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Heads Up! There's work to do.

© Mary Henry

Wait! Wait! Don't put those hoses away yet! I know the weather gurus say that our beautiful fall weather is ending and the upper midwest is going to get freezing weather at last, but it's too dry to put our landscapes to bed this way.

Winter hardiness is not just a matter of how cold it gets. There are factors that affect how well your plants will fare that are equally important. If the ground freezes with no more moisture in it than it has right now, there will be many plants damaged before spring can rescue them.

Most people know that they should cut the grass to about 2 inches in height that last time before they put away the mower to minimize the chance of snow mold, a fungal disease. But few seem to be aware that they should water the lawn and garden one last time before the ground freezes to prevent damage too.

With the record warmth and sunshine this month, the ground has gotten drier and drier. A check of the statistics for areas around Minnesota and Wisconsin shows a deficit of up to 3 inches in some areas since September first. There has been less than a half inch of rain in my backyard since the first of October. My soil is sandy and, last week, was bone dry down as far as my shovel could reach. I hauled out the hose and watered though no one else in my neighborhood did. Am I crazy or what? Not yet, though it's probably coming!

If the ground doesn't have enough moisture when it freezes, the evergreens will not be able to replace the water they lose from needles that are still working. This will make them more susceptible to winter burn and die back. Deciduous trees and shrubs that have lost their leaves are not so much at risk unless they were recently planted and haven't had time to become well established. But, if they were recently planted, they need a last good drink too.

Also, bulbs that have been planted this fall in anticipation of spring bloom are hard at work forming roots below ground. Don't forget them when you are doling out the water.

How should you water at this time of the year? The same guidelines apply now as during the regular growing season and it depends on the type of soil you have. If you have clay soil and it is dry, water very slowly in short sessions and check the soil moisture at shovel depth after several hours to see how deep that moisture goes. You definitely don't want soggy soil. That is harder on many plants than being a bit dry.

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