Stephens Landscaping Garden Center Archives - Page 2 of 7

Nov 01, 2022

Prune It or Leave It? A Guide to Fall Pruning

There’s nothing like a warm autumn day to beckon us outside to finish the garden tasks for the year. Pruning may seem like a natural addition to the fall checklist, but before you take out the pruning shears, it’s important to know which plants, if any, need to be pruned—and which ones to leave!

Should I Prune Shrubs in the Fall?

When looking around your garden, it may be tempting to prune your unruly shrubs back into shape while you have the time. But, the rule for pruning in the fall is, generally, don’t do it. Why? In the fall, shrubs are slowing down, preparing for dormancy, and hardening their branches in preparation for winter. Pruning stimulates new growth, which may not have time to harden off before the cold arrives. This could result in dieback over the winter, which can damage the plant.

Exceptions: What You Can Prune In the Fall

Even though you should leave most shrubs alone, there are some exceptions to the rule, such as:

Dead, Diseased, and Damaged Branches: these branches pose a risk to the plant as they can harbor disease. Your shrubs won’t be damaged when you prune out the dead wood in the fall, and it’s necessary to prune out the disease now, so it doesn’t spread over the winter.
Maples and Birches: it’s not ideal to prune maples or birch trees in the late winter or spring, as they can lose a lot of sap during that time of year. Instead, you can prune them in the fall after their leaves fall off and they become dormant.

What Perennials to Cut Back in the Fall

While not all perennials need to be cut back to the ground, there are some which benefit from having their stocks and leaves removed before winter:

Perennials Susceptible to Disease: peonies, lilies, iris, and garden phlox are common perennials that are susceptible to fungal infections over the winter. To prevent this problem before it happens, cut back their leaves to 4-6” in the fall, once they turn yellow. Any other perennials suffering from powdery mildew, slugs, or other infections should also be cut down.
Disorderly Perennials: if you want to have an ordered look in the garden over winter, cut back any unruly-looking perennials that are falling over, or will fall during winter, such as delphiniums and monk’s hood.

What Perennials to Leave in the Fall

By and large, most perennials can be left in the fall, either as winter interest or as habitat for wildlife. Here’s a breakdown of which perennials to leave:

Evergreen Perennials: before you prune, keep in mind that some perennials are evergreens, meaning they will use their same leaves again next spring. A great example of this are coral bells.
Seedheads for Birds: you can provide food for birds over winter by leaving any plants that have significant seedheads, such as:
coneflowers
black-eyed Susans
Joe Pye weed
goldenrod
asters
hyssops
bee balm
sunflowers
grasses

Perennials for Winter Interest: any perennials with strong stalks that will stay standing during the winter can be left for winter interest, including blazing star, ligularia, globe thistle, coneflowers, Joe Pye weed, and hydrangeas (technically a shrub).
Habitat for Insects: any perennials that you don’t need to cut down can be left as a habitat for beneficial insects. Dead stalks and dead leaves provide ideal overwintering sites for native solitary bees, soon-to-be butterflies in their cocoons, ladybugs, lacewings, and many others that are a boon to your garden and the ecosystem.

When Can I Prune Shrubs?

Now that we know it’s best to leave most shrubs and trees alone in the fall, you may be asking: when can I prune them? The answer depends on when they’ll be blooming and when they set their buds. Most summer-flowering shrubs should be pruned in the late winter or early spring before they start developing flower buds.

Spring-flowering shrubs, such as lilacs and forsythia, form their buds for the spring during the previous summer. To preserve the buds, it’s important to wait for the window after they finish flowering before pruning them.

Hedges can be reshaped anytime, except fall. And of course, if some other reason for pruning is more important to you than flowers—for example, a shrub is too large—you can prune shrubs anytime during the growing season, without risking any damage to the plant. Just remember to stop pruning by the end of summer to let all of your shrubs prepare properly for dormancy in the fall.

Knowing what to prune in the fall and what to leave, not only helps you protect your plants, but also helps you retain beauty in your garden over winter. For any more information, visit our Garden Center in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, and follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more updates!

Oct 24, 2022

Everything Your Moultonborough Garden Needs Before Winter

Garden Center

Songbirds flying south, trees dropping leaves, insects preparing for hibernation—all around us, the ecosystem is getting ready for winter. Likewise, it’s time to prep our garden and lawns for the months ahead. Here’s a guide to give your landscapes enriching fall care, whether you plan to leave for the off-season or live in New Hampshire year-round.

