Evergreens may need an autumn drink
Evergreens planted over the previous three years should be watered as needed this month and early next month if conditions are warm and dry. So far, the rainfall has been good this fall.
It is easy to forget about watering during the colder weather in November. Recently planted evergreens should not go into winter under drought stress, which will increase the chance of winter burn. Evergreens can lose moisture from their leaves faster than the roots can replace it when there is low soil moisture, freezing temperatures and blowing wind.
Make sure the root balls of evergreen trees are thoroughly moistened when watering by applying water to the base of the plant. Densely branched evergreen trees can shed water from rain or a sprinkler away from the root ball so it is a good idea to check the root balls now to make sure they are moist.
• Have your garden soil tested to determine how best to manage it and what fertilizers to use. Make a composite sample from a few areas in the bed and send in for testing.
If your garden is large, then it is a good idea to break the garden into zones to test. Soils in the Chicago area tend to have adequate phosphorus levels so in these situations choose fertilizers that do not have phosphorus in them, or very small amounts. A soil test will confirm the status of your garden soil.
• It is a good idea to sharpen and clean garden tools when putting them away for the season. Sharpen spades with an electric hand grinder and put the bevel on the inside edge of the spades.
It is important to wear ear and eye protection for this task, as it is noisy and sparks will fly as the grinder works. Move the grinder steadily back and forth to create the sharp edge and avoid burning the metal.
Well-maintained tools make gardening much easier. Use pegboard on your garage walls to hang and organize tools. If your garage is unheated, it is best to store liquids in the basement.
• Have your snowblower serviced before the first measurable snowfall when repair shops may get backed up with repair and maintenance work.
• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.