Winter Garden Maintenance - Things to do in January in your Denver Garden and across Colorado’s Front Range.

Winter Garden Maintenance - Things to do in January in your Denver Garden and across Colorado’s Front Range.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

In Denver there are many things which still need to be done in your garden. Dormant pruning is much needed in most gardens in the Denver Metro area. Topdressing new organic mulch is something which can be done to help retain moisture and enhance the color of the garden. Some things such as watering and finishing clearing out leaves from your garden can only be done when snow is not covering your garden areas.




Some bushes or shrubs sometimes need to be trimmed in the fall or winter to allow them to grow properly the next year. Butterfly Bushes (Buddleia davidii), Blue Mist Spirea (Caryopteris candensis), Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), and other shrubs which just finished blooming later in summer and fall need to be cut back to approximately three inches (3”) off the ground. Be careful not to prune bushes such as lilacs (Syringa spp.) or forsythia (Forsythia spp.). Some shrubs such as Red or Yellow Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea or Cornus sericea flaviramea; repstectively), need to have the old wood carefully removed from the bush to allow new colorful growth.




Color and texture is also added by installing or topdressing mulch in your gardens. Mulch has many beneficial effects and can be detrimental if not used properly. Mulch helps retain water and keeps the soil cooler beneath the mulch layer. It also protects plants from this harsh Colorado climate. Remember, mulch should only be applied to a depth of no more than four inches (4”). When more than four inches of mulch is applied other issues may occur. Things such as locking up nutrients, not allowing air to enter into the soil and absorption of water by the mulch can occur when too much mulch is applied. Adding mulch is a hugely beneficial aspect and should not be neglected in the Denver Metro Area.




When mulch is applied it is a great time to water the areas to help add weight to the mulch, evenly distribute the mulch and add water to the soil. Deeply watering trees, shrubs, perennials and even your lawn will dramatically effect their growth in the spring and summer. Deep watering during the winter and early spring, when sprinkler systems are shutdown, allows roots to penetrate the soil. Deeper roots means more root area, which allows plants to absorb more water & nutrients which increases survival in Denver’s semi-arid climate. (***Remember water should only be applied when there is no snow covering the ground and the temperature is above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.)




Get out in your garden and get prepared for the upcoming gardening season. What is done now dramatically effects the health of your garden. Help your Denver garden get started growing the right way this spring by watering, leaf cleanup, adding mulch to the proper depth and pruning your garden correctly.




A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC is here to provide assistance or to fully take control and help you have A Better Garden. Call us today, (303) 433 - 3750, to setup a Garden Maintenance Contract or Lawn Maintenance Contract for your Denver Area business or home garden. Remember we also offer snow removal services including Snow Plowing, Snow Shoveling and De-icing Services.

Mulch - Mulching and it's Effects

Mulch - Mulching and it's Effects

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

Mulch can be divided into two categories; Inorganic and organic mulch. Rocks, or rubber chips would be consider to be inorganic mulch. Bark chips, western shredded cedar, Idaho Shredded Cedar, Metro Mulch (colored recycled chips) and any other form of mulch which biodegrades would be considered organic mulch. Both sources have a positive effect on plants & soil.



Mulches allow water to be dispersed or more has a dampening effect. Rainfall or any water causes compaction as it hits open ground. Mulch allows a cushion and protects the soil structure from compaction or crusting. Both organic and inorganic mulch allows water to be retained in the soil and heat to be moderated. This will reduce the amount of water which needs to be supplemented.



Not only do mulches affect water and soil temperature, but they have a direct effect on your garden. Mulches cover up and help prevent germination of weed seeds. It also allows for easier weeding as the increased water retention makes it easier to get the whole root structure.



The choice of which mulch you utilize is up to you. You need to decide whether you want to see white rocks, dark shredded cedar, large bark chips or even a brightly colored red mulch. The benefits of inorganic mulch is it does not decompose. This means you will not have to top dress, unless you just want to add some fresh color. But at the same time, if the mulch does not decompose, organic matter is not added to the soil profile.



Organic mulch is lost throughout the season from decompostion. This is a great benefit to any garden as organic matter increases the water retention capacity of the soil. With natural mulch, the garden will need to be topdressed regularly to ensure the benefits are being received. Be careful, the addition of more than about 4 inches of mulch can actually cause disease, absorb the water, and even not allow air to the roots.



Just remember, we provide all gardening and mulching services. Contact us today and we can get a gardener out to provide cleanup, pruning, weeding or mulching services. We hope this help you have A Better Garden.

Dormant Pruning - Cutting back to save you trouble.

Dormant Pruning - Cutting back to save you trouble.

By:Jonathan Manning, CLT
A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC
Denver, CO

It is expected to be a high of 51 degrees today and a high of 56 degrees tomorrow in the wonderful city of Denver. With those temperatures and an expected snow on Sunday, these might be the best days to get a little work done in your lawn & garden. As always in this weather it might be a good idea to supplement the water for all the plants in your garden with your hose. (**Rembember to always disconnect your garden water hose from the water spiggot. Possible freeze damage could occur.)



More importantly, now is a great time to perform any necessary dormant pruning. Look for branches in trees which are rubbing against each other. When branches in these trees rub together, over time they present an area on the tree prone to infections. By performing a spot check in your yard and taking the necessary action. I mean either pruning the trees yourself of contacting a professional to take care your gardening needs for you. Much can be saved in the way of time, money or both when later you will need the tree removed due to disease. The other items you should be checking for is both broken branches and sap.



A lot of times you will not see any borer holes or any other symptoms of disease, but there will still be sap coming from a tree. Sometimes what people believe is sap is really an excrement from an insect such as an aphid. This resinous substance is actually known as "honeydew" (This will be discussed at a later blog). Sap though is a 'flare' or 'red flag' from the plant to let you know something is wrong. If you are unsure what you are looking at, consult your local tree expert. A Better Garden Maintenance, LLC only will prune what is approximately within 15 feet of the ground or to where our tools will reach. We recommend Davey Tree Care for large trees, ask for Derek Fox and tell him Jonathan sent you.



Remember, a little extra effort now can save you a load of time and money down the road. Let us know if we can help you have A Better Garden.