Wisconsin Yard and Garden Tips

By Sharon Morrisey, Consumer Horticulture Agent, Milwaukee County UW-Extension

Take soil samples for testing by the UW Soils Lab or other State approved lab. Separate samples should be taken from areas that are used differently or have different light and moisture conditions. Combine several individual samples from a single area to make a composite sample. More information at uwlab.soils.wisc.edu. (462)

Fertilize trees and shrubs that showed signs of stress this year such as early fall color or smaller, paler or fewer leaves. Using a fertilizer with 12 - 20 percent nitrogen, deciduous trees need 1 - 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of area over the root zone. Evergreen trees only need one pound. Give shrubs growing alone 4 oz. per foot of height or spread, whichever is greater. Shrubs grouped in beds need 2 lbs. per 100 sq. ft. of bed area. (555)

Cole crops like Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli and kale are made sweeter by frost so harvest them as long as possible.

Spring flowering bulbs can still be planted as long as the ground is not frozen. For something different, try the 'minor bulbs' like Serbian Squill, Glory of the Snow, Snowdrops, and Puschkinia. (487)

Pot up some spring flowering bulbs for indoor forcing. Crocus and hyacinth bulbs stored for 8 weeks in the back of your refrigerator will produce blooms three weeks after they are brought into a warmer room. Narcissus (daffodils) and tulips require 12 - 14 weeks of cold treatment and should be potted up before chilling. (356)

Check houseplants for insects that may have come indoors as you brought the plants inside. Pick pests off by hand or use insecticidal soap or Sunspray (ultrafine) oil to control. Give foliage a sponge bath or shower regularly to keep leaf pores clear.

Outdoor planters, hanging baskets, and window boxes should be emptied and washed thoroughly with soap and a mild bleach solution before storing for next year. Store plastic, clay and concrete containers where they will not get wet or freeze.

Mark or make a mental note of lawn areas infested with crabgrass this year so you can spot treat with a pre-emergent herbicide next spring. Crabgrass is easy to see now since it turns purple and then brown when killed by frost.

Prune everbearing raspberries if you did not do so after this fall's harvest. If you cut or mow all canes to the ground now there will be no spring harvest but a much larger fall harvest next year. It also reduces insect and disease problems. (506)

Water all needle and broadleaf evergreens one last time before the ground freezes since winter wind and sun will continue to demand water from these plants through their leaves all winter. Excess water loss can lead to "winter burn" or death.

Amaryllis bulbs that have rested for at least 10 weeks can be repotted, watered and brought into a bright room to produce flowers for the holidays. (416)

Keep checking tomatoes and other produce in storage discarding the rotting fruits and using those that are mature

Move pesticides and plastic equipment to a place where they will not freeze. Always store pesticides in locked cabinets or up out of reach of children. Keep them in their original containers. Cover labels with clear plastic tape to keep them clean and legible. File supplemental label information where it can be easily found and referred to before application next season. (814, 438)

Stop fertilizing indoor plants now since they will use less water and nutrients due to the lower light levels.

Keep flowering Thanksgiving cactuses well watered and out of drafts. Avoid moving them while in flower since this may cause them to drop flower buds. (868, 869)

Cut down and discard asparagus stems and leaves as soon as they have yellowed completely. Removing these from the garden reduces disease and insect problems next year.

Tender hybrid roses can be caged in chicken wire and mounded with soil now. Allow soil to freeze then stuff the cages with dry fallen leaves. Stems do not need to be cut back until next spring .(434)

Root crops are insulated from frost by the ground so they can be left in the garden and dug as needed. A thick layer of mulch will prolong the harvest. You may even find yourself shoveling off the snow to gather a few last carrots, potatoes, leeks, Brussels spouts and parsnips.

Delay all unnecessary pruning until late winter or early spring just before budbreak since wounds will heal most quickly when the tree or shrub is growing most vigorously. Elms, maples, birches and black walnut can be pruned after the sap has stopped "rising". Sap running from wounds does not harm the tree.

This is a good time to clean, sharpen, and oil garden tools and equipment. Oil and store gas powered equipment like lawn mowers and leaf blowers. Repair shops are in a slow period (at least until the snow flies and snowblowers need repair) so arrange for a tune-up and blade sharpening now.