WOW, WHAT STRANGE weather — first gorgeous, then rain, rain, rain.
All right, it is December, and the good news is that we still are currently in fall — Day Two of late late fall, in fact.
The bad news is winter has not even begun yet.
The news here in this article is it is now time for a lot of work — but what’s new in that?
In fact I will apologize, and only this one time, for the push to garden year-round has greatly increased the workload of my readers.
But let us be in on this workload aspect, and project out into January, this specific task for this time of year.
We are now in the darkest days of the year.
This is crucial to understand.
It is not only the temperature that sets up dormancy in many plants, but the light intensity or day length that is also a critical component.
The next several weeks combine heavy frost and the shortest day lengths.
We now enter the time of heavy pruning. Let me point out though, certain plants must not be pruned now!
Do not prune your roses, nor should you prune any flowering shrubs or bushes that bloom between January and October.
Blooming shrubs and bushes will set next year’s flowers within weeks (6 to 8 weeks at most) of the bloom.
To prune after that time frame is to cut next year’s flowers off.
Outside these constraints, sharpen those instruments of destruction and attack your plants.
First, go out and find the exceptions to the above rule. Potentilla and spireas are fair game, and if you own some, they set the mood right away. Potentilla and mounding spireas should be cut to within inches of the ground (4 to 8 inches).
Your hedge-type spirea should be reduced by half its height.
Next in line are your specimen trees.
Crossover branches, branches that are on your house or over walkways should be pruned now.
These are also the plants to “center core.”
Center coring is simply going up the very middle of the tree, removing all dead branches, suckers and small interior or crossover branches along the trunk.
This is only done to an area 10 percent to 25 percent of the total interior.
When done properly, it opens up a clear column along the trunk and side branches.
This column allows air movement inside the plant, which will greatly lessen the chance of insects and diseases in the summer.
For you lawn folks, this is also where 80 percent or more of the sticks come from that are on your yard. They die and fall out of the tree because the very center is darker, so one also increases filtered light that grows better grass.
Now on to other chores with your pruners.
Any bush, tree or shrub should be de-suckered. By all means, go around every woody plant and remove sucker shoots, cracked branches that have poor shape or are damaged.
Since the holiday season is upon us, go out now and shape your evergreens.
Between you and your neighbors, there are several types of evergreens that stick out in walkways, rub against the house, grow into the fence or block access.
Not only is this the optimum time to shape evergreens, but the trimmings with their different colors and textures make great greens for arrangements.
Wire a few different types together as a door spray or hang in areas of the house for that wonderful scent.
Well-placed trimmings stuck in the soil totally change the character of a potted poinsettia.
I like a few small trimmings in a vase with holly in the bathroom.
The branches are also one of the best light mulches outside in the perennial garden. Any old timer who grows strawberries knows the value now of a light placement of evergreen branches over the plants through February.
Finally, use the large branches that were cut out and make an arrangement around your door, lamp post or mailbox.
Those of you who are really good will put some lights on them and a bow, creating a beautiful outdoor decoration out of needed and timely winter pruning.
If you have not yet fall/winter fertilized your lawn, please do it now, along with adding lime.
I cannot tell you fully the value your lawn will derive from this application (spread just lime if you have already fertilized).
If you haven’t yet raked, do it now.
Everyone should rake lawns hard now and cut them very low.
If this hasn’t been done in the next month, cut lawns as low as you can without scalping them.
The moisture is upon us and the darkest days are here. Nothing makes lawn mold, fungi and mildew more excited. A short lawn now is far less hospitable to these pests.
As always, deadheading is an ongoing chore.
If you have ornamental kale or cabbages, they require a constant preen, pulling off those outside leaves as they brown out, usually yielding 1 to 3 dead leaves per plant per week.
If not removed at this time of year, these leaves can rot out the entire plant.
Don’t forget to cultivate your soil.
Temperatures have been such of late that germination is taking place.
If everyone goes out and looks carefully, I think it would be alarming how many new weeds we will find.
That’s enough for now, as we have eight days of the last fall ever in this viral year.
Let’s use them wisely.
And wise is the name of the game, so be wise and … stay well all!
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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
