SEASONAL
SUGGESTIONS
No. 71 - September/October- 2001
"CARE-DURING THE FALL OF TIME"
By Marty
Mann
As the hot summer weather fades
away, the activities involving the trees should include the care required before
settling down for winter dormancy.
The growth patterns of most
trees begin to slow down and they no longer show signs of vigor or the blush of
summer greenery. They will not show autumn colors yet since the chemical changes
required do not begin to materialize until late in September. The "Autumnal
Equinox” approaches -- the day of equal night and day that leads us
into the fall season. Areas previously exposed to full sun have more shade and
conversely give trees less light than they are accustomed to having in order to
grow. Notice tree locations and begin the process of moving deciduous trees into
cooler areas if you have had any recent periods of regrowth. In spite of the
cooler weather, these trees can respond to the warmth of the late summer and
develop new foliage.
To prevent too much of this
activity reduce feeding programs. Exclude products with high rates of
Nitrogen. Think 0-10-10. No more high Nitrogen fertilizers such as blood meal
or fish emulsion. Any feeding taking place this late in the year should be
applied with the object of strengthening the next year's growth and giving the
trees a strong base from which to enter into dormancy. Plants need to be strong
when they come back to life in the spring. Special attention should be given to
the application of fertilizer to flowering plants, such as Bougainvillea and
Azaleas since too much food encourages lush green growth and fewer flower buds.
Tender new growth is subject to damage if any sudden cool weather occurs. With
California’s relatively warm winters, evergreen conifers continue to grow --
they must therefore be fed lightly during the so-called dormant months.
This is a time to work on basic
training and design. Remove all of the wire applied this past year. Check
for wire cuts. New wire can be applied but avoid the curls and marks of previous
efforts. In spite of this period of slow growth, fall and winter training can
still be effective. Before spring approaches don't overlook this new wire as
since rapid new growth can quickly cause new damage. Study improper branch
placement – crossing, bars, up and downs.
Pruning and pinching is
still an important activity in spite of the growth slow-down. Keep evergreens
and conifers in shape. Our climate allows plenty of time for new growth to
develop and harden before winter cool days encourage dormancy. Review the growth
of new candles on pines. It’s still a good time for the second candle removal.
Attentive cut back and pinching minimizes unattractive long internodes and loss
of compactness. The more you pinch and cut the more branch diversification and
new bud formation for spring. This constant attention from early fall,
throughout the dormant winter season, will intensify your design objectives.
Cuttings, at this time
of year must be limited to hardwood specimens or tropical varieties. The use of
a rooting hormones and a pre-soaking of a rooting stimulant, such as B-1 or
Superthrive, improve your odds of success. A basic rooting medium such as 2
parts peat moss with l part perlite or coarse sand will serve you well. This
rooting medium should be kept slightly moist and shaded until evidence of new
growth appears.
Don't overlook watering
requirements. Even though upper growth is slowing down, the root systems are
still expanding and moisture is still important. A reduction in the frequency
and time is required since the moisture loss has been reduced as the weather
cools down and the absence of foliage does not allow for proper expiration.
Don't forget to keep azaleas slightly moist. This is the period when new buds
are being set for next year’s flowers.
Study the trees. Look for symptoms of insects or disease
damage. Leaves that are yellow along the veins on the top and signs of the
dark insects on the bottom of the leaf are evidence of Scale infections.
Malathion is an effective killer when applied to both sides of the leaf and
repeated a week later. The addition of an agricultural oil (i.e. –Volk oil) to
the mix increases your chances of success. Powdery Mildew is a bothersome fungus
that appears on moist leaf surfaces. Applications of fungicides such as a
Bordeaux mixture or many other common products will keep this under control.
Remove large clumps of moss. Excess moss in winter harbors
insects and disease and holds moisture in the pot to dangerously high levels.
Removing this excess vegetation improves soil drainage, increases beneficial
oxygen to the roots and warms the root ball by allowing the winter sun to
contact the soil and container.
And finally, advice to people who are computer literate -–
the E-mail of the specie is more deadly than the mail. Don’t byte off more than
you can view.
Winter is a-comin!
