OTTUMWA —
The weather this year has been the exception in many ways, and December is continuing that trend. Thanks to unseasonably warm temperatures, gardeners in southeast Iowa have the opportunity to extend their schedules a little.
Richard Jauron, horticulturalist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, says that mid- to late November is generally the cutoff date for preparing perennials for the winter months. This year, however, anyone who has still has yard work to do has been given a bit of extra time.
“Everything should be done by now because you don’t want to wait and do things in December,” Jauron said. “You want to get it done on time in Iowa because we can’t count on the weather to cooperate. You can still do some things now, though, since the ground hasn’t frozen yet.”
Perennials that are well established, ones that have been in the ground for more than a year, don’t require any type of winter protection. Jauron says this includes peonies and hostas, which don’t need anything special to make it through the winter cold.
More delicate plants like hybrid tea roses and mums need more attention before cold truly sets in.
“Mums are a different story because they’re very finicky. They will either do well over the winter or they won’t,” Jauron explained.
To make sure they survive, Jauron suggests several inches of straw, pine needles and evergreen branches. Leaves are not the best mulch, he explains, because tend to mat down and won’t provide adequate protection. The mulch should remain in place until early April.
Perennial beds can be protected in much the same way, using a 6- to 8-inch layer of clean mulch. Any unplanted perennials can be planted, in their pots, and mulched as well. In the spring, they can be dug up and planted in their permanent location.
“You can still do some of these things now if you need to, but usually you can’t. It shouldn’t be something you plan on from year to year,” Jauron said.
Local News
Unseasonably warm temps extend gardening season
Procrastinators have extra time to prepare perennials
- Local News
-
- Expanding Ottumwa's trail system OTTUMWA — The Market Street Bridge is a major link in connecting Ottumwa's north side to its south side. The seventh annual Wapello County Trails Council mediathon kicked off Saturday morning with volunteers on the phones taking pledges from the comm
-
Searching for the perfect book
A steady stream of people snatched up books, magazines, DVDs and more at the annual Pages for Pennies book sale at Bridge View Center this weekend.
-
Staff eager for swimmers Beach Ottumwa improvements
OTTUMWA — When kids talk about the last weeks of school, one subject that often comes up is The Beach Ottumwa. It'll be ready soon, said employees. On Friday, the maintenance staff was installing the fountain heads that shoot water straight up at the
- Mixed reactions to tax reduction OTTUMWA — During past public forums in Ottumwa, Sen. Mark Chelgren, R-Ottumwa, told voters the state should follow its own laws and make taxes equal across the board. This week, legislators in Des Moines took a first step toward that goal, which is a
-
New sports store coming to mall
OTTUMWA — A new tenant is coming to Quincy Place Mall. Lexington Realty International announced Friday afternoon the mall's newest tenant, MC Sports. Construction has already begun, and the store is anticipated to open just in time for back-to-school
-
Ottumwa teen earns criminal justice scholarship
OTTUMWA — A high school senior who shares the work ethic and spunk of the late Lisa Caldwell has been awarded a scholarship in her honor. Ottumwan Hunter Varner, a senior at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont High School, earned the first Wapello County Sh
- Budget shift on county agenda OTTUMWA — There's nothing like having some money in the budget to cover a project that doesn't have enough money on its line item. The Wapello County Supervisors will need to move some money to an item that has spent all of its funding, according to
- Wellness challenge asks people to live healthy OTTUMWA — Are you ready for the Live Healthy Iowa 10-Week Wellness Challenge? Some of the city employees joined Live Healthy Iowa, and Jody Gates, the city's health director, was captain of one of the two teams of about a dozen people. "Our goals for
-
Community gardens gain ground
OTTUMWA -- In just one month, community gardens have begun to sprout north of Ottumwa. So far, the gardens near the Ottumwa Industrial Park feature 12 raised beds, compost and a compost tumbler, a pallet bench, three oversized tires that will contain
-
Agency couple has provided foster care for 38 kids in last decade
AGENCY — School pictures of 38 grinning children look out into Angie and Terry Hamm's living room, evidence of the years of work and love they've given to those who needed it most. Their house — currently filled with five children, ages 7, 10, 10, 11
- More Local News Headlines
