Readying for freeze

As he was toddling off to bed, last night, Hunky Husband told me that "they" were saying that susceptible plants needed to be protected from freezing. Think I, "Now's a fine time to tell me - at 10 pm when it is dark." As I lay in bed this morning, I realized my error when the radio station gave the outside temperature as 47 degrees (F), and about 30 minutes later gave it as 46 degrees (F). They weren't worried about last night, but tonight! With the temperatures dropping and a forecast of rain/snow with temperatures down to 18 degrees (F), tonight, I decided I should get my butt in gear and do something about a few plants.

Well...I spent about an hour out there, then came in to thaw. Despite the heavy, leather work gloves I wore, the tips of my fingers are a tad sensitive. Working with cold, wet mulch in a sharp wind from the northeast had done that! However, I did what I could to protect a just-planted dogwood tree (that was already bursting into bloom) and a few tulips that I had transplanted as part of my preparations to have three areas of our yard re-worked and sodded, next Monday.

The story on the trees

You may recall that, during the past 24 months I've had 10-15 trees removed (or more). They were mostly elms, ashes, and hackberries - species that are overly abundant and not very desirable, to me. I wish to "renew" the woods and include a few more desirable species. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the nursery to look at trees to be planted in the woods. They didn't yet have the black walnut trees brought up from the tree farm, but I bought an umbrella catalpa and a dogwood. They were planted on Wednesday. Yesterday, I again stopped by the nursery to pick up a tiny black walnut start - and planted it.

Yes, there are about 5-10 huge, old black walnut trees on our property; but, as many times as I've tried, I've been unsuccessful at planting new ones. They do great, up in our yard or in our planting beds among the irises or bushes; but, when I put them in the woods, something always eats them. So far, the young (6-years old?) black walnut that I had our landscape people transplant from a planting bed to the woods is doing well; but, one young tree will not replace the old ones that are on their last years.

Visible from 40,000 feet

Neither of the trees that I had the landscape people transplant last year, a catalpa and a black walnut, has yet broken dormancy; thus, I feel they are safe from the temperature dip and did nothing for them. As to the umbrella catalpa that was planted this week: it too has yet to break dormancy. But, oh the poor dogwood.

The tip of the dogwood towers over me by about 4-6 feet. I hadn't realized it was that tall! Fortunately, when I took my wrapping supplies out to the tree, the supplies were in my garden cart - which has four wheels and will carry a big load; thus, I locked the two castered wheels and stepped up into the cart. It was much more stable than would have been a step ladder (I must remember that in the future!) I started by throwing an old cotton/wool flannel sheet over the tree, more-or-less securing it to the tree by wrapping masking tape around-and-around. Then, I threw/drew a yellow plastic bag over the sheet, wrapping masking tape around-and-around that. These processes did not completely enclose the canopy of the tree so I wrapped trash bags around the bottom part, again, securing with masking tape. Why masking tape? It has probably been kicking around for at least 20-30 years (last time I did any serious painting) so was expendable!

Next, I covered the "seams" with wide, clear-plastic shipping tape. When I came in to thaw, HH commented that my creation should be visible from 40,000 feet. I've no idea from whence came the yellow plastic bag, but it was in the cupboard, so I used it. Oh, BTW, I finished off three old rolls of masking tape and two old rolls of the clear-plastic shipping tape. Amazingly enough, I've never purchased shares in a tape-manufacturing company.

I do not normally put mulch up against a tree's trunk; but, under these circumstances, I did. Later, I can scoop the mulch back away from the trunk.

While we're here, I'll post a photo of the new umbrella catalpa - with mulch piled around it - then go back out to get some more yard work done before it's time to shower and pick up Elegant Friend with whom I'm to lunch.

P.S. When I started to go out to do more work, I listened to the howling wind - and - talked myself out of it. Elegant Friend and I, as always, had a great time though!

P.P.S. From Slashdot.com: Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, and a dark side, and it holds the universe together ... -- Carl Zwanzig

Comments

[Ole Phat Stu]

That would be borderline resolution for the human eye from 40,000 feet, surely?
Did HH do the numbers?

[bogie]

Oh my how you baby your plantings. Dogwoods are fairly hardy so I wouldn't have worried about it - but then again I am not the poster child for being a master gardener either.

Squirrels around here will dig up black walnuts even after they are well started. I still have a couple of BW nuts in the fridge from gathering them up from a wheelbarrow full at the side of the road in 2012 (when I was living at the old house). Put them in the freezer and they were still there when I moved, so they came with me.

Started some indoors (getting the seeds ready to plant is a chore IIRC). I started them indoors and they got big so I put them in a planter on the back porch. It was like the squirrels got a gourmet dinner apparently :(

[Cop Car]

Stu--I think that HH was more interested in making a point than in making an accurate observation. That said, as a navigator, he is certainly capable of doing the math!

Bogie--The black walnut is still there, today. I put a length of international orange plastic streamer on it - hoping to not only keep me from losing such a small twig but waving off the squirrels. The next couple of sprouts I get in the yard, I'll probably let grow to 4 or 5 feet in height, then have the landscaping folks transplant them. In the past, I have container-grown them (dug up what the squirrels planted); but, so far, haven't let them grow tall enough to survive the squirrels. I gave Kevin a couple of them, as a matter of fact - our landscaper! Of course, even in the (outdoor) containers, squirrels will dine - just not as frequently.