This week's garden questions

Winter Injury on Evergreens

A couple of evergreen questions with similar problems, even though the trees are different.  Ten-year-old pines started to turn yellowish on the south side of the trees in late April.  The south side does get more wind than the other side. The second tree is an arborvitae close to the house is also turning brown.  What is happening? Are they drowning?

What’s happening is winter desiccation. A lot of different plants suffered winter desiccation, including pines, spruce, fir, arborvitae, privet, boxwood and white pine. The needles lost water faster than they could replace it in the fall, so the leaves/needles started to turn brown and die back during the spring.  For now, just watch the plant and see what happens. If it sends out new growth, then prune out the dead branches back to living tissue.  If the plant is younger and completely brown with no new growth, then you will need to remove it.

It is not how much moisture they have now, but how much they had in late fall.

This week's garden questions, Vegetables

Gardens are so Muddy

With spring being here, we have recently been experiencing, many of us are anxious to get outdoors and start scratching away at Mother Earth, however, the beds and gardens are so muddy. Unpredictable is the single word that best describes the month of May. Right now, soggy earth and emerging tender shoots limit what we can do. Control that overwhelming urge to dig, rake and cultivate. Stay out of the garden.

If you must be there, step lightly. Walking on wet garden soil compacts it and easily destroys its structure. A simple test to determine if your soil is workable is to grab a handful of soil and firmly squeeze it. If water runs out of the soil or if the soil stays compacted in one sticky lump, it is too wet and too early to be cultivated. Even though I encourage restraint that does not mean gardeners must do nothing.

Consider waiting at least two more weeks. I am confident it will be to your advantage and definitely to the advantage of the many newly emerging plants in your landscape. Tomatoes, peppers, vine crops and warmer growing annuals like zinnias and marigolds will catch up to the plants you have already planted.

If any annuals are looking rough and wilting, symptom of water-logged soil, it is not too late to replant.

Home Maintenance

Maintain Your AC Unit Saving You Money

Maintain your AC unit, which will run more efficiently, use less energy, and cost less money to run. A properly maintained system will also last longer before needing to be replaced. It should be noted that there are some tasks that can be done by the average homeowner, but others should not be performed by anyone who doesn’t have the proper training and a license.


Clean and/or Replace Air Filter

Replacing your air conditioner air filter (or cleaning it, if you have a reusable filter) is one of the most important regular AC maintenance chores. It should be done every month during high-use seasons (like summer and winter) and once during the fall and spring.


Check Wiring and Components

Before working on an air conditioner, ALWAYS start by turning off the power to the unit, which can be done at the service disconnect on your outdoor unit or at the main breaker panel of your home. Old wiring inside AC unit. Next, remove the access panel on your condensing unit and see if you see any signs of overheating – melted insulation on wires, blackened or burned-looking wires, and the like. If you see any of the above problems, call a local heating and air conditioning expert to do the work for you.


Examine Thermostat

Check your thermostat to make sure it’s working properly and keeps your home at the right temperature. If you have an older, mechanical type thermostat, you may want to consider upgrading to a programmable model.


Adjusting programmable thermostat.

A programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature higher when no one is home (do not turn the AC off, just up), and cool the house down about 30 minutes before people arrive home for the evening. That way you’ll always have a comfortable home waiting for you, and you’ll save energy and money by not having your AC running all day when no one is at home.


Check Condenser

Unit FanTurn the power off to your air conditioner unit, and check the fan mounted on the top of the outside condenser unit to make sure it’s still in good condition. Replace the fan blades if there are any cracks or chips visible in one or more of the blades. If you have an older air conditioner unit, the fan motor bearings may need to be oiled regularly as well.


Clean Outside Unit

Over time leaves, dirt, grass clippings and the like will build up on the outside of the air conditioner unit, decreasing system capacity and reducing air flow. After shutting off the power to the unit, use a garden hose to gently wash out the debris, starting at the top with the hose at about a 45° angle. Do NOT use a power washer and take care not to bend or damage the delicate fins on the coil. Trim any shrubs around the unit giving at least 2 feet of space between the unit and any plants for good air flow.