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FEBRUARY 2013 HOMES PLUS 8 Winter can pack a wallop on our plants, trees MICHAEL TIMM Photo by Dwayne Butler spring. Inspect them for any injuries and prune away anything that appears dead or severely damaged. In some cases, some plants may have to be heavily pruned or even replaced. Another thing to keep a close eye is how they begin to leaf out. You may notice branches that don't leaf out or leaf out and then suddenly die. This is a good sign that those branches received some form of internal injury. In the case of evergreens, watch for the browning of needles without the appearance of new growth. These branches will not heal and should simply be removed. This is something you'll need to keep an eye on throughout the whole growing season. Don't be surprised if some of your plants look fine in spring but then take a turn for the worse when the stress- es of summer approach. Proper care during this growing season will also help. Water your plants when it gets dry, but try not to over water. One inch, or 20 gallons, via slow trickle per tree or shrub a week is sufficient if we don't receive rain. I wouldn't recommend a lot of fertilizer unless it's compost or an organic type at this point because this may simply force growth the plant isn't able to support as it heals. In Wisconsin, we have to be prepared to deal with the weather. We experience some of our biggest challenges because of it, but we must endure. Happy gardening. (Michael Timm is the head horticulturist with Ebert's Greenhouse Village in Ixonia. He can be reached at mtimm@ebertsgreenhouse.com.) TRUCKLOAD SALE on Garage Doors & Door Openers Special! - Take down and haul away old door for FREE! 16x7 Installed NOW $ $ SAVE 825 250 • Two-Sided Pre-Finished Galvanized Steel • R-10 Insulated • 5 colors to choose from WINTER SPECIAL 16'x7', 25 Gauge . . Non Insulated Steel $675 ORDER A LIFEMASTER 3/4 HP GARAGE DOOR OPENER WITH D.C. MOTOR, 2 REMOTES, KEYPAD & BATTERY BACKUP Up To $5,000 OFF Paradise Builders Envision Home Packages 310 $ Offer Ends February 28,2013 Model 8360 Your Someday is Here Full Year Warranty, parts and service on installed operators. Lifetime (262) 574-1166 www.paradisebuilders.biz 230486005 Owners, Keith Jr. & Kristi Knapp Tax Included • Lifetime Warranty • Other Sizes Available • 2000 Garage Doors in Stock Door Co. INSTALLED TAX INCLUDED AFTER $20 FACTORY REBATE Lifetime Motor Warranty WHY PAY MORE? "CALL LIFETIME DOOR!" 12645 W. Townsend (2 blocks N. of Burleigh, enter off 124th St. only) Free Estimate 262-338-0906 Mon. - Fri. 7am-5pm • Sat. 8am-12pm • www.lifetimedoor.net 229960003 Winter storms pack quite a punch and have many of us concerned about the condition of our plants. Personally, my arborvitaes are severely bent over and many of my bushes have broken branches and split trunks. I'm sure more damage will become apparent this spring when I can get a closer look. Could something have been done to avoid this damage? Yes, but we need to be careful here. While the weather was warm, excess snow could have been carefully removed. Knock it off with your hand if possible, but by being very gentle. If you need to use a tool, use something soft, like a broom and wrap it with a cloth or towel. Try to knock the snow off without making contact with the actual branches. We want to avoid causing more damage. One thing you should never do is to shake or pull on the branches. If you weren't able to knock the snow off while the temperatures were warm, we need to approach things differently. It is best to leave the snow where it is and revisit the option of removing it when the temperatures rise. Also, if you don't see any major damage, it's best to let them alone and not risk doing any further damage. Now that the damage has been done, what else can we do? The first thing is take a closer look at our plants this

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