Some Spring Gardening Chores

While spring isn't officially here, now is the time to perform some of those spring gardening chores. 

• Test for soil types and pH levels before major planting
• Plan planting areas based on exposure to sun, shade, and wind; consider distance from water source
• Dig beds in preparation for spring planting as soon as earth is friable
• Apply horticultural oil sprays to dormant trees and shrubs before buds open and if there is no danger of night frost
• Divide and transplant summer-blooming perennials
• Plant cold weather vegetables like spinach, peas, lettuce, and broccoli as soon as soil is workable
• Plant roses
• Apply fertilizer to roses as new growth begins
• Plant and transplant perennials
• Sow seeds of annuals and vegetables indoors that require 10 to 12 weeks before transplanting
• Prune all plant material to remove any diseased, dead, weak, or crossing branches
• Complete tree pruning before new growth begins
• Cut back ornamental grasses
• Remove weeds before they flower

This isn't a complete list chores, but should be more than enough to get you started with your spring gardening.


Additional Information 

Rutgers University - How to have your soild tested 

University of Illinois - Gardening with Perennials

Planting Roses

Colorado State University - Horticultural Oils

Colorado State University - Insect Control with Horticultural Oils

Penn State University - Need help identifying those spring weeds? 

Workday at BCCAC Demonstration Gardens

Last week a group of Master Gardeners got together to cleanup the raised bed demonstration gardens.  The photographs only show the results of the work without showing the state of the beds after a long winter.  Thank you to all the Master Gardeners who braved the cold weather and helped clean the beds.  Stay tuned for more updates on the raised bed gardens and watch our progress.

Winter Garden Preparation - Pruning

Now is the time to think about pruning the shrubs and trees in your garden.  Pruning in late winter, just before spring growth starts, leaves fresh wounds exposed for only a short length of time before new growth begins the wound sealing process. Another advantage of dormant pruning is that it’s easier to make pruning decisions without leaves obscuring plant branch structure.  

 Some of the reasons we prune plants are:

• To improve the appearance or health of a plant.
• To control the size of a plant. 
• To prevent personal injury or property damage.
• To train young plants.
• To influence fruiting and flowering. Proper pruning of flower buds encourages early vegetative growth.
• To rejuvenate old trees and shrubs. As trees and shrubs mature, their forms may become unattractive.

Types of pruning

Five basis techniques are used for pruning: pinching, heading back, thinning, renewal pruning, and shearing. Some plants require more of one method than another, but good pruning is usually a combination of several methods.

Pinching - is the removal of the terminal portion of a succulent, green shoot before it becomes woody and firm.

Heading back - involves removing the terminal portion of a woody branch by cutting it back to a healthy bud or branch. Heading back will stimulate shoot growth below the cut thus making the plant more dense.

Thinning - is the least conspicuous method of pruning and results in a more open plant without stimulating excessive new growth.  Thinning cuts a branch is cut off at its point of origin from the parent stem, to a lateral side branch, to the “Y” of a branch junction, or at ground level.  Plants pruned by thinning include crapemyrtle, magnolia, viburnums, spireas, smoketree, and lilac.

Renewal pruning (rejuvenation) - involves removing the oldest branches of a shrub by pruning them near the ground, leaving only the younger, more vigorous branches which may also be cut back. Plants pruned by renewal include abelia, deutzia, forsythia, mockorange, spirea, and weigela.



 
Types of Tools

Shearing - involves cutting the terminal of most shoots with shearing or hedge clippers. This method should not be used on foundation plants but should be restricted to creating formal hedges.

Use hand pruners to cut stems up to 3/4 inches in diameter. Two types of pruners are available: bypass and anvil. Bypass pruners have sharpened, curved, scissors-type blades that overlap. Anvil pruners have straight upper blades that cut against flat lower plates. Although anvil pruners are usually cheaper, they tend to crush stems as they cut. Furthermore, the width of the anvil can prevent you from reaching in to get a close cut on narrow-angled stems. Due to these drawbacks, bypass pruners are generally recommended. 

Use lopping shears to cut through branches that are up to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Loppers have long handles to give you extra reach and better cutting leverage. For heavy duty pruning jobs, select loppers with ratchet joints or those with gears. Look for loppers with shock-absorbing bumpers between the blades, to lessen arm fatigue. Again, bypass blades are preferable.

