Winter projects

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm always looking for things I can do outside during the winter other than shake snow off branches, do some minor pruning, and make sure the mulch is still positioned just right around shrubs and trees (it never stays in place on the shrubs planted on slopes).

My winter projects so far are to remove the rest of the pachysandra because the roots - which are now thick and up to 4 inches deep in some places - hog too much water, research shrubs and conifers so I know what to buy in the spring, and map out where flowering plants will be in new beds and mini wildflower meadows.

Does anyone have any other winter projects they care to share? The more reasons I can find to be outside, the better!

Hi Muddy. I hole up in front of the fire with books (and catalogs...). This year I have actually ordered some textbooks on Horticulture, Soil Science, and Propagation. I figured why not just read the stuff written by and for the Pros. I spent a rainy evening using Barnes and Nobles website-they link to about a zillion used bookstores. I figure a 5 year old textbook is still up to date enough for me, and likely to be waaaay cheaper than buying a new one. I got a 1947 Propagation textbook at Half Priced Books for a few bucks. It's really interesting. Tells you how to use cyanide gas to fumigate the greenhouse. Guess what plant propagation hasn't changed much-they were even using growth hormones back then!
I also do a bit of outside stuff, and map out new gardens like you do. But digging in waterlogged soil is not such a good idea, so I don't really do much work out there. You may laugh, but here in Seattle we often have to mow the lawn all winter, sigh.

Good idea! I have well-thumbed through gardening books that I thumb through again when I have time, but I should check out more at the library. For example, I would like to identify grasses and sedges growing near here, but my bookcases are full.

I never would have guessed that cyanide gas and growth hormones were used in those ways back then...interesting!

I usually have to mow every month except December-February, so I'm not surprised you don't get a break
I do dig in waterlogged soil, even though I know it's not good for the garden, because getting muddy is much more fun than doing inside chores!

I would like to do a ton of stuff outside in preparation for next year. I'd like to distribute this pile of cedar mulch around this red shed and plant Hostas and other plants around the red shed. You can see the rocks are there now I just need to put that mulch there and the plants. As a bonus maybe I'll re-cover the side of the red shed that looks so bad with a new sheet of wafer board and maybe even paint it red. - I think the photos might be blurry, it has been a little dark and overcast all day.
I'd generally like to clean up some clutter in the backyard. -
Anybody want to see a short Youtube video that I made from the front porch on the falling leaves and acorns, it sounds like rain but it's acorns hitting leaves and car's etc. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Kq4jv4FP80&feature=youtu.be Turn your speakers on.
Will

Ouch! Poor car. I read somewhere that oaks don't produce acorns until they're 30 years old; is that true for all oaks?
I need to paint our shed too; that's a good project if / when I can't think of anything else more directly gardening-related to do outside.

Hehe.. they don't damage the cars, Pin Oak acorns are small, they just make a loud bang.
It varies on when they produce acorns, there are over 100 species of Oak trees I read.
30 years seems a bit high for an average of them all, 20 years is closer, they say. Here is where I read some about it. - http://www.ehow.com/info_8449073_long-reaches-maturity-bear-acorns.html

http://www.bing.com/search?q=how+long+does+it+take+oak+trees+to+produce+acorns%3F&go=&qs=n&form=QBLH&pq=how+long+does+it+take+oak+trees+to+produce+acorns%3F&sc=0-38&sp=-1&sk=&cvid=1c23051e20794ef2bfef42d96616d475

http://www.chacha.com/question/how-old-does-an-oak-tree-have-to-be-to-produce-acorns

I realize some links or sites aren't really authorities on just plants, but when one searches, they have answers, so that's what I'm going with..lol I'm not sure myself and I try not to guess usually, it avoids trouble I found out.

