After holidays, your tree can take on a new purpose as compost or mulch
Their time to sparkle in lights and tinsel is coming to an end, but holiday trees still have a future. “Recycle your Christmas tree so it doesn’t go to waste,”...
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Like humans, trees are members of a community that depend on each other
This is the time of year for sharing, when families and friends gather for meals, gift-giving and rituals. It’s a reminder of how much we mean to each other and...
Even in winter, buds help woody plants get a head start on spring
What is it that adorns this tree? Is it a fruit? Is it a flower? Often, it’s a promise. That’s what buds are: promises of next year’s leaves and blooms....
Do your research to select plants that can resist diseases, pests
Gardeners often are told it’s better to landscape with trees and plants that are resistant to diseases and pests than to fight problems with pesticides. Choosing plants that are less...
How to help plants defend against winter
Suddenly, it’s winter, and we’re wrapping ourselves against the cold in puffy coats and fuzzy boots. What about our plants? “The best way to protect our gardens in winter is...
When pruning tree branches, follow the three-cut method
Pruning a tree branch may seem like a small garden chore, but it’s serious business. “If you don’t know what you’re doing and you don’t plan carefully, it can be...
Canker diseases are common killers of trees, and can spread easily
When a branch falls or a tree dies, one common reason is a group of diseases with an especially ominous name: canker diseases. “Canker” comes from the same root as...
Keep an eye out for girdling, which can kill a tree
In the fashion world, a girdle is outmoded and slightly funny. For a tree, girdling is no joke. To girdle a tree is to damage the bark and underlying tissue...
Don’t rake away leaves from trees and plants; they make a great winter mulch
In the woods, leaves cover the soil. They form a rich layer of decaying plant matter that insulates the roots of trees and other plants and provides them with nutrients...
Watch the weather, not the date, when planning fall garden chores
Roses still bloom. A bigleaf hydrangea is opening a new flower cluster, and so is a nearby spirea bush. Most trees are still green. Yet it’s October, a time when...