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Garden Column for the Salisbury Post Darrell Blackwelder October 27, 2005
I often get inquiries on gardening and lawn care when I’m out and about in the county. As expected, most of the queries now pertain mostly to home lawns and landscapes. A waitress/owner from one of my favorite downtown Salisbury restaurants asked me a few gardening questions this week while my wife, Gerrie and I were eating. Coming from a new homeowner that new very little about landscape maintenance, I thought her questions would of some relevance to others in the same situation. Here are her questions: “How do I know when to put my lawnmower up for the winter? Is the grass still growing now that it’s getting colder?” The answer is it really depends on the weather. This was seemingly vague and non committal answer, but one season I mowed my lawn during the Christmas holidays. Fescue really likes the warm days and cool nights we’re presently experiencing. The only problem is there is no rainfall to support growth, so irrigation is necessary now for maximum growth. Those with newly seeded lawns or over-seeded lawns should provide supplemental irrigation to help establish this cool season grass. Ironically, November is historically the driest month of the season. Usually, fescue growth slows down considerably in November and stops completely in December. However, unseasonable weather will offer some spurts of new growth. Freezing weather in January halts fescue growth completely. The other question: “How do you know when a tree is dead? Our tree leaves turned brown this summer. Will the tree come back in the spring?” Unfortunately, her tree is dead. I happened to see them traveling to the office. Damage to the root during construction of their home killed the maple tree months ago. A sure sign of tree death is if the leaves are brown and remain on the tree without falling or changing color. Fall is a difficult time to diagnose if a tree is dead or declining because premature shedding is often caused by sudden droughts or other stress factors. Waiting until spring is often the best answer to tell if a tree is declining or dead. However, if tree has been pronounced dead, it’s best to remove the tree as soon as possible. The longer the tree decays, the greater risk for the person has from falling limbs during its removal. Also, professional arborists realize this risk and will charge more to remove dangerous trees.
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