Winter Bird Feeders

Are you looking for something to do now that the holiday season is over? Like most people this time of year, you may yearn to be outside but it's too cold to stay there long. You should think about putting up a bird feeder. An overlooked gift card to a garden center or big box home improvement store can be beneficial to you, giving you a project, and helpful to some wildlife when they need it most.

By adding a feeder to your yard you can make their lives easier. As plants die back or go dormant, coupled with a snow cover, a bird’s food source is diminished. If you provide a feeder and seed during the winter time, you sustain our feathered friends which gives you a productive task during the bleak months of winter. A bonus would be to take up bird watching as a hobby too. You find anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-five different birds.

With that many kinds of birds, comes different feeding habits and food needs.  It might be good to put up different styles of feeders to be most helpful:

• Hopper feeders: It looks like a house with Plexiglas sides on top of a platform where the seed is dispensed as birds eat it. The Plexiglas makes it easy to tell when more seed needs to be added. The seed is protected against the weather but not so well against squirrels.
• Tube feeders: Hollow Plexiglas cylinders with multiple feeding ports and perches. These hanging feeders attract species that typically feed off the ground. You can attach a tray to the bottom to catch scattered seeds and to allow larger species to feed.
• Tray or platform feeders: Simple flat, raised surfaces on which you spread seed. Easy to make, they are one of the most popular feeders. Birds that typically feed on the ground are particularly attracted to this type of feeder. A disadvantage of platform feeders is that they are not squirrel-proof or weather resistant. They should have drainage holes for water and need to be cleaned often to remove bird droppings. Only one day’s worth of food should be put out at a time.

Taking care of our feathered friends is an enjoyable way to mark the time as winter progresses. Winter feeding isn’t just for the birds. For more information on this please contact the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County and request a free copy of “Winter Bird Feeding”.  If you are interested in becoming a master gardener, we are having a new training class beginning February 24. We can be reached at 570-963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator

Falling On Tough Times

It has been a difficult year for your lawn. Extended hot, dry periods in the summer after a very mild winter, as your turf grass was exposed to everything in between. Most people have found bare spots and weeds co-mingled with the grass. Fall is the perfect time to help your lawn recover and prepare for a better growing season next spring.

•Weed Control
Fall is a great time for weed management, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Identify the weeds, not all will survive the winter, or even heavy frost. Some will persist like dandelions, thistle, and bindweed. Use a product labeled for use on those specific weeds, and follow the directions. Herbicides are poison, and dangerous if mis-handled. Weeds compete with grass for food and nutrients so it is good for your lawn to manage weeds, but it is recommended to spot treat weeds. This means only using an herbicide in certain areas during the fall, unlike other times of the year where you would broadcast over the whole grass areas.

•Thatch Care
Thatch is a build-up of living and dead grass roots and stems between the soil and green grass blades. Some level of that is a good thing. The amount of thatch in the lawn may be checked by cutting three to four inches down into the grass with a shovel and lifting up a piece of sod. Thatch looks like a thick tangle of dark brown roots above the soil level. If thatch is greater than 1/2 inch, the lawn should be core aerated or de-thatched. Fall is an excellent time to de-thatch. In lawns with a thatch layer over 3/4 inch thick, you should aerate then topdress with a thin layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of soil or compost. Topdressing adds microorganisms that help breakdown thatch.

•Spot Cover
Fall is a great time to re-seed any bare spots in the lawn. Good soil contact is crucial for germination.  For small areas, use a rake to work up the soil so it is loose. For larger areas, a tiller may be necessary if the top few inches are compacted. Choose a perennial rye blend for best results. This selection has good heat and drought tolerance and grows quickly to fill in the empty areas.  Cover lightly with straw or some of the newer seed starter mulches available at your local garden center.

In addition to these steps, fall is the best time to fertilize your lawn. Consider a soil test kit to find out exactly what kinds of nutrients the turf will need. These kits are for sale in our office.

For more information on fall lawn care, the Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County have a free packet of information on this topic. Contact us at 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu for one. Are you interested in becoming a Master Gardener? We are having a fall training class beginning October 22, you can contact us for more information.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County