Lack of snow impacting lawn, landscape

The lack of snow in Minnesota this year is having an impact on our lawns and landscapes. FOX 9 Garden Guy Dale K has tips for how you can help your gardens.

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. WELCOME BACK. IT IS SHAPING UP TO BE ONE OF THE WARMEST DECEMBERS ON RECORD HERE IN MINNESOTA. IF YOU DIDN’T ALREADY KNOW. REALLY STRANGE DECEMBER, RIGHT? LACK OF SNOW LEADING TO SOME PROBLEMS IN OUR LAWNS, LANDSCAPES. GARDEN GUY DALE K LIVE WITH SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO

HANDLE ALL OF THIS. DALE CODY WAS TELLING US HE’S GOT WEEDS GROWING IN HIS FRONT YARD. MY GRASS IS GREENING UP. YEAH, THINGS ARE DEFINITELY CONFUSED. I WAS TALKING TO CODY JUST A LITTLE BIT EARLIER AND HE SAID TYPICALLY DECEMBER IS THE SNOWIEST, SNOWIEST MONTH OF THE YEAR AND ON AVERAGE WE HAVE

ABOUT A FOOT OF SNOW. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WHILE REALLY NO NEWS, NOT A LICK OF SNOW OUT HERE AND VERY UNUSUAL TO BE OUT HERE WITHOUT A JACKET AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. ALTHOUGH IT IS A LITTLE BIT CHILLY, RELATIVELY MILD FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. SO

REALLY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR PLANTS AND OUR LANDSCAPES? WELL, FIRSTLY, WELL FIRSTLY LET’S TALK ABOUT THE LAWN. FOR THE MOST PART, LAWNS WILL BE OKAY. UM, THERE VERY VERY RESILIENT AND ACTUALLY GROW IN SPITE OF US. SO I THINK LAWNS FOR THE MOST PART WILL BE OKAY

AS FAR AS PERENNIALS AND SHRUBS AND NEWLY PLANTED TREES, THAT COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DIFFERENT STORY BECAUSE ALTHOUGH FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OUR DECIDUOUS PLANTS THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LEAVES, THAT MEANS THAT THEY’RE DORMANT. BUT THAT DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN THE ROOTS ARE DORMANT BECAUSE IF YOU

IF YOU WERE JUST TO LOOK AT, UM, AN AVERAGE PLANT, THE ROOT ZONE, WHICH IS USUALLY OF COURSE, UNDERNEATH THE GROUND, AND IT’S A LOT WARMER DOWN HERE. SO IT TAKES A LOT LONGER FOR THE ROOT ZONE TO GO INTO DORMANCY. SO WHEN YOU DON’T HAVE ANY SNOW,

ANY SNOW COVER, COLD AIR CAN VERY EASILY PENETRATE DOWN INTO OR BELOW THE SOIL WHERE THE ROOT ZONE HASN’T HAD A CHANCE TO ACTUALLY GO INTO DORMANCY. AND THAT CAN CAUSE PROBLEMS. ALSO, WE HAD IT WAS COOL IN NOVEMBER. WE HAD SOME 20S AND THEN IT WARMED BACK UP AGAIN. SO THAT

CONSTANT HEATING AND COOLING CAN ALSO CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH THE ROOT ZONE, BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS SOIL TENDS TO HEAVE A LITTLE BIT AND WHEN IT HEAVES, IF THE ROOTS ARE STILL VIABLE, THAT CAN CAUSE DAMAGE. SO SOME SOME ISSUES. AND REMEMBER IF WE HAVE ABOUT A FOOT OF SNOW, THERE’S

YOUR SNOW LINE RIGHT ABOUT THERE AND TRAPPED INSIDE THE SNOW ARE ALL THESE AIR POCKETS THAT STAY ABOUT 32 DEGREES OR THEREABOUTS. SO A NATURAL FOOT OF SNOW IS A WONDERFUL INSULATOR, NOT ONLY FOR THE ROOT ZONE, BUT THE CROWN OF PLANTS AS WELL, WHERE THAT KIND OF ROOT ZONE AND STEMS

START TO MEET. SO IF WE DON’T HAVE SNOW, IT’S ACTUALLY A GOOD IDEA TO GO AND RE INSULATE THOSE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE SOME TENDER PERENNIALS OR ANYTHING THAT IS NEWLY PLANTED AND THERE’S A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN DO THAT. FIRSTLY, UH, JUST A GOOD

