Frigid February turns to March madness: plants suffer freeze damage following record lows

Author: Victor Rodriguez; Published: Mar 2, 2011; Category: New Mexico Plants and Trees; Tags: Landscape Maintenance, New Mexico Landscaping, Plants and Trees, Winter; 2 Comments

Click on image to view full-size.

Look for plant damage due to record low temperatures!

The deep freeze of February is starting to lose its grip and after what seemed to be an interminable period of “always-Winter-but-never-Christmas”, we start to see the stirrings of something that looks like Spring. And despite the March winds, daffodils, crocuses and hyacinths begin to peek their heads out cautiously. The winter jasmine begins to bloom, its star-like blossoms a harbinger of the fecundity soon to follow. And we have hope that the dying roar of a long Winter’s night will give rise to the melody of vernal harmony.

Unfortunately, this spring, your landscape may not be the idyllic paradise you want it to be. Take a good look at your landscape and  you will begin to see what the Evil Snow Queen has wrought. Because of the very cold weather in February (-15°F) you will notice some freeze damage to your plants. Plants that are normally evergreen will look like they have been blowtorched. I have looked at many landscapes in the last few weeks and what is most confounding is that one Indian Hawthorne may look absolutely fried, while right next to it another may be completely unharmed. Such is the Jekyll and Hyde nature of fickle Jack Frost.

The following is a partial list of plants and trees that may have been affected:

• Photinia
• Indian Hawthorne
• Cherry Sage
• Lavender
• Agaves
• Mexican Elders

• Rosemary
• Privet (ligustrum)
• Palm Trees
• Willows
• Crape Myrtle
• Ornamental grasses

• Boxwoods
• Some Conifers
• Palm Yuccas
• Ash trees
• Sycamore trees
• Prickly Pear Cactus

This by no means is an exhaustive list and you may see other damage in your landscape.  Some damage may not be evident until later in the Spring. As the temperatures increase keep an eye out for die back in turf areas or perennial flowering plants that did not survive the record cold temperatures.  Start increasing the watering of your plants and lawn right now. Wait until plants start to leaf out in the Spring before you do any hard pruning. This will give you a better idea of what actually survived.

Some of the plants may push off all the dead leaves and re-leaf.  So wait 3-4 weeks, then you can start trimming the dead out. A hard pruning will leave plants looking a little scraggly, but they should recover after a couple of growing seasons. However, I would wait until the middle of May before you remove an apparently “dead” Crape Myrtle, since they are one of the last trees to come out of dormancy.  I would also wait on Vitex (Chaste Trees) and indeed many other trees.  Patience is an important virtue when dealing with Mother Nature.

It is sad to lose a few years of growth on a plant or tree, but it won’t be long till we are tiptoeing gaily through the Tulips again!

When choosing plants, remember to include some you can enjoy in winter

Author: Mary LeBus; Published: Feb 10, 2011; Category: New Mexico Plants and Trees; Tags: New Mexico Landscaping, Plants and Trees, Winter; One Comment

Harry Lauder's Walking Stick

It’s gray. It’s cold. The huge Prickly Pear down the street from me is quite depressed; it’s not one of the hardiest types and I fear it didn’t dodge the last severe freeze. I start feeling a little down myself, but then inevitably the Plant Kingdom in all its variety shows me just how amazing its members are.

Of course, the evergreens (pines, spruces, and many broadleaved shrubs) keep their vital appearance through the winter and know how to look good with a snow makeover, but there are other plants who are very interesting visually in other ways.

The Redtwig dogwoods are, well, red-twigged. And the Purple Wintercreepers are, yes, purple. Sometimes it’s the shapes of the bare branches that are remarkable, for instance, the curling twisted Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick or the long sharply pointed leaves of a yucca. Sometimes the sight of a group of tall dormant grasses swaying in the wind can be mesmerizing. The late season red of the Oregon Grape covered in a coating of clear ice from a freezing rain is something I will never forget. Some of these images can stay with you longer because they are not lost in the busy-ness of the spring and summer growing seasons.

Often it’s our friends from the animal kingdom that show us just how important the plants are in winter. Shelter and food. Watching the birds checking out all the trees and shrubs for the last red berries or the quail pecking and scratching for seeds under the Four-Wing Saltbush can serve as my breakfast entertainment. You may wish the rabbits would not bother your plants or you might not mind watching them timidly hopping around browsing for tender leaves.

There really is a lot to appreciate out there even in winter and when it gets dark you can go through plant catalogs to satisfy your appetite for GREEN and FLOWERS. It’s a good time to start planning for spring. The point of this? Notice what’s out in the landscape that you like in winter so you can remember them in the planting season. When you get a landscape design it should be for the whole year.

Why, oh why, am I in the landscape business?

