 November 10, 2020 Plants Blooming Out of Season I have noticed a large number of spring-blooming plants blooming now, in mid-November. The above picture is from my own azalea. I’ve also seen hollies with open blooms right next to ripening berries. This is most likely due to the fluctuating temperatures we’ve had this fall. We have had cold snaps and an actual frost or two in the tri-state. And in the midst of my fall garden shut-down chores, I had to turn the air conditioner back on! These temperatures fluctuations are confusing to the plants, and are prompting this out-of-season blooming. This is not necessarily harmful to the plants’ health. The most likely result is that there will be fewer flower buds available for bloom next spring, as the buds that SHOULD open in the spring are opening now. This will result in a slightly less spectacular show of blooms in the spring. The most serious effect will be if we have a repeat of last fall’s weather, where the temperatures went from abnormally mild to frigidly cold very suddenly. Many plants are not entering dormancy yet because of the warm temperatures, and a sudden freeze event could cause bud and twig death. There is nothing we can do to protect our plants or prevent injury. I’d suggest making some notes in your garden journals so that you aren’t surprised by plant dieback next spring and summer.  Leave the Leaves? There’s a lot of debate amongst gardeners about whether we should rake leaves, and if we do, what we should do with them. There is research to back up that there are many insects, including caterpillars, that overwinter in leaf debris. Raking these leaves removes the habitat for these caterpillars, with a result in a decrease in butterflies and moths next year. On the other hand, a thick mat of leaves will smother your turfgrass lawn. The leaves shade the grass blades, cutting down photosynthesis. Once wet, they will mat down and smother the grass plants, as well as providing an environment for several fungal diseases. I generally don’t like raking lawns. Mostly because I’m lazy. But also because I know how beneficial it is to return the leaf matter back to the soil. The way to do this without smothering the lawn is to mow the leaves as they drop. Shredded leaves break down fairly quickly, and the small pieces can filter down between the grass plants instead of covering them and smothering the lawn. I really dislike bagging the leaves and leaving them on the curb for your trash hauler to collect. These leaves are going to the landfill, where they take up space and not rot. Leaves really should be left under the trees that generate them, to return nutrients and organic matter to the trees. Mowing keeps the leaves from blowing across the yard. If you don’t want to keep the leaves under the trees, then at least consider setting up a compost bin to decompose the leaves. This reduces the volume by over 75%, and creates a rich organic material that is excellent for amending garden soils.  The Tree Next Door (Taken in part from the Purdue Landscape Report, 11/3/2020) I hear this complaint or issue frequently. “What can I do about the neighbor’s tree?” or “My neighbor just butchered my tree!”. Often, we see issues with a neighboring tree that may threaten safety or appears to be an elevated risk. For example, from the view of your window you see your neighbor’s tree dropping dead branches all over your driveway. Or, you can’t see a favorable view at all because of that tree or unruly hedge. Or you are certain that the neighbor’s tree will eventually fall onto your garage. A question I’m often asked is “When tree limbs or even the trunk of the tree crosses the property line, am I within my rights to prune or remove it?” Before I go into anything further, let me declare that I am NOT an attorney, and have no expertise or training with legal issues. Before you take any action, establish ownership of the tree, and find out if you have rights to work on the offending vegetation. Otherwise, it can land you into a contentious legal situation. Rights are determined by who owns the tree. Check with your town, city, county and state municipalities for regulations about trees and property lines. The rights and responsibility for care and maintenance of trees are assigned to its owner, and ownership is determined by the location of the tree’s trunk. If the trunk is located entirely on the neighbor’s land even if its limbs or branches overhang onto your land, the neighbor is the tree’s owner. The neighbor has the sole right to preserve the tree or cut it down. This is true regardless of the neighbor’s motivation or the impact the tree removal would have on your land. Boundary laws vary with every state. Often the boundary lines are uncertain or assumed based on local information. However, in contentious situations that may result in major modifications to a tree, it is advised to get a survey to establish exactly who owns the tree. Check with local government websites for property maps which can help identify boundaries. It is always best practice and considerate to first ask your neighbor if you can arrange to have it removed or pruned. They might actually appreciate it. When tree work is required to remove or prune the tree and neighbor conflict exists, have a qualified tree care provider determine the work specifications on exactly how the tree issue should be mitigated. It is usually a bit more complex than simply stating, “cut limbs back to property line.” The work order must reference the ANSI A300 tree pruning standards to assure the procedures being proposed take into consideration the tree’s future health. Ensure that your tree care provider has a copy of their current liability insurance policy on hand. Check their references as well, not all tree care companies are guaranteed to provide the best results for you or your tree. Although I do not prune large trees, I can come out and consult with you and your neighbor to determine what the overall best course of action would be. The best advice is to hire a tree care professional with the experience, expertise, and equipment to assess and safely prune, remove or otherwise care for your or your neighbors’ trees. An ISA certified arborist can provide mitigation options that are best for the tree and helpful for the tree owner. As the owner of Caplan’s Tree & Landscape Consulting, I am the only Certified Arborist who is also Tree Risk Assessment Qualified in the tri-state. According to most attorneys, open-minded communications with the neighbor can result in an acceptable resolution for any situation. This will help to avoid a contentious, expensive, time consuming and unpredictable lawsuits.  Call Now for Free Pruning Quote I am currently visiting properties to provide a free pruning quote for winter pruning chores. The actual pruning will not begin until January or February, when I feel that the plants have gone fully dormant. I specialize in pruning small ornamental trees (such as crabapples, Japanese maples, and dogwoods), fruit trees, and landscape shrubs. I don’t do shearing of shrubs and hedges, but will concentrate on Renewal pruning and Rejuvenation pruning. If you would like me to come out and provide you with a quote for pruning work, please contact me!  I’m Here to Help!If you have questions or wish to have me visit your property, please contact me! Phone and Text Messages: 812-449-7067 Email: Larry@CaplanTree.com Copyright © 2020 Caplan’s Tree & Landscape Consulting, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Larry@CaplanTree.com Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. |
November 10, 2020
November 10, 2020