Cut Back and Remove Diseased Plant Matter

When it comes to a fall clean-up, the primary task on most gardeners’ minds is to cut back any dead leaves or flower stalks on their perennials. It’s essential to do this for plants infected with aphids, powdery mildew, slugs, or any other pests. Cleaning up diseased material now prevents the spread next spring. Be careful to keep any diseased material out of your compost bin!

Cut Back or Leave Other Perennials

If your perennials are disease-free, you have the option to cut them back or leave them. The sole purpose for cutting them back is to have a cleaner appearance in the garden over winter and save you time during the spring clean-up. Like plants in the forest, your landscape plants will do perfectly well if you leave them. In fact, your garden stands to benefit, as dead plant matter provides important habitat for overwintering insects, like solitary native bees, daddy long legs, and butterfly caterpillars.

The only exceptions are peonies, lilies, hostas, and irises, which can be susceptible to fungus if you leave the dead stalks. Remember to cut these back, but feel free to leave the others.

Note: the following perennials should never be cut back in New Hampshire: heuchera, heucherella, tiarella, grasses, lavender, Russian sage, hibiscus, ajuga, lamium, lambs ear, sedum, roses, perennial geraniums, ferns, brunnera, bergenia, and most hydrangeas.

Leave Seed Heads for Birds and Winter Interest

Another benefit of leaving some perennials standing is for winter interest in the garden. Any perennials with strong flower stalks to withstand snow and interesting seed heads are good candidates, including hydrangeas, globe thistle, ligularia, blazing star, sea holly, black-eyed Susan’s, and ornamental grass. The seed heads also provide food for resident birds when other food is scarce.

Leave the Leaves in Your Garden

Autumn leaves are a gift of nutrients and mulch for your garden. They hold moisture in the soil during the dry spells of winter, nourish the soil as they break down, and provide essential nesting sites for countless beneficial insects, including ladybugs, lacewings, and cocooning moths and butterflies. Keep some leaves in your garden, and you’ll retain these insects, which become natural pest controllers next year, pollinators for your vegetables, food for the birds, and beautiful creatures of their own.

Note: to reap the most benefits from leaves, remember to wait until the insects emerge from hibernation next year before you start your spring clean-up. If you have an excess amount of leaves on your lawn in the fall, rake them up and use them as the all-important “browns,” or carbon component, in your compost pile.

Spread Compost on Your Soil

Whether you’re growing vegetables, perennials, fruit trees, or shrubs, all gardens benefit from compost in the fall. It replaces the nutrients your plants use during the growing season and mixes into the soil over winter, making your beds ready for planting next spring. For avid gardeners or anyone who wants to grow exceptionally tasty and nutritious food, it’s also a good time to take a soil test and add any minerals you find missing. Caring for soil in the fall with compost and amendments leads to healthier plants, which are more resilient against pests.

The Essentials of Fall Lawn Care in New Hampshire

Mow and Mulch Leaves: too many leaves left on your grass can suffocate it over the winter. It’s best to shred some with the mower, leaving them behind as nutrients for your lawn, and transfer the rest to your garden or compost pile.
Aerate, if Necessary: aeration helps loosen compacted lawns and bring airflow to the roots. It’s only necessary if your lawn is hard and compacted.
Feed Your Lawn: just like your garden, you can improve the soil and health of your lawn by raking in a light layer of compost.

Other Important Tasks for Fall Lawn and Garden Care

Note Perennials to Divide in the Spring: it’s too late to divide perennials now, but you can look for any plants that are crowded or have dieback in the center, make a note, and plan to divide them in the spring.
Water Evergreens: giving them water in the fall helps them retain moisture throughout the winter and prevent winter burn.
Final Tool Care: after all your garden and lawn care is complete, clean any tools, sharpen them, and oil them for protection against rust over the winter.

For supplies or other questions on garden and lawn care for winter, visit Stephens Landscaping Garden Center in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, and follow us on Facebook or Instagram for more updates!

Oct 17, 2022

How to Anticipate the Frost in Moultonborough

Garden Center

Fall has arrived, and with it will soon come frost. We never know when it will come exactly, but it doesn’t have to take us by surprise. Here’s how you can anticipate the first frost, so you can save your plants and prepare for winter effectively!

Step 1: Know Your First Frost Date

The first step to anticipating frost is to be aware of the first frost date. That’s the average date we’ve historically received our first frost each fall. In Moultonborough, October 10 is the first frost date; that doesn’t mean that we receive frost every year on that day, but we should prepare for the possibility of frost in the weeks and days around that time.

Step 2: Check the New Hampshire Weather Forecasts

There once was a time when gardeners had to anticipate frost based on signs in the air and sky around them. Today, we can take advantage of weather reports. Keep an eye open for “frost advisories,” which are issued when nighttime lows are between 33 and 36 degrees, and “freeze warnings,” which occur when there’s an 80% chance of temps below 32 degrees.

