The severe winter has brought damage to landscapes that we’ve not seen in a great many years. Some plants that have been very winter hardy here may appear to be dead or very heavily damaged. Some will recover later if the damaged/dead plant parts are trimmed off. I recommend delaying wholesale cutting off of winter burnt foliage until the temperatures remain above freezing. Even the unsightly brown/dead foliage serves to shield ...
The quantities of salt applied to area roadways and sidewalks during the winter of 2013-2014 was among the most in decades, given the long cold, icy,and snowy periods, which ran relentlessly from November through March. While the repeat or heavy salt applications certainly enabled us to traverse our roads more safely, the damage to plants and turf grass is a most unfortunate byproduct. Clearly turf grass adjacent to roadways ...
Whether you tend to your own lawn or hire a professional to take care of it, you should become aware of Maryland’s new “Lawn Fertilizer Act” that goes into effect October 1st. This new law was designed to protect the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland’s other waterways from excessive nutrients that flow into them from sources such as lawn fertilizers that contain nitrogen and phosphorus.
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23
AUG
2013
Typically, we wait until the very end of winter to cut back ornamental grasses in Silver Spring. But for some reason, this year they’ve been looking more tattered than usual, despite the absence of heavy snowstorms that generally decimate them. We have, however, been blessed with one or two days each week when the temperatures have climbed to 50 degrees or more, and this allows us to ...
Quality hoses, an essential tool in any garden, are a worthy investment and should be stored properly during the winter to protect and preserve them. Hoses should be brought inside (e.g., garage, basement, shed) and stored, preferably on a shelf or hanger, rather than on the floor. It is essential to drain all water from the hose before storage to prevent freezing and ...
Many people have reported to me cases of severely damaged or downed trees after recent bad storms. I experienced very severe tree limb loss from big old trees that I’ve had pruned regularly by tree companies, just to prevent the weaknesses that ultimately led to the losses I unfortunately experienced. I was, understandably, surprised at the tree damage.
It is important to have a licensed ...
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