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Natural Predictors of Winter Weather, fall care of Peonies, Brown Needles on Pine Trees
By John Fulton

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[October 24, 2015]  Natural Predictors of Winter Weather -  The hard freeze of last weekend ended the growing season for unprotected plants. Protected meant really protected, not just covered with a sheet. Well, guess what season is coming our way.

The National Weather Service has issued its weather forecast for the coming winter. It looks like the predictions, flavored by the strong El Niño, show our area to have an above average chance of warmer weather and equal to below normal for precipitation chances. It’s the chance blizzard that tends to catch us by surprise. The different weather services do offer up the statement something to the effect “there will be variations in temperatures and precipitation.” Anyway, here are a few of the folklore predictors.

We’ve all heard about the woolybear caterpillar as a winter severity predictor, and with as many different interpretations of the woolybear as there are – somebody is always right. A larger middle (orange segment) means a milder winter. Of course, you have to have a banded woolybear to have the different colors. Another one says if they are white, this means a lot of snow. All black means a cold winter. Also if they are really bushy, it will be cold. In reality, there are several species, and the younger ones are usually white, or light colored, and they turn dark as they age.

Other predictors of a tough or cold winter have included plentiful berries and nuts, very bushy squirrel tails, tough apple skins, thicker than normal corn husks, early migration of the Monarch butterfly, high ant hills in July, etc. My best predictor has been the cost of energy – the higher the price, the more I will need of it. Even in a mild winter we will have some cold snaps, and it is – after all – winter.

Fall Care of Peonies

Peonies are one of those “plant it and forget it” flowers. Many haven’t been bothered for over 50 years, and still going strong. As with most plants, crowding can occur, and the time to dig and divide is late September through October. Peonies do best in soils with a slightly acid to neutral pH. The best time to add lime, if needed, is when you dig the plants.

When dividing, make sure you leave buds on each piece you plan to plant. These buds should be no deeper than an inch when replanted to allow for proper flowering. Mulching will help year-long on any plant, and peonies are no exception.

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Brown Needles on Pine Trees

Brown needles happen on pine trees, and other evergreens, all the time. Of course, some times are more striking than others. Is this a bad thing? It all depends. To begin with, evergreens only keep one to four years of green growth toward the tips of the branches. The number of years is dependent on weather conditions, the health of the tree, and the species. Needles toward the trunk of the tree turn brown each year and drop off.

If weather conditions are just right, the needles all turn brown at once. If there aren’t any heavy rains or winds to help knock needles off gradually, the brown needles are quite showy. They will drop off, and the appearance of the tree will return to normal. The only exception is the green needles are now further away from the trunk. Stressful years make the brown needle phenomenon more pronounced. I would classify this year as highly stressful, with the combination of heavy rains, followed by a warm, dry fall.

As for what to do, just take good care of the trees. Fertilize the lawn area around the trees at the lawn rate to supply a pound each of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium per 1000 square feet in the fall and the spring. The trees will get the fertilizer they need before the grass can get it. The drying winds of winter may also take their toll. Use a wind block, or treat with an antidessicant such Wilt Pruf, to keep needles from drying further in the winter.

[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES]

 

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