Author: Jim Forrester; Published: Feb 9, 2011; Category: New Mexico Landscaping, Residential Landscaping; Tags: Residential Landscape, The Hilltop, Winter; No Comments

As I write, it is the coldest day in Albuquerque in four decades (-10°F). The ground is frozen solid; very little work can be done. I could find this frustrating, but I have an email tucked away for days such as this:

Dear Jim and staff of Hilltop:

Every time I spend time in our beautiful back yard, I think of you guys and send a message of thanks for your hard work and ingenuity for creating our little sanctuary.

Moving from a much larger space in New Jersey, I wasn’t quite sure how it was all going to “work” here in Albuquerque. Meeting Jim Forrester and having him assure us that Hilltop could make something useful, interesting, and beautiful out of our little “sandbox” was really something we wanted to hear. I wasn’t so sure I really believed him at the time, but it was still nice to hear. We gave Hilltop the go ahead and the fun began. I think it took a total of 12 workdays, with the nicest and most  cooperative crew of guys there could be.

Our back yard is not really our back yard, it is another room to our wonderful Paul Allen Green home.  We eat outside, read outside, sway in our hanging hammocks while enjoying beautiful Albuquerque.

Thank you, Jo

What a joy to be a part of creating such a lasting and important addition to someone’s home and life! This couple moved to Albuquerque after living in many other cities. Joanne and her husband fell in love with New Mexico because of the beautiful skies and great outdoors. They chose a Paul Allen Home, and after getting several other proposals, chose Hilltop as their landscape contractor. She wanted a yard that would “Wow” her and it did! (Click any image to view before and after images.)

This is a real-life transformation. Another one of the many reasons “why I am in the landscape business!”

Winter watering helps trees thrive in spring

Author: Fred Roybal; Published: Feb 7, 2011; Category: Tree Care; Tags: Plants and Trees, Tree Care, Watering, Winter; No Comments

Swelling silver maple buds mean the arrival of spring.

It won’t be long before we begin to notice the Elms and Silver Maple buds swelling. Seeing that always gives me hope that Spring is not too far off! Winter is nice and has its own beauty and benefits, one of which allows some fruit trees to get their chill requirements so that they can bear fruit, but I am definitely a warm-weather person.

Why do my trees and shrubs need water in winter?

Plants and trees are not dead, but dormant during the winter. There is root growth that occurs during the dormant season, and because of this it is imperative that the tender roots have the soil moisture they need to survive. If they die off due to drought conditions they will have to draw on energy reserves to regrow the roots that have died off. Repeating this too often can stress a tree, and possibly lead to disease, or die back in the canopy come spring time.

How much water do my plants need in winter?

One of the questions I get asked is, “How much should I water in the winter, or do I even need to water since my trees and lawn are dead in the winter?” That’s the million-dollar question; but remember, your trees are dormant, not dead.

How much winter watering your trees need depends on how much precipitation you’ve received, how warm or cold your temperatures are, how windy it’s been, how porous your soil is, and if the tree/shrub is mature or a newly planted specimen.

Generally it’s best to supplement water when we’ve had a couple of weeks of temperate dry weather. One way to tell if your dormant plants are in need of a drink is to dig around the edge of the canopy, “the drip line,” and if you can make a dirt clod that falls apart easily then it needs water, but if it holds together well then you could hold off a few more days. Trees would really like a depth of optimum moisture in the soil to be about two feet.

It’s best to water when the temperatures are above freezing, and there will be enough time before it re-freezes for it to soak in. I don’t like to rely entirely on irrigation systems in winter, as parts of them may be frozen, consequently not allowing the water to reach some or all of the plants.

A little extra care during the winter will result in happier and healthier trees and plants in the spring and summer.

Three reasons to start your landscape project in February

Author: Doug Bishop; Published: Jan 31, 2011; Category: Residential Landscaping; Tags: Residential Landscape, Winter; No Comments

Plants planted in the winter can be enjoyed in late spring and summer.

It’s 2011, and we’re looking at February already. I can’t tell you how many people call me in early March to say that they decided to get ahead of the seasonal rush. Sadly, I have to tell them they are already behind the curve, because everyone else thinks they are also getting an early start by calling in March. It’s not a happy moment when they realize they have to get in line.

1. Get ahead of the scheduling rush
   For landscape contractors the phone starts ringing off the hook on March first, it’s our sign that spring is around the corner even though flowers aren’t quite fully budding yet.
2. Plant in winter, enjoy the plants in the summer
   Planting during the dormant season in this region is a much better option than plopping them in the ground in the heat of late spring or early summer, and you will generally see a higher success rate of surviving a transplant.
3. Winter deals are not unheard of
   Many landscape companies have a smaller work force in the winter months as opposed to the seasonal work in the summer. They have less overhead which means that you might be able to get a better bargain during this time of the year.

Think of the time you will spend relaxing this spring in your new environment, watching your neighbors just getting started on their landscaping, or scrambling to get it scheduled. Just try not to gloat openly.