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 Pruning trees in the fall is a no-no in the early fall. Remember
pruning is a rejuvenation process. This means cutting limbs off
sends a hormone signal to the tree or shrub to grow more shoots.
There isn’t much of a worse time to prune than right before
trees are going dormant. Late fall, meaning after Thanksgiving,
is usually OK. There are some other factors in fall pruning as
well. Pruning oak trees before the end of October can lead to
oak wilt. The beetles that transmit the wilt are attracted to
the sap. We need to wait until there is no sap, or there are no
beetles. December is a good time. Of course, you’ll want to pick
one of the better December days to do your pruning chores.
Really the high sap flow trees are best done in December. This
group would include maples, sweetgums, and elms.
Fertilizing is a great thing, as long as you don’t get carried
away. Early September is really better to utilize all the
nutrients, but early October is better than not doing it. Just
watch the nitrogen. A lawn application rate to provide no more
than a pound of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is the norm.
Providing this rate in the fall and spring ( May and September)
is about ideal for trees and lawns both. Also remember vigorous
growth by trees helps get away from some of the problems, such
as borers. They have actually found that trees in decline give
off pheromones that attract borers and other insects to “finish
them off.”
Water is really an important part of fall management, especially
for evergreens. If we have stretches of dry weather, it is a
good idea to water. This year, Mother Nature has been doing a
great job of providing the water. This helps keep the moisture
level up in needles, and that is important to help prevent
drying out later on. Watering with an inch of water in one shot
is the best system. Remember, you can either add or conserve
moisture. A mulch layer of at least two inches can go a long way
in conserving what you or Mother Nature apply. Most people have
seen the evergreens that dry out in late fall and winter. They
have really brown needles. The addition of water before the
ground freezes is important, but you may need to consider a wind
buffer or use of an anti-desiccant as well. One common name is
Wilt-Pruf, and these products lightly coat needles to slow down
the evaporation. There is nothing worse than an evergreen being
short of water, having the ground frozen, and having drying
winds as well. This is different from the phenomenon we have
seen over the last month or so where the older needles all brown
at once, and fall. Remember, evergreens only keep one to four
years of growth. Usually they lose older needles gradually, but
sometimes it happens all at once.
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Leaves have been one of the main clean-up items this past
week. They will continue to be an item, so here are a few
options for you. Mulch them where they aren’t too thick. You can
mulch with a mower, blower vacuum, or a chipper. This will
reduce the volume greatly. Then the mulched leaves can be used
as, well, mulch; but they may best be used on beds away from the
house. The decaying organic matter tends to increase the
millipedes, pill bugs, and other nuisance pests around the
house. Composting is also a great option. Composting leaves
isn’t tricky, it just takes a little bit of formulation. The
rule of thumb is to add about one-fourth of a cup of commercial
fertilizer per compressed bushel of leaves, or to use one part
leaves and 2 parts of green material such as grass clippings or
green material removed from the garden. Mulching before
composting is a double-edged sword. The finer material will
decompose quicker, but it will also compact more and reduces the
oxygen need to make compost. For more information on composting,
check the website at
http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/
homecompost/
Tender bulbs, roots, or corms should be dug, if you already
haven’t done so. These would include dahlia, cannas, caladium,
tuberous begonia, and gladiolus. Many of these will actually
have rotting problems from frost. Be careful when digging so the
bulbs are not cut, as any wound usually means a rot will begin.
Any bulbs that look diseased should be thrown away. Most can be
dried at room temperature, but gladiolus should be dried at a
higher temperature (70-80 degrees) and dusted with malathion to
protect against thrips. Store all the bulbs in a cool, dry
place.
Plants which are completely dormant, such as peonies can be cut
back. Leave a couple inches above ground on plants such as mums
since they store food above ground as well as below. The couple
inches will also help catch snow and leaves to help create a
“self-mulched area” to help them survive the winter. Clean up
around fruit trees, the garden area, and flower beds. Materials
may be composted as long as they are not severely diseased.
[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION
DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES]
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