Hi Audrey,

Thank you for reaching out to us with your gardening questions!

Your Purple Smoke Bush (or Smoke Tree), Cotinus coggygria, is a woody plant that shouldn't need to be covered or cut back during winter. It will go dormant like woody plants do in our area, and will leaf out again next season. Remember to water it through the winter season though, especially if we have another dry winter with little snowfall. Here is more information about winter watering:

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/fall-and-winter-watering-7-211/

The white spots on your other plants sounds like it could be powdery mildew. If your plants are crowded and planted really close to each other, you can try pruning out the diseased portions and throw them away. Limit overhead watering. Make sure to remove all of the leaves that fall and throw them out, do not compost them. There are also fungicides that you can use. Here is more information about Powdery Mildews and how to control them:

 https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/powdery-mildews-2-902/

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Dawn

Hey Audrey,

Yes, you should keep your compost pile wet. It should have enough moisture to be like a wrung out sponge. Water is an important component in a compost pile, if the compost dries out, the beneficial microorganisms can die off. Here is more information about composting:

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/composting-yard-waste-7-212/

Thanks,

Dawn