The Awakening

March 2018

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

The Awakening

By Paul Hang

 

It’s not alarming, quite the opposite. Nature is awakening.  All the signs are there, or here. Something is stirring. Underground the sap is flowing, roots and bulbs are sprouting. The pulse is beating stronger. That miraculous chemical green chlorophyll is coursing through sprouts and stems. Unlike the events specified on our clocks and calendars, Nature’s are not as predictable even if no less precise. I am often asked, and foolishly answer, when should I start seeds, plant tomatoes, prune my lilacs etc.? The answers of course depend on conditions not on a date.

The signs of awakening are snowdrops blooming, other spring bulbs poking up through the mulch or blooming. Skunk cabbage appearing in those wet areas, willows and maples showing a blush of color, buds swelling, these are all signs that the awakening is here. By the time you read this the world may seem like it is wide awake. Let’s face it, March is unpredictable and we like predictable. We like to be in control but often we simply feel that we are. We cannot make a blade of grass or a tomato. Only a seed can do that.

We can plant a seed. Then, like a good cook who doesn’t need a recipe, nature provides a little light, a little warmth, stir in a little water, a pinch of nutrients, and a plant appears seemingly out of nowhere. For those of us who like a little predictability there is hope. It seems plants, and insects, behave according to accumulated heat. Something called growing degree days (gdd) is a measure of the amount of heat the earth, at any one location, absorbs and accumulates when the temperature is over 50 degrees. As an example, Silver Maples first bloom at 34 degree days and full bloom at 42. Red Maples first bloom at 54 ggd. As I write this the gdd is 31 and the temperature is 52 degrees. I predict that Silver Maples around me will begin to bloom today!

Scientists have also correlated the hatching of insects with gdd. Thus we know when Bradford Callery pear first blooms (gdd 142) the European Sawfly eggs hatch (gdd 144). We also know that when those much rightfully maligned Bradford Pears bloom it is time to put down pre-emergents because crabgrass won’t be far behind. The science of this is called phenology, the correlation of natural events with one another. Here in Ohio you can access the Phenology  calendar at www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ggd/CalendarView.asp. Plug in your zip code and the information is there.

As science advances so does predictability and to some extent our control. We see the signs of spring and predict that certain events will occur. Sure, the days grow longer, the temperature  warms,  but we can’t stop them, slow them down or speed them up. Global warming may seem like an exception to this but I would argue it is more an example of us being out of control. Our control is limited. That is also an awakening.

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 directly into the soil.

 

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.

 

If you cut back perennials and ornamental grasses (Tying up the grasses before cutting them back to about six inches saves a lot of clean up), don’t throw them in the trash or onto the compost pile. Store them until we have a few warm days to give overwintering insects a chance to emerge. 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, most pre-emergents prevent seeds from sprouting. There are now selective  pre-emergents that do not affect grasses. If you plan to seed any parts of your lawn, to repair damage from winter or from our summer droughts, don’t apply a non-selective pre-emergent to those areas. This warning also applies to areas where you plan to plant vegetables and flowers. Apply on a calm day. A light fertilization of the lawn is all you’ll need. Fall fertilization is best.