Step 3: Intuit the Weather

Let’s face it; weather predictions aren’t always accurate. Plus, some days, you may forget to check the weather forecast altogether. That’s not a problem. Chances are, as a gardener, you’ve already developed an intuitive rapport with the weather around you. If you sense a brisk and unusually chilly feeling in the air at dusk, wake up to the possibility that frost may be coming. When anticipating frost yourself, it also helps to keep the following factors in mind:

How warm was it that day? If temps were above 75 degrees, there’s a slim chance you’ll receive frost that night.
Is it clear or cloudy? Cloud-covered skies prevent radiant heat from escaping the earth and thus reduce the likelihood of frost. Frost is more likely on clear nights.
Is it windy or still? Windy nights prevent cold air from collecting, thus reducing the chance of frost. On the other hand, a still night allows cold air to gather, giving frost the chance to work its magic.

Step 4: Consider Microclimates on Your Property

Microclimates can make frost more likely in some areas than others. Any place at the bottom of a hill, where cold air settles, is more likely to receive frost than on a hill or a south-facing slope. On the other hand, higher elevations may lower nighttime temperatures enough to bring frost to your property, but not your neighbor’s. Be aware of any cold pockets in your landscape and prepare accordingly when you’re reading the weather report or sensing a cold night ahead.

Preparing Your Plants for Frost and Winter in New Hampshire

Just because frost is coming doesn’t mean it has to spell the end of your garden. To protect your plants overnight and extend your harvest, you can cover them with a light, breathable tarp or old bedsheet. Make sure none of the plants are touching the covering, and use rocks to weigh down the edges so no cold drafts can enter.

How to Prevent Winter Burn on Your Plants

Anticipating frost also comes hand in hand with anticipating cold temperatures and preparing for winter. Winter burn, also known as windburn, can be prevented by preparations in the fall. Winter burn occurs on evergreen shrubs and trees that lose too much water over the winter. Sunny or windy exposures suck water from their needles, which the tree roots cannot replace when the ground is frozen. Winter burn appears as dead foliage in the spring.

To prevent it, water any vulnerable evergreens throughout the fall until the ground freezes. Mulch around the plant up to the drip line to retain moisture throughout the winter. Don’t prune evergreens in the fall, as pruning stimulates new growth and may prevent them from properly hardening off.

Watering Your Plants During the Winter

Besides preparations in the fall, winter watering may be helpful for some plants in your landscape. In particular, evergreens and young trees are susceptible to drying out, especially during dry periods with no snow or in windy and sunny locations. Watering them about once per month will help them retain the moisture they need during winter dormancy. Choose a time when temperatures exceed 40 degrees, and the soil is dry to the touch.

Anticipating the first frost and winter plant preparations are two important tasks in the fall garden. For more information, visit Stephens Landscaping Garden Center in Moultonborough, NH, and follow along on Facebook or Instagram!

Oct 10, 2022

Elevated Fall Decorations for Your Front Porch

Garden Center

Autumn is one of the most breathtaking and beautiful seasons in New Hampshire. We can recreate a taste of that beauty right at our doorstep by decorating our front porch with a fall display. Your yard is brimming with colorful plants to use, fall annuals are blooming, and the farmer’s markets are loaded with the harvest of pumpkins and squash. All it takes is a little creativity to set up some decor that will harmonize with the season!

Autumn Door Wreath

If you’re feeling crafty, try your hand at making a fall wreath for your front door. All you’ll need is a wreath frame, wire or hot glue, and beautiful plants from around your yard. Save your evergreen boughs for Christmas, and instead, try weaving together dried grass, corn husks, burlap, grapevines, or any bendable branches from shrubs, like dogwood and willow.

For color, tuck in fall leaves, pine cones, or fall-blooming flowers like coneflowers, asters, sunflowers, and black-eyed Susans. Add a festive ribbon as a finishing touch, and your wreath will be ready for a welcoming fall display on your front porch.

Front Porch Chrysanthemums

You don’t need to have a pumpkin planter to take advantage of fall annuals on the porch. Chrysanthemums are one the most prized bloomers for this time of year. You can find red, yellow, and orange varieties to match the fall foliage or beautiful color contrasts of magenta and pink. To be extra festive, try dressing up your planters with burlap, ribbons, or bows of dried grass.

Pumpkin Planters

Few things say “fall decor,” like pumpkins and squash. You can make these jewels of the harvest into beautiful porch displays by turning them into planters. Simply cut an opening on the top, carve them out, and drill a hole in the bottom for drainage.

