Si Pak Tani

By Sharon Faircloth, Master Gardener Typical Colorado winter landscape We’re in the throws of another record, dry, winter.  The dry wind that brings those unseasonably warm days in the winter, cause substantial damage.  The seed catalogs are coming in the mail so spring MUST be just around the corner.  Hopefully, we’ll get feet of that lovely moisture-laden snow in March and April to help mitigate the stress created from so little precipitation (without the damage that can come along with that wet heavy snow)! In the meantime, if you have no snow cover but do have water rights, consider watering trees, shrubs and susceptible plants.  Trees that are particularly susceptible are spruce, alders, mountain yews, maples, mountain ashes and conifers.  Watering can be done when temperatures can get to about 40 degrees by mid-day.  Ideally, you’d like to be able to get the water down about twelve inches and to give the enough time to soak in before temperatures drop...

by Kurt M. Jones Chaffee County Extension Director   Along with your list of getting more exercise, eating less, and losing some weight, let me offer some gardening resolutions that will help your garden, lawn and trees stay healthier as well. I resolve to continue watering my trees and shrubs throughout the winter months… Winter tree form Dry air, low soil moisture and fluctuating temperatures are fall and winter characteristics in many areas of Colorado.   During extended periods, particularly October through February when there may be little or no snow cover, trees, shrubs and lawn grasses can be damaged if they do not receive supplemental water.             The result of long, dry periods during fall and winter is injury or death of plant root systems.   The plants affected may appear perfectly normal and resume growth in the spring using stored food energy, only to weaken or die in late spring or early summer whe...