What's also interesting about Oak trees is the amount of time it takes some to mature the acorns before they drop. From what I read, about 1 in every 3 years is a "mast" year which just means massive acorn drop or something like that, other years it could just be a cup or two of acorns. Fortunately for the squirrels, for ex. this is apparently a mast year here on the Pin Oak on the left in that Youtube video I made up there. I'm not sure if the other tree to the right of it is dropping acorns like that. But, they are always falling on the roof and rolling down, believe you me we hear them all the time, including nite! I kinda wish they'd fall at a different time than the leaves because I'll surely rake up alot of them with the leaves. We are all about feeding squirrels and birds here.
Will

Shortleaf-and it wasn't even windy! I recall living in NY a long time ago, in a Gypsy Moth year. They ate every leaf off every tree in my town. The caterpillar droppings fell like rain, and sounded like it too. They clogged up the air intake of my car. I would have preferred acorns!

Shortleaf and TheMuddyOne-Be a little careful about painting in winter-most paints should not be used below some minimum temperature (vague memory of 60 degrees for standard paint)-it does not properly bond to the surface, so may not last long. I think there are some newer formulations that might be better.

Hehe.. I knew somebody was going to pounce on that! No, I'm not painting in the Winter. I know it sounds like I am but I'm not. Actually, I like to paint outside in the Summer. I should say I'd like to plant the Hostas and get the mulch in there, then fix that one side and paint it the following Summer.
It's not your fault Multi Level Marketing, I shoulda expanded on that then. I'm just teasing, I know your name isn't Multi Level Marketing, I believe that's a pyramid scheme!

All these leaves falling is really a sight, it is about 2 feet deep of brown leaves for me to rake up!

Thanks MLM - I know you're right about the paint, but there is no way my shed could look worse than it already does. The door has been primed and ready to paint for several years. It was there when we bought our house in 1992, when the Japanese maple hanging over it was 10-15 feet tall. Most new pre-fab sheds would not fit under the JM, and I'm definitely not going to cut limbs off the tree just to have a new shed. We did put matching shingles on the shed when our roof was done, which reminds me: the roofing company cut off branches even though they told me it wouldn't be necessary. I was so upset that they deducted 1000 dollars off the bill.

Shortleaf, just because I know you REALLY want to fix that shed, why don't you paint the wafer board in a garage or carport, then nail it up outside?

Your info about the acorns ties in with a question I have: I've been chopping up leaves (maple, cherry, some from my neighbors' oaks) in a leaf mulcher and then putting them under my shrubs and trees. I put the chopped up leaves right over the unchopped-up ones so the latter don't blow away. Is this bad for my shrubs? I tell myself it's like nature intended, but I read somewhere that only well-rotted leaf mulch should be used under shrubs. I've done this for a few years and I can't see any damage yet, but it probably changes the soil PH.

That's a good idea, Muddy. I know this sounds crazy, but I don't know if there's enuff room in the garage for a sheet that size. The garage here isn't like most garages, there isn't room for cars in them.
Basically, also your talking about the soil conditions of your ground. I think I'd do a simple and cheap soil test first. Chances are your not doing any harm by doing that but you might not need to do it.
I got my soil test at Lowes for 3 dollars and something. Thanks for thinking of me on that, that ground conditions is a science though. Altho I'm no soil scientist, I think I am safe in saying that one can do a soil test cheaply and easily themselves anymore. Lowes has a good description of what the soil should be and they sell the little kit for around 4 dollars. The ph should be around 7, that is neutral (and good). You could be raising the acidity level unnecessarily with the pulverized leaves.
http://www.lowes.com/cd_Testing+and+Improving+Your+Soil_1258058669_
I can't imagine what you do with leaves would be any different than not mulching leaves. Maybe there is some kind of "time-release" affect by mulching them up, I dunno. Your shrubs may not want or need the extra acidity, although you could also possibly be helping them.
Maybe you could do a soil test and let us know?!
Will

95% of the shrubs in my yard like acidic soil, so I think I'm good there. We have somewhat acidic soil in my area, so the garden centers mostly sell shrubs that require acidic soil. My highbush blueberries have been real under-performers because I didn't realize until recently that the soil wasn't acidic enough. They also didn't get enough sun (note past tense: huge silver maple down = lots more sun). I have no expectations of being able to harvest berries - the birds eat them while they're still green - but the fall leaf color is wonderful.