Next, place potting soil with flowers right inside the pumpkin, or hide a small pot inside the shell for your display. Living flowers, like mums, work well, as do cut and dried flowers from the foliage around your yard. Either way, you’ll have gorgeous decor that fits with the season.

Fall Farmhouse Porch Display

Evoke the charm of the fall harvest by bringing a taste of the farm to your front door. Set up a straw bale, an antique lantern, and a cornucopia filled with gourds, apples, leaves, and other symbols of seasonal abundance. A pitchfork, milking pail planters, and a wheelbarrow full of pumpkins are other ideas to play with as you create your display.

Painted Pumpkins

Pumpkins and squash alone are already works of art that can turn your porch into a festive decor display. If you want to practice your creative skills, you can also paint them with unique colors, like silver and white. The broad surface of pumpkins is also an ideal canvas for written messages, like “spooky season,” “falling in love,” or “fall greetings,” to welcome your guests to your porch.

Pumpkin Lanterns

Fall is also a time of increased darkness, but we can use the dark hours to create beautiful nighttime displays. We’ve all heard of Jack-o-lanterns, but pumpkins also make gorgeous lanterns throughout the fall. Save the spooky face for Halloween, and instead carve out heart-warming shapes of leaves, birds, animals, or any silhouette that comes to mind. Instead of a candle, use a small light inside to illuminate your pumpkin lanterns.

These ideas for fall front porch decor in New Hampshire can stand alone or be combined to create unique displays of your own. For any supplies you might need, feel free to visit Stephens Landscaping Garden Center in Moultonborough, and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates and featured products.

Oct 03, 2022

How to Use Compost in Your Garden for Maximum Benefits

Garden Center

Compost has endless benefits, from retaining nutrients in the soil to protecting plants from disease. You can use compost in your yard in many ways; it is an excellent additive for crops, and your flower beds and trees can also benefit from enriched soil.

The Benefits of Adding Compost to Your Garden Beds in New Hampshire

You may not notice a difference once you add compost to your garden since it looks so similar to topsoil, but your flowers definitely will! Compost is an excellent natural fertilizer for planters and flower beds because it improves your soil’s structure, adding nutrients that your plants have absorbed through the growing season. With these added benefits, your plants can grow stronger and healthier, increasing their chances against pests and disease!

Don’t forget these essential tips when adding compost to your soil or sprinkling it along your already-planted flower beds:

Add approximately 1 inch of compost to the soil in the spring.
Apply approximately 3/4 to 1 inch of compost in the fall.
Add compost to your soil at a 25% ratio before planting.

How to Add Compost to Tree Beds

Compost is a stellar organic amendment for any garden plant, and your tree beds are no exception! Tree planting requires high-quality, high-buffer-capacity, moisture-retentive compost made of rich, dark peat. Mix your organic compost from the garden center with your original soil when you plant your trees. You can easily rake your compost into the soil of your existing tree beds; in general, it is a good idea to apply a layer of compost about 1-2 inches deep at the base of your tree beds once per year.

Use Compost on Your Lawn

Your lawn is comprised of literally thousands of individual plants, and they deserve some delicious compost too! Spread compost on your lawn as a topcoat to cover a specific trouble area or the entire lawn for rich growth next year.

The best time to topdress your lawn with compost is right after aerating, but you can topdress anytime when the ground is not frozen. You can apply compost every spring when the lawn is just beginning to green up and in late autumn when the leaves are starting to fall; this will keep your grass looking beautiful all year! You can spread it across small yards with a compost wheel or peat spreader or use your hands to sprinkle it evenly.

Use Compost in a Veggie Garden

Do you want to reap a harvest of delicious-tasting vegetables next season? The best way to achieve that is by adding compost to your vegetable garden soil. Vegetables intake a lot of nutrients from the soil, so replenishing your soil before the next season is essential. We recommend working a decent portion of compost into the soil rather than adding it bit by bit; you want your plants to have access to that goodness regardless of how deep or wide their root systems grow! A 1:4 ratio of compost to soil, so your new soil is about 25% compost.

Add Compost When You Replace Your Mulch

Decomposing mulch will contribute to the soil nutrients in your garden beds, but if you plan on replacing your mulch this year for a refresh, this is a great time to add more compost to the soil; that way, when you plant your bulbs for next spring or more perennials, your soil is ready to go.

There are so many applications for compost in your yard that it’s definitely worth considering buying in bulk! Talk to our gardening experts at Stephens Landscaping Garden Center in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, about how compost can help enrich your garden beds and overall landscape today. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for garden center updates to keep up with our latest news!