April Flowers

 

May 2021

Pickaway to Garden

April Flowers

by Paul Hang

 

Yes, I know, the saying is “April showers bring May flowers.” However, in this topsey turvey world of the past year or so, the old saying seems to be reversed. April flowers were spectacular. Daffodils, Tulips, flowering shrubs, Viburnums, Forsythia, lilacs, trees, Dogwood, Redbud, Serviceberry, apple and crabapple, all put on a spectacular display. Not only that, but the blossoms lasted longer than usual due to the mostly cooler weather. There was little rain though, or so it seemed. The data I was able to find showed we were behind by the end of April by 5” of rain.

 

Now it’s May and the rain has come, for now. I am pretty sure we will have May flowers. My first poppy bloomed on May 2nd with hopefully many more to come. May the May flowers bloom as they have in years past. I am pretty sure they will but it won’t be because of April showers. The blooms are triggered by the accumulation of GDD (Growing Degree Days). For information about GDD go to www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/gdd. As I am writing this the gdd value is 376. When it reaches 471 Red Buckeye will bloom. Unfortunately when it reaches 472 Large crabgrass will be at 25% seedling emergence. If you didn’t put down a pre-emergent such as Weed and Feed you are too late. Crabgrass waits for no one.

 

 A simplified way to explain gdd and its calculations is that it is the accumulation of the days in the year that the temperature stays above 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The warmer it is the faster the GDD accumulates. If it gets colder than 50 degrees the GDD does not go down. It accumulates, so it remains the same until it warms again. Then it rises again. Not only do plants “obey” GDD but so do insects. They hatch according to the GDD of their species. For example at 440 GDD Boxwood Leaf miners emerge. If you are plagued by them that would be the perfect time to spray for them.

 

This amazing discovery is from the science of phenology. Not phrenology -  that is the discredited study of the bumps on our heads to predict certain physical and psychological characteristics. Phenology studies the occurrence of things (phenomena) and their correlation or simultaneous occurrence with other events. An example is the Native American adage, “plant corn when the oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear.” That is not as exact as GDD (what species of squirrel do they mean?), but it is pretty good.

 

In spite of the old saying, April flowers do not bring May showers nor do

April showers bring May flowers, but they help.

 

The Master Gardener Volunteers are having their Plant Sale on May 15, 9am-1pm in the parking lot at the Pickaway County Library on N. Court St. Lots of plants, including heirloom tomatoes, for sale. Our Helpline can be reached by calling the OSU Extension Office at 740-474-7534.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

You can direct-seed corn, beans, potatoes, melons, cucumbers and squash. Place cheesecloth or row cover cloth over vines until they bloom. With any luck you will have prevented the cucumber beetles from invading the plants. This also works on the caterpillars of cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.

 

You can set out tomato, pepper and eggplant plants if the soil is warm (60 degrees). There is still a chance of frost but each week the chances become less and less. Be prepared to cover those tender plants if frost threatens. Don't be tempted to over-fertilize tomatoes, extra nitrogen will delay ripening and produce more vine than fruit. Remember tomatoes can be planted deep with the top few branches of leaves above ground. Roots will form along the buried stem. If you stake your tomatoes put the stakes in before you plant.

 

If you plan to put houseplants outside for the summer, a period of transitioning to the new environment will help assure their health and vigor. You can divide and move perennials. As the soil warms (50 degrees) you can plant summer-flowering bulbs such as caladiums, cannas, dahlias, and gladioluses. You can begin spraying roses for black spot following the directions on the product.

 

Cut the seed pods off your lilacs (after the blooms fade), but do not prune the stems. If your lilacs are getting overgrown and leggy, cut a third of the stems this year at the ground. Do this to a third next year and the final third the year after that. This way you will rejuvenate the bushes.

 

Thin apples, peaches and other tree fruit (not cherries) to a fruit every six inches. Remember "June drop." It is a time when fruit trees rid themselves of excess fruit. This is a natural process.

 

Mulch your beds after the soil has warmed. When you set out those tender plants protect against cutworms that can chew off new transplants. Use collars of aluminum foil, plastic, cardboard or other material to encircle the stem. The collars should extend into the soil an inch and above an inch or two. There are pesticides that can help control these pests (Google "cutworms extension”). I have also placed a toothpick in the ground right next to the plant stem with success.

 

This is a busy time for pollinators. When you spot a bug identify it before reaching for the spray. Fully 97% of the bugs in our gardens are beneficial or of no threat. Singular bugs are almost always beneficial predators. Crowds are often pests. Know your enemy!

 

Now is a good time to get rid of invasive and harmful plants. Poison hemlock is very poisonous and a biennial. Second year plants have hairless stems bright green to bluish green with obvious purple blotches. Mowing and tilling are partial controls. Don’t get the sap on your skin. Post-emergent herbicides are effective this time of year.

 

Finally, it’s not how fast you mow but how high. Mow at least 3 inches high for a healthy lawn.