No matter the season, there is always work to be done in the garden. There is some slight frost under our belt, and there are some gardening tasks to complete before winter comes.

Everyone knows that water is essential to the life of plants, but not all gardeners are aware of how much water their plants need and when they should be given. Most of our area had a few inches of rain at the end of October, but a little more can help our perennials, woody shrubs and trees overwinter.

The goal of early winter watering is to allow water to penetrate the soil at least one foot deep. This depth ensures that most plant roots can reach water. To measure the watering depth, use a rod or wooden peg and push it into the soil until it touches the hard, dry soil. If your tool can easily penetrate a depth of 1 foot, you can stop watering and move to another area.

All perennials benefit from early winter drinks, but it is especially important for newly planted trees and shrubs because their root systems are not so extensive. Trees and larger shrubs planted in the past two to three years are still considered "newly planted."

Although they will stay green throughout the winter, evergreen trees and shrubs also need to be drunk for a long time because they will continue to lose water through the leaves throughout the winter.

Using a soaking hose is ideal for slow, long drinking for your landscape before the ground freezes, but please check for dry spots above and below the hose, as these hoses are not always evenly watered. Y-shaped adapters connected to both ends of the soaking hose can help alleviate these problems.

The Kansas Roses will benefit from some extra attention before the severe winters and colds arrive. Hybrid tea roses may be particularly tender and should be protected. Overwintering roses involves stacking 8-10 inches of mound or compost on each rose bush. Soil can be purchased or brought in from another area of ​​the garden, not from around the bush itself.

These mounds should be completed before Thanksgiving to provide the best protection. After the ground freezes, add a mulch made of leaves, hay or straw to increase the thermal insulation effect. Another layer of soil on top may help keep this mulch in place.

Covers should be used after the ground freezes to prevent rodents from feeding on the cover and burrowing into the bushes. The cane can also be trimmed back to approximately 36 inches and tied together to prevent wind damage.

This rose bunch helps protect the plant from the cold, but it also reduces the chance of premature spring budding. In the spring, all these layers are removed after the ground is thawed to promote healthy growth. Make sure to remove all soil so that the bushes are at the same level as the fall.

Before the ground freezes, there is still time to modify the soil and absorb organic matter. This time of the year is ideal for soil amendments, because spring is usually too humid to put anything in the soil without destroying the soil structure.

If watering and soil amendments are on your early winter list, please give priority to soil amendments to preserve soil structure and water after completion. Organic materials, such as compost or leaves, can be added in a 2 to 3 inch layer on top of the soil, or added to the soil, depending on your bed.

The pH or nutrients of the soil should be corrected based on the soil test to ensure that you only apply the substances you need to the soil. You can find soil testing information on our website.

Ariel Whitely-Noll is the research and promotion gardening agent in Shawnee County. You can contact her at arielw@ksu.edu.

This article originally appeared in Topeka Capital-Journal: Complete these garden tasks before the first hard freeze

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