Winter Gardening

The leaves on my Rhododendron are curling under and the plant looks wilted. Does this mean the plant is dead?

If your plant was healthy last summer, what you describe sounds like a direct response from the plant to cold temperatures. Some Rhododendrons curl their leaves to expose as little leaf surface as possible to the elements, to help minimize damage from the cold. The leaves will recover when the weather warms.

Extension Publication EB 1229, How To Identify Rhododendron and Azalea Problems, has more information on growing Rhododendrons.

My spring flowering bulbs are emerging and now they're covered with snow. What can I do to save them?

Relax! Your bulbs will be fine. Plants that grow in cold weather can tolerate a few snowy days. They'll just stop growing until the temperature is above freezing, and then begin to grow again. Flowering may take place a few days later than normal, but the bulbs themselves should suffer no lasting ill-effects.

Moss is taking over my garden and lawn. How can I remove it, and how can I keep it from coming back?

Moss is a symptom of several underlying problems. Too much shade, high soil acidity, low fertility, compacted soil, and poor drainage are all contributing factors to moss growth. Rake to remove moss in garden areas, then add compost or other organic matter to reduce soil compaction and improve fertility.

In lawn areas, moss can be raked and removed, or an iron compound, ferrous sulfate, can be applied to kill the moss. Whenever you use chemicals be sure to read and follow all label directions.

Once the moss is removed, reseed the bare spots and put your lawn on a regular feeding schedule. WSU recommends 4 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn per year, divided into four applications: April, June, September and December. If you can increase the drainage and decrease the amount of shade your lawn gets, you'll have fewer problems with moss in the future.

For more information see: Moss.

I've heard that now is the best time to prevent apple scab. What do I use?

Apple scab, a fungal disease, is a common problem in Western Washington. Contributing to disease development on susceptible cultivars are the high rainfall amounts we experience, and our high humidity. Part of an apple scab prevention program is the practice of good garden sanitation. Remove infected fruit and fallen leaves so the fungus cannot overwinter and re-infect the tree in the spring.

Lime-sulphur (Bordeaux) applied during dormancy, prepink, pink, petal fall, and two weeks after petal fall, should effectively protect your tree from developing apple scab.

Extension Publication EB 1044, Apple Scab, contains additional information on the control of apple scab.

This page last updated January, 1997.