Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
11/9/98
Contacts:
James Romer, Extension Horticulture, (515) 294-2336
Elaine Edwards, Extension Communication Systems, (515)
294-5168
Yard and Garden Column for the Week Beginning Nov. 13
The Gardener's Last Stand
By James Romer
Master Gardener coordinator
Iowa State University
As fall progresses, the vibrantly colored autumn leaves drop one by one like snowflakes that soon change the landscape to white. Before dusting off the snow shovel, you need to complete important gardening chores before winter.
Strawberry Protection
Strawberries need protection from the cold winter
temperatures. If strawberries are left unprotected,
temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit may kill the fruit
buds and damage the plant's roots and crowns. For every 5
degrees drop in temperature, the damage becomes more severe.
Also, alternate freezing and thawing of the soil during the
winter may lift unprotected plants out of the soil and also
cause damage. Mulch needs to be applied before the
temperature drops below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. In central
Iowa, early to mid-November is generally a good time to
mulch strawberries. Mulching strawberries while the plant is
still actively growing may actually increase winter injury.
Allow the plants to harden--off properly by exposure to two
or three hard freezes.
Suitable mulching materials for strawberries include clean, weed-free oat straw, soybean straw or chopped cornstalks. If cut before bloom, sudangrass is another good winter mulch. Tree leaves are not recommended because they tend to mat down and smoother the plants. Apply 3 to 5 inches of mulch, and eventually, the material will settle to 2 to 4 inches.
Leave the winter mulch on until approximately 25 percent of the plants show signs of growth in the spring. New growth will be white or yellow in color. The winter mulch on strawberries is normally removed in mid-April in central Iowa. Early removal of mulch may encourage the plants to grow and flower prematurely. A late frost could damage or destroy the blooms and substantially reduce the crop. Rake the mulch to the aisles between rows or to the edge of the strawberry bed. If there is a threat of frost during bloom, the mulch can be lightly raked back over the plants.
Winter Storage of Garden Hoses
Proper maintenance of tools aids in extending the life
of your garden equipment and makes working with them easier
and more efficient. Hoses don't need a great deal of care,
but the better their care, the longer their life. One of the
first things not to do is to kink the hose. Any kink becomes
a weak point and kinks restrict water flow. Also, the hose
often cracks in these locations. Do not store them on nails
as this promotes kinking and weak spots in the hose. Store
hoses on reels, hose supports or simply coil loosely. These
methods prevent sagging and kinking. Before storing the hose
make sure all the water has been drained out. Find a dry
storage place and your hose will be ready to go when spring
takes over.
ml: isugarden
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