December 2018
Pickaway to Garden
By Paul J. Hang
Dim and Dimmer
This could be
the title of a new movie. It wouldn’t be a farce as the similar sounding hit of
the Farrelly brothers with Jim Carey was. It wouldn’t be a comedy or a tragedy
but more of a musical. It could be the title for the month of December. The
sunlight dims and gets dimmer as the month progresses.
As the last month of the year, December also
marks the diming of the year. December 21st brings the Winter
Solstice the shortest day of the year. It is also the longest night of the
year. Ironically the next night, the 22nd, brings a full moon, the
one Native Americans called the Cold Moon.
My
fascination with this dim and dimming began with my year at Thule AFB,
Greenland in 1966. Thule is at Latitude 76.5N, 750 miles north of the Arctic
Circle. There the sun sets October 31 not to be seen again until February 10.
Once it sets a period of shortening days of dusk begins until mid-November when
it is completely dark until late January. (The Northern lights do not appear as
they are 500 miles to the south.) Then, days of dawn increase until February.
Another few weeks and the sun is visible 24 hours a day. By the summer solstice
in June the sun circles overhead all “day” before spirally downward towards autumn
and the cycle begins again.
The growing
season is 44days, July1 to August 15 (although when I was there we had 4” of
snow on the 4th of July). June through September there are mosses,
poppies, cotton and a variety of other wild flowers blooming. One wonders what
tales and celebrations the native peoples of the arctic created to explain
these phenomena. For us we celebrate with lights on these our darkest days.
Most cultures celebrate the time of the winter solstice, often with religious
celebrations. We know the sun has begun its trip back north. Hallelujah! At Thule we knew where and when the sun would
shine on the base. Hundreds showed up to celebrate and to feel the warmth of
the sun shine on their faces, if only briefly.
Plants also adapt
to this dimming of the light. As an example did you ever wonder why most
evergreens have the shape they do? Most of the trees in our temperate climate
are deciduous. They lose their leaves in the fall. They also have canopies that
are full, round and often much wider at the top than at the bottom. Some are
even umbrella shaped with tops wide and flat. This is to take full advantage of
the higher angle of the sun in summer. By contrast, evergreens are often
triangular in shape, tall and narrow with branches wider at the bottom than at
the top. This enables them to take advantage of the low winter sun which comes
at them sideways rather than from overhead.
This is just
another reason to wonder at the ways of plants and the ways in which they adapt
to their environment. When you look at your Christmas tree this holiday think
about the reasons why it has the shape it does. People have long brought
evergreen trees and other greens, holly, wreaths, etc. indoors for these winter
holidays. They remind us of spring and summer because of their color. Green in
plants is caused by chlorophyll which is green and is dependent on sunlight. Light
and greenery, we can look at our tree, wreaths, sprays on the mantle and other
seasonal decorations and be reminded of the end of the diming winter sun. That
is another reason for the season.
Things to do in the garden:
Thankfully,
there are not too many things to do IN the garden as much as there are things
to do ABOUT the garden. If you haven’t already, clean up crop debris, except
for native plants and those you want for winter interest. Shred it and put in
the compost heap or till and turn it over to bury in the soil. Get the
vegetable garden ready for spring as much as possible. There will be less to do
come spring.
On nice days
wander about your place and notice how some plants continue to develop. If the
local temperature reaches 50 degrees they grow, only to cease when the
temperature falls. Those bitter cress weeds are small now. I find them in
between the bricks of my walk. They and ground ivy in the beds and in the lawn
are trying to gain a foothold now while they have little competition. The
bi-ennial mullein with its fuzzy lamb's ear like leaves is growing flat against
the earth. Rosettes of poison hemlock and teasel continue to grow. Pull them up
while you have the chance or spray with an herbicide according to the
directions on the label. Get them before the weather turns warm and they turn
tougher.
If the ground
remains open it’s still not too late to plant lilies, tulips and daffodils. You
may find some bargains. Avoid the soft and shriveled ones. Check houseplants
for insects. Move clay pots inside to prevent breaking. Plant native seeds
directly over snow or frozen ground. Go to www.backyardhabitat.info for more
information.
Wrap young
tree trunks with hardware cloth or the plastic wrap made for that purpose.
Protect them from ground level to about 18 inches. This also goes for newly planted shrubs.
Place fencing around them. This prevents mice, voles and rabbits from using the
bark as lunch. If they girdle the plants, no matter how big or woody they are,
the plants will die. While you’re inspecting trees and shrubs a little light
pruning while they are dormant won’t hurt. Damaged, rubbing or simply
inconvenient small branches can be removed. Never top trees in any season. When
harvesting or buying firewood use only local sources less than 50 miles. This
helps prevent the spread of bugs and diseases harmful to trees.
In the
vegetable garden, write down and/or sketch where you planted what this year,
while you can still remember. This will aid in crop rotation which helps yields
and eliminates disease carry over. Bugs lay their eggs near the crops they
“enjoy.” By not planting the same crops in the same place next year you will
foil the destructive insects. A rotation rule to remember is “to follow a root
crop by a top crop and vice versa.” Go to
ag.purdue.edu/btny/midwest-vegetable-guide for an extensive resource for
vegetable gardeners. Use ice melt, not rock salt, on your walks, it is harmful
to plants including grass.
That's very interesting about the shape of evergreens - makes sense. A year near the Arctic Circle - must have been quite an experience. Not surprising that so many cultures emphasize candles and lights when the days are shortest.
ReplyDeleteSorry for my late response. Yes I am curious about these things. On the way to Thule AFB we stopped in Goose Bay Labrador. The trees there were pencil thin and snow covered. There must have been 4 or 5 feet of snow on the ground, We weren't allowed off the plane. Too bad. I enjoy your blog and envy your ability to write so interestingly and so often.
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