If you’ve found damaged plants, mounded soil, and small burrow holes, you may have an unwelcome rodent helping themselves to your garden. Voles, which resemble large mice, are common in Northern Colorado foothills, forests and prairies. Voles live as families in burrow systems and can cause extensive damage to trees, shrubs and crops (especially root […]
Category: Seasonal Tips
Cleaning beds, amending soils
- Season: Winter
Think there’s nothing to do in the winter garden? Think again! When garden soils soften, and days grow warm, amending soil and cleaning garden beds is the best preparation for a successful spring! Rake leaves, grass clippings, and the remains of the vegetable garden from forgotten corners of the lawn and garden then add to […]
Are your evergreens looking yellow or brown? This might be why…
- Season: Winter
Extreme temperature changes over short periods of time during winter months can leave evergreen trees looking a little yellow and sad. There are a number of different reasons an evergreen tree might be turning yellow/brown and/or dropping needles this time of year. Sometimes it’s perfectly healthy, other times it’s not. How do you tell the difference, […]
Trees Down! Now What?
So your trees suffered damage in a snow storm, and things are looking rough. Whether trees were in full leaf and held the heavy wet snow to the point of breaking, or evergreens bent and snapped under the load, or the snow was simply too much weight to bear, even on dormant deciduous woody plants, […]
Wrap trees to protect from sun scald
- Season: Winter
Bright, cold days of winter can cause sunscald on thin-barked woody plants such as willows, aspen, mountain ash and maple. The warmth of the sun heats the bark, essentially waking it from a dormancy. The sudden drop in night temperatures then kills the active bark. Bark will show signs of damage by turning color, splitting […]
Winterize with rose collars
Hybrid Tea, Grandiflora, and other grafted roses need more winter protection than other varieties. Prune back long canes in November to protect them from snow damage, or wait until mid-April and leave the rose hips for winter interest. Remove debris from the base of the roses, and use a rose collar to hold soil, compost, straw […]
Add Amaryllis for Indoor Winter Color
- Season: Winter
Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) are a great way to bring some magnificent color indoors during the gray winter months. Although they naturally bloom in the Spring, many are ‘forced’ to bloom around the holidays, making them popular holiday plants with their large, showy, log-lasting blooms. Their distinctive lily-like blossoms sit, often in clusters of up to four […]
Adjust Watering Schedule for Autumn & Winter
Even though winter is here and plants are dormant they still need winter watering in our high desert climate. We recommend thoroughly watering trees, shrubs, lawns and perennial beds at least once a month. Remember to water when temperatures are above 40 degrees, and with enough time for the water to fully soak into the soil. […]
Christmas Tree Care
- Season: Winter
Deck your halls with a fresh cut, Colorado native Llodgepole Pine or Subalpine Fir from Fort Collins Nursery! You can keep your tree fresh with a little care. When you get your tree home, cut about an inch off the trunk, and immediately place the trunk in a reservoir of water. Keep this reservoir full, […]
Winter Watering for Houseplants
- Season: Winter
Plants need water – just not as much as you’d think. Many people stick to a watering schedule of about once a week for their houseplants. While this is generally a good rule to follow, you may need to change your habits in the winter. The amount of water plants use is reflected by their […]