| Cold Snap
The fall of 2009 will certainly be remembered as yet another odd one for the Flathead Valley. The single digit cold we had in early October was very unusual. Swan River Gardens received calls from many concerned gardeners wondering whether the freezing temperatures caused any damage to shrubs and trees. The honest answer is we are not sure. It seems likely that some plants were damaged. We say this because the other unusual weather feature we had this fall was what seemed like a late onset of fall color. This signaled that the trees and shrubs were barely beginning to enter dormancy when the extreme cold hit. Trees that are still green are producing chlorophyll which means the sap is still running and has not yet begun to move down the branches and trunk where it normally spends the winter cold. When the cold hits that sap it responds like any liquid and expands as it freezes. In a plant that expansion causes damage to plant tissue. So while many trees and shrubs have their buds set for next year's leaves or blooms, the branches may be too damaged to support those buds even if they survived the cold.
We may see trees and shrubs leaf out and then die, we may see a great deal of die back in the tips of branches or we may see outright winter killed plants that simply did not survive the cold. We expect some plants to do better than others but we also may notice random differences where one type of plant is fine in one location but damaged or dead in another. Additionally there is quite a bit of winter left and plenty of weather coming that can wreak havoc with plants. Plants weakened by this cold snap may not survive the cold to come. In short the honest answer really is that we cannot predict what trees and shrubs will be killed and which ones will be damaged.
The same things we would always say continue to hold true however. Healthy plants stand a better chance than sickly ones. A tree or shrub that has gotten plenty of water all growing season, maybe a little fertilizer and appropriate pruning has the best advantage you can give it to stand the Flathead Valley's frozen fall weather. The staff at Swan River Gardens is happy to help you with any other questions you may have. Come see us in spring if you are concerned about any of the shrubs or trees on your property.
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Quick Tips for Holiday Greenery
Christmas Trees, wreaths and garland will last longer if they are treated with an anti desiccant product such as Wilt Pruf®, available in any garden center. It is normally used to prevent the dry winter air from causing damage to evergreens in the ground. Before decorating, give them a  thorough spraying and allow it to dry. It can add as much as a week to the life of your decorations! Live Christmas trees are often touted as a green choice for celebrations. They are but it is also tricky to have success with them. The most important tip is to not keep them inside for too long. They do not want to be in your heated house and then abruptly put back outside in the cold when the holidays end. At most keep a live tree inside for only 4-5 days. When it is time for it to go outside, the ideal choice is for it to be 'planted' pot and all in a hole you dug before the ground froze. You would have wanted to keep the soil you dug out from freezing too. See what we mean by 'tricky'? If that is not possible, put it outside in a sheltered location where winter wind will not dry it. Be sure to water it a couple times over the winter. Whether you put it in the ground pot and all or left it out, dig it up and plant it properly as soon as possible in spring. When you bring your Christmas tree home from the tree lot, cut at least two inches off to expose fresh trunk and aid water intake. Dissolve two aspirin in the first water you give your Christmas tree. It is well known for making flower bouquets last longer and does the same for your tree. Use a long spouted garden watering can for adding water without making a mess. You will find that Christmas trees use a great deal of water while they decorate our homes. Check it daily and keep the reservoir full.
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Thank You Time for Swan River Gardens to take its winter nap! It has been a great season and we would like to thank all our customers for their support. The Flathead Valley is seeing hard times that we are have not seen in some time but we are happy to report that your business with is helping us to succeed in this tough time. We hope that your season also went well and that you are also weathering this rough patch.
So many successful things this past season! The big remodeling and improvements at Swan River Gardens worked great and we appreciated all the positive comments! You will see some more changes this next season and we plan to keep growing, getting better all the time. Little Sprouts was a great hit and we all truly enjoyed helping introduce the wee ones to gardening. Our website and newsletter have been well received and we look forward to hearing more from all of you.
Thanks again to all of you and we will see you in February to bring you another season of gardening in Bigfork!
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Sincerely,
Tamus Gannon
Swan River Gardens
Thanks to our resident writer/photographer and Nursery Professional Paula Craft for this issue of In The Garden Newsletter. |