COUPLE OF EXTRA INCHES OF A WOOD MULCH. AND IF I JUST RIP THIS BAG OPEN, THIS IS A SHREDDED WOOD MULCH. IT’S NOT A CHIP. SO WHEN IT’S SHREDDED LIKE THIS, IT’S ALMOST IT FEELS ALMOST A LITTLE BIT LIKE DOWN. IT’S VERY, VERY, UH, FLUFFY AND ACTS JUST

LIKE A SNOW LAYER AND WILL TRAP ALL THAT KIND OF AIR IN THERE AND KEEP THE, THE ROOT ZONE INSULATED. YOU COULD USE ANY TYPE OF TREE BOUGHS, UM, THAT HAVE FALLEN IN, UM, YOU COULD GO OUT IN THE WOODS AND GRAB SOME OUT OF YOUR GARDEN OR THIS IS A

REPURPOSED FRASER FIR FROM THE HOLIDAY SEASON. THAT WOULD WORK QUITE WELL. AND JUST ONE BRANCH ON ITS OWN DOESN’T REALLY DO A LOT, BUT ONCE YOU START TO PILE THEM ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, YOU CAN SEE YOU’VE GOT SOME GOOD COUPLE OF INCHES OF INSULATION THERE FOR YOUR FOR YOUR

LANDSCAPE. AND THEN FINALLY, YOU COULD ALSO USE A STRAW OR I LIKE TO USE CANARY OR MARSH STRAW RATHER THAN JUST HAY BECAUSE IT HAS A LOT LESS WEED SEEDS. SOMETIMES IF YOU’RE JUST USING REGULAR STRAW, YOU CAN GET A LOT OF WEED SEEDS THAT WAY. SO LOOK

FOR EITHER MARSH HAY OR CANARY GRASS. YOU CAN FIND THAT OFTENTIMES AT FEED STORES, UM, THEY’LL THEY’LL CARRY THAT FOR YOU. SO THAT’S THE BEST WAYS TO INSULATE. OR IF YOU’VE GOT EXISTING MULCH KIND OF MOVE IT AROUND THE GROUND IS STILL ACTUALLY AMAZINGLY, NOT A LOT OF

FROST IN IN THE GROUND. SO YOU CAN SOMETIMES JUST GATHER WHAT’S AROUND YOUR IN YOUR, IN YOUR AREA AND USE THAT AS WELL. YOU COULD ALSO GIVE LITTLE FOAM INSULATOR THINGS LIKE THIS A TRY. MAKE SURE YOU STAKE THEM DOWN BECAUSE THEY CAN BLOW AWAY ON YOU. AND THEN FINALLY

CRITTERS ARE ALSO VERY PREVALENT AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, AND OFTENTIMES YOU DON’T SEE THEM BECAUSE OF THAT BLANKET OF SNOW. BUT ANYWHERE THAT YOU HAVE TENDER PLANTS, REMOVE ANY KIND OF UH UH, OR JUST BE VIGILANT ON HOW THEY NEST AND WHERE THEY ARE AND WHERE THEY CHOOSE. SO, UM, A

GOOD IDEA WHAT YOU CAN DO IS APPLY SOME, SOME REPELLENT. MILORGANITE IS A GOOD ONE. BLOOD AND BONE MILLERS ARE GOOD. YOU CAN FIND THESE DEER SCRAMS AND RABBIT SCRAMS. THEY WORK QUITE WELL. WHAT DOESN’T REALLY WORK FOR INSULATING OR KEEPING A LOT OF RODENTS AWAY IS BURLAP. UH,

THIS DOES DO A GOOD JOB FOR PROTECTING EVERGREENS AGAINST SUN SCALD. AND THE ONLY OTHER THING THAT YOU’VE GOT TO WATCH, PARTICULARLY WITH FLUCTUATING TEMPERATURES, ARE NEWLY PLANTED TREES, A TREE WRAP LIKE THIS WRAPPED AROUND THE TRUNK WILL PREVENT SUN SCALDING AS WELL. SO THERE’S THE TIPS FOR KEEPING

YOUR LANDSCAPE KIND OF NICE AND TOASTY WARM FOR THE REST OF THE WINTER. AND HOPEFULLY WE GET SOME SNOW HERE SOON. AND WELL DONE ON THE PICTIONARY BEHIND YOU. DEAL?