Landscape Answers: Plants can need water in winter

Q: I've noticed that many of my evergreen shrubs – mostly junipers and boxwoods – are starting to look off-color, sort of brownish or light green. Should I be worried?

A: An off-cast color can be an evergreen plant's response to cold temperatures and chilling winds. The effect is common during heartland winters, but it tends to be mild and not very long-lasting. We don't see actual foliage loss or twig dieback except during unusually cold weather.

But, off-color also can result from dry conditions. Evergreens provide the most obvious clues of winter drought in the landscape because they retain their leaves year-round. In turn, they use and lose more water during winter than the deciduous plants do.

Although evergreens are at greatest risk during cold-weather dry spells, other plants that are likely to suffer from a wintertime moisture shortage include new lawns established the previous fall and any trees or shrubs that are five or fewer years of age.

Fortunately, you can water landscape plants any time the air temperature is above freezing and the soil isn't so frozen that moisture can't soak in. A deep soaking is best, which can easily take several hours. If the temperature drops below freezing after that, however, no plants will be harmed.

Just be sure that your water carrying system is detached from its source, drained and stored again for winter when you're through. You won't need to water again until a long-bladed screwdriver or metal rod, pushed into the ground, stops before it reaches 4 to 6 inches deep. That kind of rod only stops when it reaches thirsty, thirsty soil.

-- Source: Dennis Patton, horticulturist, K-State Research and Extension

Email warning about using cocoa mulch

Spring is mulching season, and this landscaping essential just can't catch a break. First came a Web-based rumor in spring 2006 that termite-infested mulch was being shipped out of the Hurricane Katrina-affected zone and into flower beds across America. That alert proved bogus.

Next to circulate was a fear-inducing e-mail alerting pet owners to the fact that fragrant cocoa mulch can kill dogs that eat it. But there is truth to the claim, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Some dogs are attracted by the mulch's chocolate aroma, and according to a warning from the ASPCA in 2003, "Eaten by a 50-pound dog, about 2 ounces of cocoa bean mulch may cause gastrointestinal upset; about 4.5 ounces, increased heart rate; about 5.3 ounces, seizures; and over 9 ounces, death."

Cocoa mulch is made from crushed cacao shells, which contain caffeine and theobromine, two compounds to which dogs are particularly sensitive. (These substances are also present in everyday comestibles like baker's chocolate, chocolate bars and candies, colas, and tea.) Depending on the size of the dog and the amount of cocoa mulch it ingests, symptoms can range from stomach upset to cardiac arrest. Dogs metabolize the compounds slowly, so symptoms may take hours or even days to manifest themselves. The ASPCA's advice: Avoid using cocoa mulch anywhere unsupervised dogs roam. Other natural alternatives to cocoa mulch, like cedar chips and pine straw, are typically less toxic but still may contain resins and oils that trigger gastrointestinal disorders in pets that ingest them. And all mulches, including those made from recycled plastics, pose a choking hazard, especially in pooches with less-than-discriminating palates.

If you suspect your dog has eaten cocoa mulch or any other toxic substance, immediately contact your veterinarian or the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435. The center, open 24/7 every day of the year, charges $55 per consultation.

www.ConsumerReports.org

 

Growing orchids at home

Warm your home this winter with the elegant beauty of orchids. Yes, you can grow these amazing plants at home. Learn how by spending a day at Powell Gardens taking their Growing Orchids At Home Classes on January 16, with part 1 from 9am-noon, and part 2 from 1-4pm.

In part 1 your will learn about selecting orchids suitable for the home environment, and you will receive your own orchid to raise at home. Through lecture, demonstration and hands-on experience, you will learn the basic care of orchids with horticulturist and orchid grower Dave Bird of Bird's Botanicals in Blue Springs.

In Part 2 you will further your orchid growing skills in this advanced class. Additional species will be reviewed. You will learn how to grow orchids under lights, and hybridization will be introduced. Plus, receive your own orchid to grow at home! Also taught by Dave Bird.

The classes cost $34 per person, but you must hurry. Registration deadline is January 12. Powell Gardens is a 915-acre botanical garden just east of Kansas City, located on Hwy 50 on the way to Warrensburg, Mo. Call Linda Burton at (816) 697-2600, ext. 307, to register. www.powellgardens.org