Winterizing Watering

by Turian Gardener

I look out my window on the last of the roses and on a few stray vegetables sheltering under their dwindling foliage. The daytime temperatures here (Colorado) are dropping into the 50s and the nighttime temperatures hover in the mid-30s. The leaf turning has been dramatic this year. Winterization of lawns, trees, and bushes is now the priority. Although winterization can consist of several differrent tasks, for me, winterization is largely watering and covering with mulch.

In climates that go through dry spells before the snow falls, watering needs to happen before temperatures stay below 40-45 degrees F. Most “winter kills” is not due to cold temperatures but rather to dessication. Watering before the snowfall helps prevent dessication.

Water should be applied during the mid-day so that it has a chance to sink into the ground before temperatures drop and the water might freeze. Since we are talking about late fall and early winter watering, water is not as likely to be lost to evaporation as it can be in the heat of summer. Watering should be done so that the water reaches the root systems. Too brief a watering may not allow the water to reach the roots. In general, at each watering, trees take 10 gallons of water for each inch of trunk diameter. Small shrubs should receive one monthly watering of 5 gallons, newly-palnted shrubs should receive two monthly waterings of 5 gallons each, and large shrubs should recieve four monthly waterings. The frequency and duration of lawn watering depend on how quickly the soil is saturated and you see run-off and how quickly the soil dries out. Applying more water than the soil can absorb not only wastes water but also can leach out fertilizer and, if the ground remains water-logged, can cause root problems.

Placing mulch in plant beds and around trees often completes the work of late fall and early winter watering. Mulch lessens water loss through evaporation and insulates root systems against extreme temperatures.

Mulch is available commerically in both designer/decorator colors and sizes and in plain old everyday just-cover-it-up form. Garden supply stores carry bagged brands in a variety of styles. Places that offer firewood or that collect Christmas trees or perform tree-trimming services will often have huge mounds of tree chippings for bulk removal either for free or at low prices. If mulching a large area, one can always save money by covering the zone with generic mulch first and then layering the pretty stuff on top.

I wish you well,

Turian Gardener

Turian Gardener is an occasional contributor. May she always have water.