It's time for damage control in Oklahoma yards
The main gardening or landscaping activity for central and southwest Oklahoma continues to be cleaning up downed branches and brush.
At deadline two weeks ago, we feared we might get some ice damage, but we had no idea of the scale of damage that fell upon us. We rarely get ice when the leaves are still on our deciduous trees, and trees with leaves were not designed to carry all that additional weight.
One of our local utilities did a study, and some of the downed branches with leaves covered with ice weighed as much as 40 times the normal weight of the same branches and leaves without ice.
It is best to get these downed branches collected and cleaned up quickly to reduce damage to other plants or lawn under the trees. When removing
damaged branches, try to make a clean cut just past the break or back to the trunk based on judgment.
A few trees blew over or broke off at or near the ground and are lost. A few more trees lost all or most of their branches and are
effectively lost. Most trees took some damage and may look a little thin, often on one side, but with patience, most of these trees will leaf back out next spring, and soon the new growth will cover the wounds of the 2020 early ice storm.
Leave them be
As you clean up the tree damage and as the final leaves drop off the trees this fall, you are likely to have mounds of leaves blowing to and fro with the winds. Many folks don't like the look and hassle of blowing leaves on their property, but these are a great gardening resource as they still offer a lot of organic matter that can be added to your vegetable garden and flowerbeds after a little basic composting.
The leaves make good natural mulch when and where they fall on the ground.
If you don't like the look of layered or blowing leaves, consider collecting them into a compost pile contained by wire, wood or plastic walls. As they age and compost, your leaf stack will shrink, but what is left will be rich organic humus to add to your soil in future years just as you would use sphagnum peat or composted pine bark or cotton burrs.
Planting tasks
We have been blessed with some gorgeous weather since the ice storm, and that has helped as we all tackle cleanup and the amazing electric utility workers have been rushing to restore everyone's electric power.
Use the pretty weather to get your spring flowering bulbs planted to enjoy next March and April when they pop out of the ground to announce a new spring season.
Plant ornamental kale and cabbage and lots of colorful pansies to enjoy charming and uplifting color in your garden. The pansies will bloom all through the cold winter days, then the early spring cool days before wearing out as the temperature rises late next spring.
Have fun planting winter color in your garden and have a great and blessed Thanksgiving.