The Gardens on Spring Creek

  Preparing for the First Freeze by The Gardens on Spring Creek Horticulture Team From the high 90s to below freezing in one week, Colorado weather always keeps gardeners on their toes.   Here are some tips from the horticulture team at The Gardens on Spring Creek on how to prepare your garden for the first freeze of the season. Check Your Zone:   As you look to the forecast and decide what plants to protect, check what plants have been matched to your site in terms of hardiness. The Gardens on Spring Creek sit at a USDA Hardiness Zone 5b, but you might be in a different zone or microclimate.   Established perennials, grasses, trees and shrubs that are appropriately hardy will withstand a freeze.   They may lose their leaves or go dormant, but you should have to be concerned about plant loss. Water Well:   For newer perennial plantings, be sure to water your plants well the day before an expected freeze.   Cold stress and drought stress damage...

Snow Mold and Turf by Josh Cornell, Horticulturist, The Gardens on Spring Creek Colorado weather is anything but predictable, which can make lawn care challenging.   With the long-lasting snow cover we experienced in Northern Colorado this year, you may be experiencing some snow mold on your grass. Snow mold is caused by cold-weather fungi that primarily affects grasses.   While we don’t usually see this problem in our arid western climate, it does happen occasionally, especially when the snow lingers.   This provides the perfect conditions for snow mold, which, if allowed to persist, can cause damage and even kill the crowns of grass plants. There are two types of snow mold: gray (Typhula blight) and pink (Microdochium or Fusarium patch).   Signs of both types become noticeable in the spring when the snow melts, leaving circular patches of matted or crusty grass that range in size across the lawn.   With gray snow bold, these patches...