Muddy- my blueberries are probably fifteen years old, three bushes, and finally this year I picked quarts of them for the freezer besides eating fresh. Stick with 'em. WHen they were smaller , birds wiped out the crops.

Interesting; I didn't think age was a factor. Mine are only about 8 years old. I would like to be able to eat blueberries from them, but most of all I want them to become larger, denser shrubs. I'm doing a much better job of fertilizing them and increasing the soil acidity, so I'm hopeful they'll fill out quickly.

Hmm...I'm afraid I'll be buying plants all winter that I don't have room for :) It's going to be tough. I am already counting down until our Hamamelis x Intermedia Arnold's Promise blooms in late February to officially kick off the spring season! Recently, I purchased 3 new native Azaleas from Mountain Mist Nursery. I'll be installing them this weekend as well as getting the lawn mowed for the last time. I've already purchased a bunch of Dahlias for spring delivery from Swan Island. I think I'm getting a composter for Christmas from my wife so I'll be experimenting with that. I also think I'm getting a lawn sprayer (surprisingly I don't have one yet) and the first thing I'll do with that is spray WiltPruf on our Cryptomeria japonica Sekkan Sugi, which got a decent winter burn last year. I am also researching shrubs to replace a holly hedge we have. I am terrible at growing hollies so I think I might throw in the towel. If I do that, there's a nursery I can order plants from early and install them in the beginning of March, weather permitting. 4 Months, 5 Days!

Seq what do you not like about your holly hedge?

Well I just have bad luck with them. If they're not infested with spider mites, they're getting scale. Two others had 1/3 of the plant go crispy brown this fall. They're not worth all the trouble in my book. Some of them are fine (the males) but the females are the bigger problem. They also don't grow very fast, I'm lucky if I get 3" a year and I feed them all with Hollytone in the spring. I'm thinking of Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' as a replacement but I haven't settled on that yet.

Thanks i was curious. I have wild seedlings and have put about five under the trees to let them do whatever they can yes slow growing.

I can be patient with a slow grower if they're healthy but when they require my constant attention, it gets frustrating. In our yard, if the plant's not pulling its weight in the garden, it gets yanked and replaced with something else. Garden real estate is too precious to waste on something that's not giving results :) These hollies are in a bed 3'x60' so it's a decent chunk.

phew, I just spent a long time with some hollies in my yard . My sympathies if you are going to be removing them. Such a prickly job and tough roots. I dug four small two foot high ones and replanted them. Certainly are one thing you want to site exactly right the first time!

Buying plants you don't have any room for!? I love it, Sequoia! My eyes are usually bigger than my yard too. Sometimes I'll buy things and then spend hours with a measuring tape figuring out where I can put them.
I have an Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima' that was an impulse buy, but I'm glad I bought it and can't wait for it to start sending out suckers all over the place. It looks kind of scrawny and lonely right now. I also have some Aronia melancarpa. My aronias are planted in separate areas, but I bet they'd look nice together if combined in a hedge.

Yeah Muddy...I so frequently buy plants I have no room for have room for! If it's pretty and I'm in the mood to 'invest' then it's bought and finding room becomes a minor detail to be worked out later :)

I'm thinking they will make a good hedge; sure would blow the leaves off most of the hedges in this area...more research and wife approval of course ;)

Sally, luckily all our hollies have only been in the ground for about 2 seasons so the removal should be fairly easy.

I think 1/2 the fun of gardening is the research and the shopping part LOL

I like planting a lot more than shopping. So I get free stuff trading with DG buddies and just keeping moving/ multiplying them all over the yard.

Haha...yeah my wife thinks I'm nuts and she wonders when we'll have no yard left at all LOL

Boy 'o boy, now I'm really jealous. Winter planting is a pipe dream for us. My plan for this winter is to try and stay ahead of the snow. Well, that and to try and not freeze my keister off. BTW, low 50's here today. Ye ha!

"Some of them are fine (the males) but the females are the bigger problem."

I have to agree with this as a general truth in all species............

Lol nice Wha ;)

Pseudo, I remember in February 2011 I planted a loblolly pine and it's done great. Our ground easily thaws when the sun angle gets higher in late winter.

Hiss...................