(Helpful hints for homeowners and homeowners-to-be)
By Henry Dynia, Director of Design and Construction
If you plan for these projects in the spring, you will either be ready to finish them or squeeze them in during the remainder of the nice weather. Remember, the days may be warm but the nights can be 30 or 40 degrees cooler. Blowing leaves can stick to paint, and wet leaves can stain your prepared surfaces.
It is important to think about how you want to put your landscape to sleep for the winter. We are now in a dry period, with rainfall about 8” below normal for this region. Plants, especially evergreens, will not fare well over the winter with dry roots. Because these plants retain their leaves or needles, there is some transpiration taking place in winter, although more slowly. If wind and sun suck all the moisture out, the plant will become “desiccated” and decline or die. This can be avoided by mulching and watering the plant before winter so that the root zone is saturated and has plenty of free water to draw upon. Ground-up leaves are great for this purpose because they contribute to the overall health of the soil. Huge mountains of leaves can prevent moisture from getting to the soil, so don’t overdo it! Two to four inches is plenty. The mulch insures that the moisture that is put there stays there and is not quickly evaporated by the sun and wind.
Mulch also helps to retain any additional moisture from rain or snow and to some degree acts as insulation against extreme cold. An additional step that could be taken to insure that your plants come back strong in the spring is to spray them just before the onset of freezing weather with an anti-desiccant, such as Wilt Pruf®, which is an Elmer’s Glue-like substance that helps to keep moisture in the plant.
It is a good practice to identify weak or broken branches that may come down from heavy snow or ice. Try to anticipate which long, spindly branches on your shrubs and trees may break under additional weight and wind. Usually a portion of the end of such a branch can be removed to make the remainder less vulnerable to breakage.
Leaf collection is often regarded as a tiresome, thankless job that produces no great result. It is time to GET EXCITED about leaf collection. Grass should not be left too long over the winter, and, contrary to their name, leaves should not be left on the grass, because this could foster molds and lawn diseases. The best way to deal with leaves on the grass is to mow over them, slowly rounding them up in a pile, and then mowing the pile. This will reduce the bulk by two thirds or more. All the small crumbs that stay in the grass will help to build the soil. The remainder of the pile of ground-up leaves can be spread on shrub and garden beds or stored for later use. These ground-up leaves will foster earthworm growth and are like gold for your garden. Once you see the benefits, you will asking your neighbors to give you their leaves!
Have you prepared your heating system for the winter? An annual check-up by a heating professional is a good idea. You should give your system a trial run during a cool night. Remember, heating professionals will be tough to come by, once it gets cold. Be sure that the serviceable portions of the system that you can manage are attended to, such as changing filters and cleaning radiators and registers. If you are interested in learning more about your home's heating system, feel free to attend our heating workshop on October 16.
Usually the biggest bang for the weatherization buck is improving the energy performance of the building envelope. This means sealing up air leaks and improving insulation. What can be done in any one house is variable and should be tailored to the particulars of that building. Consultation with energy specialists, such as utility-based programs for homeowners, energy raters, or insulation contractors, can help steer a homeowner to the wisest course of action. One size does not fit all when it comes to energy conservation strategies. The homeowner is in the driver's seat and needs to learn how to steer!
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