February 2012
PICKAWAY TO GARDEN
I'll Have A Bud
By Paul Hang
By the time you read this that rodent from Pennsylvania (Marmota monax), otherwise known as Phil (Terra porcus pennsylvanii?), will have made his prediction about how much winter we have left to endure or enjoy. Given that we will have more winter, whether six weeks or less, or more, why not enjoy it? For those of us who like plants winter need not cramp our style. There are still things we can learn if we simply observe what plants are doing. While you are wandering your estate, your neighborhood or a park, look more closely at the plants you encounter.
Admittedly most of what is going on is doing so underground and so goes unnoticed. Perennials are storing up food for the burst of growth that will be coming as soon as the days grow longer and the earth warms up. Many plants are still establishing roots in the relatively warmer temperatures that exist underground. But look above ground and you can see signs of spring. Annuals of course have died and, if they were able to fulfill their function, will have left their seeds to survive the winter and spring to life when the winter finally succumbs.
Woody plants, trees and shrubs, don't "die" back like most perennials but brave the winter winds and temperatures. To look at them you would think they are dead. They have prepared for winter by sloughing off their tender foliage. Brown rough bark is about all you can see. But look more closely and you will see that they are still alive. At the tips of twigs and branches we will find buds. Some of those buds were made as far back as July and some were made later. Inside those buds are miniature leaves and flowers just waiting for the right conditions to open up. Similarly the month of February is the bud of the coming year. The signs are there of what will bloom in the coming year.
Evergreens, with their needles or rough leathery broadleaves, keep their foliage. Notice the leaves of many viburnums and rhododendrons. They curl up like a dog to keep warm, and to conserve moisture, by reducing the surface area exposed to the freezing winds. Those with needles often lose a third of them in the fall to accomplish the same thing.
The buds on deciduous plants are covered by bud scales which protect them from the cold. Buds of trees are so varied that we can identify many trees in winter simply by knowing how their buds differ in shape, number and form. Oaks have numerous buds at the ends of their twigs. Beech trees have very slim pointed buds. Buckeye trees have large buds on the ends of their twigs. Perhaps the most conspicuous buds are those on the saucer magnolia. As the winter progresses more plants' buds will begin to swell and grow more conspicuous. This becomes really apparent on red maples just before they leaf out. But I am getting ahead of myself, as I anticipate spring.
Buds on the ends of twigs are called apical buds. Buds along the length of twigs are called adventitious or lateral buds and just below them you will notice leaf scars left from last year. Again the shape of these scars can help in identifying the plant. Small dots on the scars are the remains of the "tubes" that fed and circulated food and water to and from the leaves. A conspicuous example of an apical bud is cabbage, of adventitious buds Brussels sprouts. Mark Twain once said "Cauliflower is cabbage with a college education."
Lots of biennial weeds are still growing, though slowly. Look closely at the cracks in pavement and you will notice tiny green plants just waiting for better conditions to spring to life. Did anyone else see those daffodil leaves sticking up a couple inches in early January? I noticed them while planting some last minute bulbs bought at a discount. By the end of the month look for pussy willow buds to shed their scales to reveal their furry soft flowers. Also male Redwing Blackbirds will be greeting us with their colorful epaulets and calls of "okalees."
Spring is coming. Time will tell if we still have a snowstorm in our future. There are no mammals that I am aware of who can reliably predict if that will happen. In the meantime, look for the budding signs around you. We can wait until May to celebrate Ground Hug Day.
.
Things to do in the garden:
Not much. Check perennials for heaving up out of the ground. Press them down gently with your foot.
This is a good time of year to do research. You can while away those cold blustery evenings becoming, if not a better gardener, at least a better informed one. Below are some good websites to help you find the information you want and the answers to your gardening questions.
Ohioline -OSUExtension Publications ohioline.osu.edu
Pickaway County's Extension Service Pickaway.osu.edu
Weekly discussions of garden topics bygl.osu'edu
Looking for natives? Wildflowergardeners.org
Ohio Forestry Association ohioforest.org
My past columns can be found at pickawaygardener.blogspot.com
To ask local Master Gardeners PCMGVhotline@yahoo.com
Information about Master Gardeners mastergardener.osu.edu
Growing Degree Days oardc.ohio-state.edu/gdd/
If you can't find the information you want try the Extension Service of surrounding states whose growing conditions are similar to ours. Of course you can also consult search engines such as google but the OSU sites are guaranteed to provide research based information
No comments:
Post a Comment