Ask the gardening expert November 20
Tuesday, November 18 | 6:10 p.m.
Is it a good idea to burn winter-fallen leaves, tree limbs and pine straw in my garden during the winter months when nothing is growing in the garden? I have heard that it is good to let the pot ash that comes from this fire settle into the soil.
Charles Brun, a horticulture adviser with Washington State University Clark County Extension, offers that wood ash dumped into on area will raise the pH to 11, which is toxic. In addition, burning too much plant debris messes up air quality.
I’d suggest you have your soil tested so you know what you’re working with and then apply the ashes only if the test indicates that the soil is low in pot ash.
If it’s needed, limit the amount you use and apply only every two to three years. The soil in the Pacific Northwest is quite acidic naturally; you can cause serious imbalances within the soil by applying too much wood ash too often.
I’m looking for a Christmas garden gift for my mother who lives in New York State. She loves gardening and I’d love to send her something for her garden. Do you recommend sending bulbs? If so, which ones? Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
In many areas the ground is snow and ice-covered, so it might be difficult to plant anything outdoors. In my experience, one of the nicest gifts is a gift certificate or check along with several catalogs to browse, or an advance ticket to a flower show.
This helps pass the time in happy anticipation of spring. It also solves the problem of trying to guess which plants she might like and that may do well in her climate.
Celeste Lindsay is a WSU master gardener. Send questions to lindsay8@pacifier.com.
What to do in the garden for ornamentals during November and December:
-- Apply fertilizer and lime on lawn
to enhance winter color and root growth.
-- Try applying an iron compound to temporarily rid your lawn of moss; unless you correct the conditions causing the moss, it will likely return. Those conditions might be too much shade, poor drainage, low fertility or
soil compaction. Contrary to popular belief, lime will not control moss.
-- Clean up flower beds by pulling
out or digging up annuals after they have been killed by a freeze. Cut back herbaceous perennials to several inches above the ground.
-- If lily blooms were undersized this summer, divide plants by gently digging, lifting and separating the clusters of bulbs. Replant them in soil liberally enriched with well-rotted compost.
-- Prune hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses to two-and-a-half feet to prevent wind damage. Remove all leaves and mound 8 inches of mulch around canes. Remove the mulch before growth begins in the spring.
-- Flower tubers or corms that look shriveled should be lightly sprinkled with water.
-- Cut back chrysanthemums to within 6 inches of the ground when the last flower fades. This is also the time to take cuttings from late-flowering cultivars.
-- Plant or move trees and shrubs any time from November through early spring.
-- Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous plants after leaves have fallen.
-- Remove foil or wrap from poinsettia pots. Keep plants in indirect or filtered light, away from heat sources and at 60 to 70 degrees during the day and 60 to 65 degrees at night. When potting soil is dry to the touch, water poinsettias at the sink and let them drain thoroughly. Poinsettias in bloom need neither fertilizer nor misting, which could encourage the growth of fungus. Let faded bracts and leaves fall naturally; then dispose of them.
Source: WSU Clark County Extension
