Winter is coming, but it’s not that bad

Editor’s Note: Several Oklahoma County Master Gardeners will rotate in writing the every-otherweek gardening column from the Cooperative Extension Service. This week, welcome

OSU Extension Master Gardener.

Charles Lillard,

the perennials that remain could benefit from a layer of mulch. Mulch makes the landscape look better and at the same time protects tubers, bulbs and evergreens.

Be sure to wait until after a hard freeze to apply the mulch. Allowing a good freeze before mulch is applied will help kill harmful insects, fungi and bacteria that lie dormant in the soil. Clean around the plants before applying. Then add a nice thick layer of mulch.

Don’t pile the mulch up around trees and shrubs. Leave a few inches of space between the bark and the mulch. Snowconing the mulch around the base of a shrub or tree will be harmful to them in several ways. It provides shelter for mice and voles that could damage your plants and could keep the bark wet, which may promote mold and disease.

November is a good month to treat for dandelions. Herbicide application is most effective on small growing plants. Follow instructions on the label. It may tell you that the herbicide should be applied when temperatures are above 60 degrees.

An herbicide that contains 2,4-D can be used to control dandelions and other broadleaf weeds. Keeping falling leaves off fescue will avoid damage to the foliage.

While some perennials stay green, others go dormant to survive the winter cold. Perennials such as ornamental grass, cone flowers and many others provide food and shelter for birds.

It is good not to cut these seed-producing plants back for a couple of reasons. They help the birds, and they provide beauty and interest for us. Also, leaning the foliage on asparagus, mums and other perennials will help insulate crowns from harsh winter conditions.

Winter is coming, so prepare for it now, so that when it comes, you can sit by the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy.

Garrison Keillor also has said, “Winter is not a personal experience; everybody else is just as cold as you, so you shouldn’t complain about it too much.”

Enjoy the shared experience, it isn’t that bad.