Homeowners are itching to get into their yards and gardens to clean up and clean out after the last couple of weekends’ snow and ice.
You may see broken or bent limbs, or other signs of damage. Or worse.
Vance County Cooperative Extension Horticulture Agent Michael Ellington cautions gardeners and others to pump the brakes a bit before going out with the pruners or ripping out plants that appear dead.
“Patience is one of the best tools you have,” Ellington said.
Remove limbs that are broken, but hold off on major pruning, he said. Often, the trees, shrubs and other plants in the landscape may just bounce back. They just need a little time to recover.
And if you think adding some fertilizer will help those plants recover more quickly, think again.
Fertilizer application in winter doesn’t really help, Ellington explained. Roots aren’t taking up nutrients in the winter, so not only are you wasting money, you may be contributing – in negative ways – to your yard or to nearby waterways.
“Doing nothing for a little while is often the best decision,” Ellington said.
One thing you can do is to look for possible damage to trees, including splits in trunks or cracks in limbs. Document the damage you see and then, over the next few weeks, see if the damage resolves itself.
It will help you when it’s time to prune or replace plantings.
Call the extension office at 252.438.8188 or stop by at 305 Young St. to learn more about upcoming workshops, including:
- 7 – Introduction to Beekeeping workshop – 9 a.m. to 12 noon at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. Learn more about what’s involved before committing to the hobby
- 14 – Bee School – every other Saturday through the first week in April.
- 21 – Backyard Chickens 101 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market. Register at go.ncsu.edu/chicken101
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