots and life are there, it's just sleeping. Be patient, and our true spring will come at its own pace.
Broken branches have to be handled on a case by case basis. Many shrubs will rejuvenate just fine with careful pruning. Damaged ornamentals such as small Japanese maples can be carefully bolted back together using arborist rods and pins. Be sure not to try to pull any woody plant out of a mass of ice or snow. Branches are brittle in the cold and will readily snap.
Salt spray from roadside salt mixes is damaging to needled and broadleafed evergreens. You'll see tell-tale browned foliage. Some of this can be pruned out or allowed to drop naturally this spring. We may choose to flush extra water through the soil or apply gypsum blended with compost as a topdressing to help ameliorate the impact of high salts in the soil.
Burn on broadleaf evergreens that shows up as brown or black leaves may not be as bad this year since most shrubs spent the winter with a protective coat of snow. If you have winterburn now, consider having us apply anti-desiccant next November to protect your shrubs.
Deer damage may be heavy in some areas due to the depth of the snow and the late onset of spring. We can still spray plants with our deer repellent, so let us know if this is needed. Many damaged plants will re-leaf later this season.
Plow damage to lawns and beds near driveways should be repaired and regraded immediately. We can resow grass seed once temperatures warm up. Any perennials that have been inadvertently tossed up should be replanted or discarded if necessary.
Plow damage to walkways, retaining walls, landscape lighting and hardscape features can be frightening to see. Don't attempt to lift heavy stones or touch any broken wires. Call us for help with both a temporary and a permanent fix.
Winter moths and ticks will be rampant this spring with all the moisture! Hemlock woolly adelgid may have been killed off almost entirely by cold temperatures. Be sure to renew your contract for timely spraying of your plants and property.
Tunneling in lawns or beds is a sure sign of winter-time rodent activity. Again, this can be raked out, regraded, and new topsoil brought in as required. Stems of woody plants may have been chewed or girdled. We'll examine these and make recommendations about pruning out or replacing the plants.
Dog poop left in garden or lawn areas is one unfortunate fact of life during a New England winter. Clean up as soon as possible, since dog feces contain a variety of pathogens and parasites that can transmit to humans or other pets. They are also very high in Nitrogen, so it can burn lawns and plant foliage. Here are some disposal ideas:
- Bag and throw in trash that will be incinerated
- Collect and flush down toilet if it will be treated by a septic system or sewage plant
- Avoid putting pet waste in backyard compost piles which may not get hot enough to kill parasites and pathogens
- Bury waste at least a foot deep and away from food gardens, making sure that groundwater levels remain well below the waste
- Use an inground disposal device such as the Doggie Dooley
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