Use pruning saws to remove stems you cannot cut with hand pruners or lopping shears. Pruning saws come in many sizes, with either straight or curved blades, and teeth that are either fine or coarse. Use a finely-toothed, curved pruning saw to remove branches up to 2 1/2 inches in diameter. You can make a clean cut with this type of saw where access is difficult. Use a coarsely toothed saw for heavy branches 3 inches or more in diameter.

Use pole pruners to cut out-of-reach branches up to 2 inches in diameter. Pole pruners consist of blades attached to stationary hooks which are mounted on long wooden or aluminum poles. A cord or chain is used to control the cutting action of the spring-loaded blade.  Pole pruners are especially valuable on jobs where ladders would be inconvenient or would damage the tree. 

Use chain saws to remove branches greater than 3 inches in diameter. Many types and sizes of chain saws are readily available, powered by gasoline or electricity. In selecting a chain saw, carefully consider the tasks for which it will be used. Chain saws should be used only with appropriate safety gear by people who fully understand their operation. 

Use hedge clippers or pruning shears to trim thin-stemmed hedges. Manual hedge clippers, and ones powered by gasoline or electricity, are available. All types shear off growth in a straight line, regardless of branch collar or bark ridge location. If you have a long hedge, you may have to use hedge clippers when hand pruning is impractical. 

Select quality tools. They will last longer and make pruning more pleasurable. For maximum effectiveness, sharpen blades regularly and dry and oil them after each use. Use a file or whetstone for sharpening hand tools and have an experienced professional sharpen chain saws and power hedge clippers.



Pruning at the proper time can avoid certain disease and physiological problems:

• To avoid oak wilt disease DO NOT prune oaks during April, May, or June. If oaks are wounded or must be pruned during these months, apply wound dressing to mask the odor of freshly cut wood so the beetles that spread oak wilt will not be attracted to the trees.
• To avoid increased likelihood of stem cankers, prune honey locusts when they are still dormant in late winter. If they must be pruned in summer, avoid rainy or humid weather conditions.
• Prune apple trees, including flowering crabapples, mountain ash, hawthorns and shrub cotoneasters in late winter (February-early April). Spring or summer pruning increases chances for infection and spread of the bacterial disease fireblight. Autumn or early winter pruning is more likely to result in drying and die-back at pruning sites.
• Some trees have free-flowing sap that “bleeds” after late winter or early spring pruning. Though this bleeding causes little harm, it may still be a source of concern. To prevent bleeding, you could prune the following trees after their leaves are fully expanded in late spring or early summer. Never remove more than 1/4 of the live foliage. Examples include:
  
  • all maples, including box elder
  • butternut and walnut
  • birch and its relatives, ironwood and blue beech
   

Pruning wounds plants, but plants respond differently to wounding than do animals. In plants, damaged areas are covered by callus tissue to close wounds.  Plants also wall off, or compartmentalize, wounds, which limits any decay that results from wounding, or from the natural death of branches. Pruning during the winter and using pruning techniques that minimize plant wounding will help you to maintain a beautiful and healthy landscape.


Additional Resources

University of Minnesota - Pruning Trees and Shrubs

NC State University - Winter Pruning

Michigan State University - Winter Pruning Advatages

Oregan State University - Winter Pruning Temperatures

Rutgers University - Plant and Pest Advisory March 15, 2007

NC State - Pruning Shrubs

Winter Garden Preparation - Soil

Ideal garden soil should be loose, deep and crumbly. It should drain well, water should not stand on top after rain and contain plenty of organic matter. Good garden soil will deliver the right mixture of air, water, and nutrients to grow a large root system and strong, productive plants. Vegetables and other plants will grow satisfactorily with a wide range of soil types from sand to clay if certain steps are followed for overcoming their basic short-comings.

Begin preparing the soil by removing all plant material from this year's garden. Dead roots, stems and foliage can harbor insects and diseases that emerge in the spring to infect next year's garden.

Soil testing can provide important information to make decisions concerning:

• How much lime to use in lawns, vegetable or flower beds.
• How much fertilizer to use on lawns, vegetables, flowers, and shrubs.
• How to adjust the soil pH for optimum growth of acid-loving plants such as azaleas and rhododendrons.
• How to apply soil amendments and fertilizer to improve soil quality.
• Nutrients that are lacking or in excess in the soil.
• Amount of lead or other metals in the soil.

Clay soils have the ability to hold moisture well and usually contain more nutrients than light soils. They dry slowly in the spring so early planting of crops is not possible. Water penetration is slow so irrigation water often runs off instead of entering the root zone. 

