Since evergreens retain their leaves during the winter and some evaporation continues, it is necessary to water them thoroughly before cold weather arrives, and to give them an occasional watering during dry mild spells. A two- to three-inch mulch of peat moss over the root areas of the evergreens helps to retain moisture; keeps the soil warmer during early winter, permitting later root growth; and by keeping the soil cooler in early spring, the growth is held back and there is less danger of injury from spring freezes.
During the winter months, deep, gaping, vertical frost cracks are occasionally observed on the south and west sides of the trunks of pin oak, red oak, and hard maple trees. These arc caused by sudden and extreme lowering of temperatures. The split or crack remains open only so long as the weather remains cold and closes when warm weather arrives. The split may heal during the summer, only to open up again the following winter. When this process occurs a few years in succession, frost ridges arc produced by the accumulated bark growth on each side of the frost crack. The appearance of these fins or ridges is positive evidence of the action of frost. Frost cracks usually extend to the center of the tree. Since the split closes tightly each spring, there is little danger of decay from destructive fungi entering the wound. A tree trunk showing a frost crack should be wrapped in the fall with the spiral tree-wrap craft paper, to reduce the chance of the split opening during the winter.
Tree Buying, Planting
Don't buy trees or shrubs without knowing where they can be used to best improve the home grounds. Some folks almost wear out the bargain tree just dragging it around the yard trying to find a place to plant it. Most places are too small to accommodate "every pretty plant in the book." Haphazard buying and hit-and-miss planting can spoil the landscape picture. Overplanting is a danger sign ahead, so decide on suitable tree and shrub sites and select varieties which will provide the desired effect.
When selecting varieties of trees or shrubs for various locations on the home grounds, you should consider the fact that very few trees or shrubs will thrive in a wet, poorly drained place. Most plants found growing naturally in low ground can be successfully moved to high ground but few of the trees or shrubs of the higher ground will tolerate the conditions of low ground.
Bald cypress, pin oak, willow oak, hackberry, sago palm, red maple, swamp white oak, weeping willows, sycamore and river birch are a few of the low-ground trees that do well when planted on higher well drained soils. In fact, it is much easier to transplant these low-ground trees to higher ground than it is to reset them in the low, wet situations in which they arc to be found growing naturally. However, transplanted trees of these sorts should receive careful attention as to watering until they are well established.
On the other hand, trees of the hills, such as sugar maple, red oak and white ash, soon pass out of the picture if they are planted in low, poorly drained sites. Most of the shrubs prefer a well-drained location, and lilacs, especially, will not survive long with wet feet. A few shrubs which will do well in a wet situation are button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa), tamarisk (Tamarix), red twig dogwood (Corpus stolonifera), inkberry (Hex glabra) and the common marsh mallow.
Red cedar and Pfitzer juniper are probably the two best water-tolerant coniferous evergreens that we have in this area, but they prefer the well drained site. - 29956
During the winter months, deep, gaping, vertical frost cracks are occasionally observed on the south and west sides of the trunks of pin oak, red oak, and hard maple trees. These arc caused by sudden and extreme lowering of temperatures. The split or crack remains open only so long as the weather remains cold and closes when warm weather arrives. The split may heal during the summer, only to open up again the following winter. When this process occurs a few years in succession, frost ridges arc produced by the accumulated bark growth on each side of the frost crack. The appearance of these fins or ridges is positive evidence of the action of frost. Frost cracks usually extend to the center of the tree. Since the split closes tightly each spring, there is little danger of decay from destructive fungi entering the wound. A tree trunk showing a frost crack should be wrapped in the fall with the spiral tree-wrap craft paper, to reduce the chance of the split opening during the winter.
Tree Buying, Planting
Don't buy trees or shrubs without knowing where they can be used to best improve the home grounds. Some folks almost wear out the bargain tree just dragging it around the yard trying to find a place to plant it. Most places are too small to accommodate "every pretty plant in the book." Haphazard buying and hit-and-miss planting can spoil the landscape picture. Overplanting is a danger sign ahead, so decide on suitable tree and shrub sites and select varieties which will provide the desired effect.
When selecting varieties of trees or shrubs for various locations on the home grounds, you should consider the fact that very few trees or shrubs will thrive in a wet, poorly drained place. Most plants found growing naturally in low ground can be successfully moved to high ground but few of the trees or shrubs of the higher ground will tolerate the conditions of low ground.
Bald cypress, pin oak, willow oak, hackberry, sago palm, red maple, swamp white oak, weeping willows, sycamore and river birch are a few of the low-ground trees that do well when planted on higher well drained soils. In fact, it is much easier to transplant these low-ground trees to higher ground than it is to reset them in the low, wet situations in which they arc to be found growing naturally. However, transplanted trees of these sorts should receive careful attention as to watering until they are well established.
On the other hand, trees of the hills, such as sugar maple, red oak and white ash, soon pass out of the picture if they are planted in low, poorly drained sites. Most of the shrubs prefer a well-drained location, and lilacs, especially, will not survive long with wet feet. A few shrubs which will do well in a wet situation are button-bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), Indigo-bush (Amorpha fruticosa), tamarisk (Tamarix), red twig dogwood (Corpus stolonifera), inkberry (Hex glabra) and the common marsh mallow.
Red cedar and Pfitzer juniper are probably the two best water-tolerant coniferous evergreens that we have in this area, but they prefer the well drained site. - 29956
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