Sirhornsalot
**The Official Horn Sports Landscaper and Landscap
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Right on the heels of a dry October, November arrives
Lawn and landscape watering should not stop in Fall/Winter
November arrives on the heals of a very dry October. A dry Fall can be a very costly thing, both for your home and your landscape here in North Texas.
To compound things, many homeowners turn their sprinkler systems off once daily high temperatures get below 75. So this worsens what was already a bad situation – for your landscape plants and your home’s foundation. How does a dry fall or winter make the problem worse? There are several factors that make a dry or damp landscape. Wind, for example, along with low humidity, will cause a landscape to dry out or become dryer than it already was.
The black “gumbo” clay that we have here in the middle of Texas and especially here in North Texas has characteristics which include expanding and contracting, depending on whether we’re wet or dry. So when the soil becomes starved of moisture, it ccntracts. Crevices are created in the soil which allows air down beneath which only accelerates the drying out process. Homeowners here should be aware of this and react accordingly.
Most folks seem to understand the importance of keeping the landscape and foundation watered during the warm and hot months, but it is equally important to do so in Fall and Winter, too.
I’m not talking about a rigorous watering schedule, I’m talking about a once a week watering that will moisten the foundation and keep plants, shrubs and trees alive. A cycle no longer than 5 to 8 minutes will suffice.
Forecasters are talking about a very wet two week period that we’re entering in, but I don’t think we should take that for granted. Forecasts often are wrong. Remember, we came out of summer parched and have received little relief since.
I know a lot of suburban homes end up having a river rock or gravel on the sides of the homes because grass doesn’t survive there. If this is you, make sure the ccntractor did not cap the sprinkler heads in those areas along the foundation line. Instead, change the nozzles to nozzles which are side-sprays. The side sprays water on each side of the head and not in front of it. This allows your foundation to replenish moisture.
While many trees and shrubs are dormant during winter, they still require regular water in order to survive. Above the soil surface, there may seem to be nothing going on. But beneath the surface, roots are still growing and spreading to find additional moisture.
Moisture also protects our landscape plants and trees from winter’s freezing weather. Remember, wet soil takes much longer to freeze than dry soil. So if you know that a winter storm or cold front is approaching, try to water one day before that weather arrives.
Other Issues with the home’s foundation
As you can see, the soil in this shrub bed is well over the foundation line of the home and water is likely getting into the home. Note the foundation issue as well.
So many times I’ve seen a landscape where each year the beds get mulched. And in most cases, they just lay the new mulch over the top of the old mulch. The old mulch eventually breaks down and becomes soil, thus causing an increase in the soil you have in the bed over time.
This is fine until we have raised the level to the top of the foundation line. Foundations are made of solid concrete, which cannot be penetrated by water. However, just above the foundation will be either mortar (and brick) or a siding of some type. Either way, this causes water to get into the home during heavy rainfall events because mortar is porous and allows water through. Also, brick structure have weep holes along the bottom, which will also allow water in.
So how do you know if you have too much soil there? I tend to go by the home industry standard – and that is that there should be at least three inches of foundation showing. Additionally, there should be a slop away from the foundation so that water flows away. If you were to put a house on the market and in some places the soil was higher than the foundation line, the home inspector would flag it and call for it to be ccrrected.
I recommend removing old mulch before you install new mulch each time, unless your home shows too much foundation.
Mowing now changes to leaf removal
Our turf grass is beginning to really slow down when it comes to growing. The lawn may not need to be mowed but once or twice more this season. But just as those duties end, a new landscape task begins in removing the leaves that drop during Fall. Don’t allow leaves to accumulate on the lawn or against your home. The leaves shield grass from sunshine and hold moisture against your concrete and/or brick/mortar which causes deterioration.
It is best to round them up and bag them weekly during this season. If you have a neighbor who is composting, they may appreciate you bringing your leaves to them. Additionally, many cities have composting programs and facilities so you can always take them there rather than set them at the curb.
Time to trim back some plants
Fall is the time to trim back some of our perennials in preparation for winter. These plants include Bee Balm, Columbine, Salvia and Butterfly Bush. Other plants to cut back are Amaryllis, Bearded Iris, Catmint, Daylilies, Penstemon, Peonies, Phlox, and Yarrow.
Remember to make your cuts at a 45-degree angle.
Roses should be pruned in mid-February, literally on Valentines Day. The same is true for Greg’s Mistflower and Forsythia and ornamental grasses.
Plants NOT to trim include Hydrangeas. Thought they don’t look very nice during the winter, the old growth on Hydrangeas will be the first to bloom come mid-spring.
Shrubs can be trimmed during the Fall as well.
Pre-emergent Application
Early November is when we put down the season’s last application of pre-emergent. This product sterilizes soil so that weed seeds that normally germinate in December will not be able to germinate. The product will have at least a 3-month residual protection. It will not harm your turf or your landscape plants. You may also apply this product to your beds to prevent weeds there.
The only exception would be a situation where you are relying on seed germination to produce your plants, such as with Bluebonnets.
Your next pre-emergent application should happen in the last week of January or first week of February.
