FALL PLANTING:
Now is still a great time to plant many trees and shrubs. In fact, according to the textbooks, the preferred planting season for deciduous trees and shrubs extends from now through the end of November. In the case of flowering, ornamental trees just think how pretty it will be to have spring blossoms throughout your landscape next year.

PERENNIAL PLANTINGS:
Once several frosts have occurred, many perennials will have died back to the ground leaving dead, somewhat unsightly foliage. Remove this from all planting beds and either dispose of it, or add it to any homegrown compost pile you may be developing, provided the dead foliage is not harboring any insects, weed seeds or fungi. Once the beds have been cleaned up you may add a good one to one-and-one-half inch layer of compost around the base of the plants. Do not cover the crown area - keep that clear, but spread compost in an outward band or circle, radiating out 5 to 6 inches around the base of the plant. Between the fall and spring rains, and the freezing and thawing of snow throughout the winter, the beneficial nutrients and bacteria contained in compost will work down into the soil and provide your plants with the much needed nutrients next spring as they emerge from their wintry resting period.

Watering:
Stay on top of the watering for your trees and shrubs, especially newly planted items from this year. Monitor the soil moisture level and irrigate accordingly until the time the soil freezes up. In Illinois that generally occurs sometime during late December, to early January. Even though deciduous trees and shrubs may have dropped all their foliage, growth will still continue on in the root zone as long as soil temperatures are approximately 38 degrees Fahrenheit (or above). Azaleas, rhododendrons, evergreen trees and shrubs especially, should all be kept well watered. If Conifers and broad-leafed evergreens are “put to bed” dry, with insufficient moisture in the soil, they become perfect candidates for winter burn and dieback. Trees and shrubs that keep their foliage during the winter do lose moisture when the cold, drying winter winds blow on them, even as human skin can lose moisture when exposed to excessive drying winter winds.

LEAVES, LEAVES AND MORE LEAVES:
Keep the lawn mowed and rake leaves reasonably often to prevent them from matting and smothering your grass. You can let leaves remain around the edges of shrubs, perennial beds, and so forth as additional, natural mulch; or if that appears too untidy, put all the leaves on the compost heap if you should happen to be developing one. Oak-leaf compost, having an acidic pH in nature, is particularly beneficial to spread around the base of azaleas, rhododendrons, and other broad-leaved evergreens.

TREE GUARDS:
It is wise to protect the trunks of young trees with wire netting, plastic tree wraps or heavy paper tree wrap if there are any mice, rabbits, or deer in your neighborhood. These animals like to chew on tender bark in the lean winter months, resulting in disfigurement and potential death to the tree. Just remember to remove these protective coverings in the spring-to-early summer, once all threat of animal infestation and damage has passed.

If you should have any questions regarding any of these topics and preparing your yard for winter, please feel free to stop in at Mill Creek Nursery and ask any of the Sales staff - they’ll be more than happy to help you. Also, please take a moment and stop by our Growing Tips page for more helpful information on plants & gardening.