When watering, be sure to water deeply so the bottom roots can drink. Too often people water many times a week, but not deep enough. The rule of thumb is: Flowerbeds 30 - 45 minutes and lawn 45 - 60 minutes.
HANGING PLANT SURVIVAL
Hanging baskets do not hold much soil and dry out rapidly. The following suggestions will enhance your chances of them thriving, even in extreme heat.
1) Repot any prepoted baskets.
2) Put a saucer in the bottom of the hanging basket before putting in the soil and/or plants.
3) Use a moisture-retaining soil mix or add SoilMoist to your potting soil (SoilMoist is normally carried by Ace Hardware stores).
4) Add a slow releasing plant food like Osmocote (carried by Walmart).
SPRING AND FALL FREEZES
The difference between a frost advisory and a hard freeze advisory is the expected low temperature. Frost temperatures usually range between 28 and 32 degrees, whereas hard freeze temperatures are 28 degrees and lower.
Frost can harm plants that cannot tolerate freezing conditions at all, but established plants should not suffer much, if any, damage from this brief temperature drop. However, a hard freeze can be serious to plants. Even established plants that are hardy for our area can be injured or killed if they are budding into new growth.
There are a few things that can be done to help protect your landscape from this occurrence. The best preventative is mulch. A two to four inch layer of mulch will insulate the plant roots, keeping the soil warmer than the surrounding air.
Next, when you know a frost or freeze is coming, water in your landscape for about 30 minutes. Plants lose water through their leaves and if the soil around their roots is frozen, they can’t drink. By giving your landscape a good watering before the temperature drops, you enable your plants to become thoroughly hydrated and they will be better able to tolerate the cold.
If you have any delicate plants that absolutely cannot tolerate freezing temperatures then you need to either bring them indoors or cover them with sheets. DO NOT use plastic, because the plants still need to breath. Also, be sure to remove the sheets as soon as the temperature rises above freezing or the sun hits them directly. If you fail to do this, the plants could get overheated, which could also cause them to die.
MULCH
Use mulch in flower beds to prevent water loss through evaporation and to increase water penetration during irrigations. Mulch also reduces weeds, prevents soil compaction, keeps soil temperatures more moderate, and helps to prevent root freeze in winter months.
BULB PLANTING
In the Tulsa Metro area, the best time to plant your bulbs for beautiful spring flowers is in September and October. You want to get them in the ground early enough so that the root systems can grow before the extremely cold weather sets in. Be sure to water the bulbs after planting to stimulate the roots to grow.
Most bulbs have a pointed end, which should face up when planted. If you don't see a point, look for signs of roots and plant with that end down. Bulbs should be firm and show no signs of mold or decay, and should not have leaves growing before planting.
Generally, bulbs should be planted so the bottom rests at a depth that is two and a half times the bulb's diameter. If you are planting in sandy soil or soil that dries out quickly, plant an inch or two deeper. Avoid planting in soggy areas. This will cause the bulbs to rot.
Some types of bulbs to consider are: Tulips, Daffodils, Iris, Hyacinth, Crocus and Lilies.
TREE AND SHRUB TRIMMING AND TRANSPLANTING
Fall and winter are the best times to prune trees and shrubs and plant new trees. They are in a dormant stage and can withstand the changes or relocation without going into shock. Also, when trimming and pruning at that time, it helps to form and strengthen the tree or shrub, encourages new strong growth in the spring, minimizes future storm damage and protects against overwintering disease and insects.
TREE FERTILIZATION
Trees require nutrients to live and thrive. When one or more of these nutrients are deficient in the soil, the tree will not reach its full landscape potential, will be more susceptible to disease and insect problems, and will have a shorter life than a similar, well-fertilized tree.
Most trees experience a single flush of growth during spring followed by slower growth throughout the summer and fall. Because of this single flush of growth, it is desirable to have nutrients available prior to this growth occurring. Winter is the perfect time to fertilize, because at that time the tree's roots take the nutrients from the soil and apply them to important health-promoting functions such as root development and disease resistance, rather than simply putting out new growth.
