by Tom Lanier, Sprinkler Pros

Let’s take a break from sprinklers this month and discuss winter preparations. Why discuss it now? Well this month is usually a bit uneventful and so is the perfect time to do these things. Plus it will help tidy up your place for all those guests you may be entertaining during November and December.

Make an appointment with your yard. Most plants and trees are slowing down so if you will begin by marking your calendar for the dates you will set aside for this then the time wont get away from yourself. Depending on the size of your yard and the work to be done you may need more than one weekend.

Make it a family project. Include your spouse and children. Make it a fun time by scheduling a yard sport, game, or movie that you can watch afterwards for everyone to look forward to. Do a BBQ, taco salad, or pizza for dinner. Have something ready, quick, and easy for lunch so that you can get right back to the project easily before everyone gets tempted to take a nappy-poo and blow the whole deal. Avoid sweets for lunch as you’ll have a sugar crash in the middle of your event. Hydrate!

Plan your work and work your plan. Take inventory of what needs to be done now and list it all. List the types of plants and trees that need attention so that you can look them up in the following resources. Put initials next to the items showing who will do each item. In your planning be sure that you know your plants and trees that you are working with and check your Sunset Western Garden Book or many available websites to see how those should be cared for. Sunset and Ortho have a great book called The Pruning Handbook. It shows how the different types of plants and trees should be pruned and why. There is a correct way to prune every plant. Don’t depend on your gardener to know—check yourself. There are many plants that should never be touched by a power hedge trimmer that are getting butchered by these machines. Plants are not forever resilient. They will only forgive so many times.

Feed me! Another thing to check on in the Western Garden Book is the feeding needs of your plants. Many people fertilize during spring and summer and neglect feeding the rest of the year. A number of lawns, plants, and trees still need it through autumn. Some of them require this proper feeding and pruning process to give you the splendid Spring show that you look forward to--camellias and azaleas for starters. Fruit trees are critical too for great fruit. If you are not sure what your plant or tree is using the resources mentioned then take a sample to your favorite nursery that has knowledgeable staff.

Have a great time in the great outdoors. For your sprinkler system repair needs, my cell phone is 878.5449.