Sprung?

March 2017

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

 

Sprung?

By Paul Hang

 

Has spring sprung? That is the question. The answer is, as usual, it depends. It depends on how you define spring. Is it the first mild day of the year, meteorological spring March 1^st, any day after the spring equinox ( March 20 this year)? Or, my favorite, once mild days are here to stay. By my definition spring has not sprung.  March is usually not spring like. Oh yeah it has some nice days. But frequently it is cold or cool, blustery, rainy, sometimes snowy. Sure there are some mild days, some warm days and even sunshine. But for the most part it is unpleasant and muddy. I’ve been hearing people talk about spring being early this year. I believe this is a result of the all too human tendency to believe something because we want it to be so. On the other hand, given the record warm days, perhaps spring has sprung.

 

What also seems to have sprung is the usual weather patterns. Is this the new normal or just an anomaly? We are in uncharted territory and will just have to take it day by day and forecast by forecast. Either way it has caused gardeners to take more things into consideration. Soil conditions, temperature and moisture, air temperature, forecasts, all determine gardening success. There is nothing wrong with pushing the envelope as long as you don’t risk everything. Start most of your seeds along with your usual schedule. Don’t put all your plants out early and be prepared to take action to protect them from frost.

 

There are some things that have, or will, sprung. Daffodils, crocuses, dandelions are blooming. Some flowering shrubs like forsythia and star magnolias are in their glory. Many trees are in flower although most are inconspicuous. March has its good points. The full moon in March is called by some the Sap Moon. Not because newly elected politicians are finally getting down to work but for the obvious harvest of Maple syrup.

 

March is also the beginning of the season when the door to door tree “trimmers” will offer to “prune” your trees cheap. Topping trees is not good pruning. Information about pruning trees is at www.ohio-line.osu.edu. For information about caring for your trees go to www.arborday.org and www.treecaretips.org. For a list of certified arborists, go to www.isa-arbor.com. Your trees are a valuable asset to your property, to our community and to our environment.

 

There is still time to apply to train to be a Master Gardener Volunteer. Classes will be held on Thursdays beginning  March 23,April and end early May. Cost is $150 for classes, a manual and background check. Call me 740-4974397 or email at phang@columbus.rr.com for an application.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

 

If you feed the birds don’t stop now. March and April are the toughest months for them. Food is scarce. New fruits, insects and seeds are a long way off and the old ones have been eaten. March is also time to clean out bird houses and ready for the nesting season. Begin fertilizing houseplants with a weak solution. Now is a good time to propagate houseplants. March is not too late to try winter sowing. What is winter sowing? Google “winter sowing” for more information. Have your soil tested. Materials and directions are available at the OSU Extension Office.

 

The last average frost date here in zone 6 is April 23^rd. A number of seeds should be started this month. Check your seed packet for the number of days for germination and count back from the date you want to set out your plants. The last average frost date means there is a fifty-fifty chance of frost on that date. That’s the same odds as flipping a coin. A word to the wise, don’t set out your plants too early unless you are prepared to protect them should the odds work against you.

 

Start your seeds indoors for hardy plants (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels' sprouts, onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots) if you haven’t already. You can set them out later in the month weather permitting. Most flower seeds, annuals or perennials, can also be started. Wait till later in the month to start the half-hearty plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant unless you are prepared to transplant to a larger container.  Always check the seed envelope for planting information. Once the soil can be worked (see below) plant lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, beets, carrots, chard, collards and radish seeds directly into the soil. Onion sets and potatoes can be planted.

 

Rake the lawn to remove the twigs, leaves, and other winter detritus. Dig out those biennial weeds before they get established. Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs and bare root roses. The earlier you transplant perennials the better they will do. When is the soil ready to be worked? Soil that sticks to your spade is too wet to work and will be compacted. Make a ball of soil and drop it. If it crumbles it is ready to work. 

 

Before those buds break spray fruit trees with dormant oil. Read the directions. Prune damaged diseased and dead limbs. Also, prune those limbs that grow inward, suckers and water sprouts. Do not remove more than a third of the tree. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs that bloom in the summer. Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after they bloom. Prune raspberry canes and grapevines and fall flowering clematis.

 

Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses. Tying up the grasses before cutting them back to about six inches saves a lot of clean up. Pull back mulch from around perennials on warm days but be prepared to cover them back up if a hard freeze threatens.

 

Late March and April is the time to apply a pre-emergent to the lawn to prevent crabgrass. The best indicator for this is the first bloom of Callery Pear. But be forewarned, pre-emergents prevent seeds from sprouting. If you plan to seed any parts of your lawn, to repair damage from winter or from our summer droughts, don’t apply a pre-emergent to those areas. This also applies to areas where you plan to plant other seeds, whether flowers or vegetables. Stay clear of those areas and apply on a calm day. A light fertilization of the lawn is all you’ll need. Fall fertilization is best.