Sandy soils are easy to work but have low water holding capacities, so plants may suffer from moisture stress in hot weather. Nutrients may be lost as irrigation water moves downward through the soil. 

These almost opposite drawbacks of both soil types can be corrected by the same technique-adding organic matter. Fine clay particles can be physically separated by coarse organic material. Nutrient and water holding qualities of sandy soils can be increased. As the organic matter breaks down, its components continue to have soil improving characteristics. 

Begin by incorporating 2 to 3 inches of organic matter 6 to 8 inches deep. This application will not last forever and you should plan to add about 2 more inches each year. With heavy soils, you’ll need 2 or 3 years to see much of an improvement. Summer mulching or compost addition will be helpful.
 
When the soil has dried and warmed sufficiently, spade or rototill to a depth of about 6–8 inches. Garden soil doesn’t need to be “flour-fine.” Leave marble-sized particles and crusting will not be as severe as with over prepared soil. You’ll need to use a rake to pulverize clods. Level and compact the soil for a firm seedbed. The final soil surface should be as level as possible for uniform water penetration. 

Additional Resources

Rutgers Univeristy - How to Have your Soil Tested 

University of Minnesota - Organic Matter Management

Utah State University - Preparing Garden Soil

University of Maryland - Prepare Your Soil 

Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities - Raised Bed Gardening 

Some Winter Garden Chores

Snow and ice on trees and shrubs 

In winter, the threat of damage from snow and ice is always near. When snow piles up on evergreens, try to gently brush it off. Don’t shake the branches as this may cause them to break. If the snow is frozen on the branch and will not brush off easily, it is best to let it melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub.

If tree limbs break due to the weight of ice or snow, it is advisable to have the broken limbs removed as soon as the weather permits. Hanging branches can be a danger to passing pedestrians. Also, the tree will be able to heal the wound better in spring if the wound has clean edges instead of ragged tears.

Seed orders 

If you order seeds from a catalog, get your order in by the end of January. Early orders help insure that you get the seeds you want and that you have them in time to start them indoors if you want.

Warm spells in winter 

Sometimes in the middle of winter, there are suddenly a few warm days. For the most part, this is not a big problem, but you may need to check on a couple of things. If you covered your roses with rose cones, you may need to ventilate the cone to prevent heat from building up inside. The same should be done with coldframes. If it is a warm, sunny day, the temperatures may be rising in the cold frame more than you expect. Remember to close vents as the temperature drops again at night.

Prepare Garden Equipment for  Spring

Avoid the spring rush by having your lawn mower and other gardening equipment serviced or repaired now. Winter is also a great time to clean, sharpen and organize your garden tools.

Winter Garden Cleanup

Winter is a good time to do some light garden cleanup. Remove dead plant material from the garden beds and pick up leaves that are left over from fall. Toss them into your compost bin, or use them to mulch around perennials.

Insects in Winter - Part One

Insect are cold-blooded animals and respond to cooling temperatures in a variety of ways. Mammals can generate their own heat and have the advantage of being large. Insects are small and do not have body fat for insulation from the cold and do not produce their own heat. However, they do have several general strategies which they can employ such as or dealing with winter.  One of the most interesting means that insects use to survive winters is physiologic.

Diapause

Diapause is a suspension of development that can occur at the embryonic, larval, pupal, or adult stage, depending on the insect species. In some species, diapause is optional and occurs only when induced by environmental conditions; in other species the diapause period has become an obligatory part of the life cycle.

Some species of insects over winter in the adult stage and avoid freezing damage to their body by making a sort of biologic antifreeze material. These insects synthesize compounds such as sugars and proteins which depress the freezing point. These chemicals are called cryoprotectants, such as glycerol - similar to the stuff we pour down our sinks to prevent freezing! As temperatures increase, cryoprotectants quickly decrease. Some insects, like many plants, undergo a cold-hardening when shorter days and cooler temperatures occur. The mechanisms providing over winter cold- hardiness results from a combination of supercooling and the insect- manufactured cryoprotectants. Some Alaskan insects can survie temperature as low as  -76 degrees F.


References

Danilevskii, A. S. 1965. Photoperiodism and Seasonal Development of Insects. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh. 

Nijhout, H. F. 1994. Insect Hormones. Princeton University Press, Princeton. 

Tauber, M. J., Tauber, C. A., and Masaki, S. 1986. Seasonal Adaptations of Insects. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 

Web Links

Developmental Biology

Insect Winter Survival Strategies

Insect Overwintering