Even the trees are crying!

As this very short growing season comes to an end, even the trees seem to be crying as their leaves slip off and drift to the ground. A lot of us "growers" feel the same way. As gorgeous as this fall has been, we are all too aware of what lies waiting just over the rise. I hate to say it, but its time to gas up those snowblowers.

Be sure to give each of your trees a nice long soak before you drain the hoses. This will ensure that they get through the winter without the danger of drying out and dying. After watering the broadleafed evergreens such as rhododendrons, spray them with an antidessicant such as Wiltpruf or Cloud Cover. Rhodies really suffer in our area especially when grown in open places with no protection from the prevailing winds. Smaller leafed varieties do best here.

If you haven't applied the fall fertilizer to your lawn, it's not too late if you do it right away. No need to buy expensive "winterizer" brands. Any good fertilizer will do as long as it has all three numbers with the first one being 18 or less. Doing this chore will bring your lawn through the winter in great shape and it will be plush and green in early spring. The envy of the neighborhood.

If you enjoy having a blooming amaryllis to brighten up the winter, you need to buy one and get it planted right away. If you already have one but it's still taking its required fall rest, time to bring it out of storage and get it planted up. Remember to use a pot only slightly larger than the bulb as they like to be crowded. Use some good potting soil, place in your sunniest window and watch how fast it grows.

Christmas cactus are really misnamed as they often bloom several times during the year. They are native to the tropics where they grow in trees. To get them to "bud up" they need to be in a chilly (55-degree) room with good light. They do well spending the summer outdoors, but not in direct sunlight. They need to come inside before the nighttime temperatures get down to 50. Don't give them any fertilizer until after they're done blooming. (They do not need the daylight/darkness treatment that poinsettias require to set buds.)

We usually have a hard (killing) frost by the first of December. That's our signal to add protection to our perennials. Contrary to popular belief, we don't do this to keep the plants warm, we do it to keep them at a constant temperature. If we experience an unusual warm spell during the winter, the plants may be fooled into thinking spring is here and start to put out tender new growth only to have it frozen... hard when winter returns. Heaving roots out of the ground is another major concern and can kill the plant.

Those of us who live surrounded by pine trees have a love/hate relationship with them. The trees are beautiful, but it's a constant battle to keep the needles cleaned off the patio, etc. But when it comes to covering plants for the winter, they are the best. Just drop a pile of needles around each of your perennials (except the irises.) Make sure it's not right against the stem as that gives mice a place to winter, plus the plant to nibble on. This is especially true of small shrubs and small trees.

Rosebushes need a bit more protection as they usually are grafted and if that part freezes, you can kiss your nice big flowers goodbye. If anything comes up in the spring, it will probably be a shoot or two from the hardy rootstock. You will know this happened if your plant blooms with small dark red flowers. Not what you had before. Hill each plant up with about a foot of soil. This should protect the grafted bud union.

I hope you have all your spring bulbs safely tucked into the ground. If not, there is still time. They will be fine as long as you plant them before the ground freezes.

This is the time of year when I take a break from writing. It's hard to believe it's been three years already. I enjoy the writing part and I hope you enjoy the reading part. So this is it for 2010. In the meantime, I leave you with these words of wisdom. Remember, mud is just dust with the juice squeezed out of it.

Elaine Cerny has gardened most of her life, starting as a kid in 4-H. Since then, she has always kept a garden of some sort, growing everything from fruits and vegetables to flowers and house plants. She has belonged to garden clubs in three states. She is an active member of the River City Gardeners Club in Post Falls.