Making Lemons From Lemonade

by Mary Small, CSU Extension

State Master Gardener Coordinator

As you’ve probably guessed, this is not about the cold beverage made from oval yellow fruit. It’s about those not-so-nice things that sometimes happen in the landscape.

I planted a climbing yellow rose (can’t remember the name) in the garden. It performed beautifully for several years. Yes, it had some winter dieback every year as roses do in our climate, but nothing like what happened following the November 2014 polar vortex. That took the whole thing out.

I didn’t get around to digging it up last year and it sprouted from below the graft union.  Since I was going to take the thing out, I just ignored it and I think it ignored me, too!

Unidentified fragrant rose

This spring, before I got around to digging it up, the canes rewarded me with the most beautiful apricot colored, fragrant blossoms! The little garden adjacent to the rose is dreamy with its scent. And to think I almost destroyed it!

Young oak is growing well

We used to have a 10 year old catalpa in our front yard. It looked kind of like a Dr. Seuss tree as the top had been broken out of it. But it provided wonderful, cooling shade. A few years back, an early fall snowstorm broke out so many branches that it finally had to be removed. We replaced it with a small oak tree and complained about the lack of shade.The oak has only been planted for three years, but it has put on more yearly growth than I ever expected. Now that catalpas are blooming, I’m reminded that I don’t have to rake up their flower stalks, leaves and seed pods anymore!

Alison O’Connor, one of our bloggers, lost a large maple in a tornado several years back. But it

gave her the opportunity to plant other trees and plants that she wanted to grow. Just look at the before and after pictures. I think you’ll agree the tree loss was really a net gain.

Spring 2016

Alison also lost her vegetable garden in a severe hail storm. (Are we seeing a pattern here?) She turned the loss into lemonade by planting a cover crop – which improved her soil for the next season.

Smashed tomato after hail

Sometimes those gardening “mishaps” or “missteps” actually turn out better than expected...or planned!

9 weeks later, a cover crop!

Spring Storms Damage Trees

By: Mary Small, CSU Extension, Jefferson County

Ouch! Our spring snowstorms have wreaked havoc on our trees and shrubs. Poor things, they have such a challenge growing in our climate to begin with, and then this: two snow events that snapped off branches and damaged some trees beyond repair.  My colleagues and I have been inundated with questions about how to handle these issues.

Cut back to branch collar 

The quick answer is it depends on the damage and the health of the tree. In this first photo, the branch should be removed back to the branch collar –which is the trunk in this case. Don’t just cut off the broken and split branch and leave a stub! Removing branches may make the tree look a bit bare (and maybe even odd!), but eventually the new leaves and branches will mask the damage.

Root breakage 

The pine tree was essentially tipped over and pulled out of the ground from the weight of snow on its branches, resulting in a lot of root breakage.  It’s best to remove this tree.

Lost leader

Some trees lost their leader. Tree owners can just let nature take its course;  the tree will develop a new leader from a side branch nearest the injury. They can also attach a stake to the top of the main stem and select a branch to take over as leader. The branch is bent upward (don't crack or break it!) and tied to the stake.

Honeysuckle - in the gardenradio.com

In cases like this honeysuckle, where the branch broke off, the best course of action is to make the edges of the wound neat and clean, using a knife to remove and smooth the jagged edges.

 1st place for most creative "fix"!

I found this very creative (although ineffective) broken branch treatment in my neighborhood.  I’ll watch it over the next year or two and report back on its progress – or lack thereof!