Friday, March 23, 2007 11:22 PM CDT
Spring has sprung, however, cold weather could still come
By MARSHA OVERTON, Co-President
Pleasant Prairie Garden Club
I know -- I know -- We are all very anxious to get out and work in our yards and gardens but, we also know we can still have some cold weather.
Several of you have asked if the “dead” stems and branches should be removed now?
Since “spring has sprung”, most likely the plants will not be harmed by doing so. A good indicator of the right time is, as soon as you see new growth from the plant coming up through the ground, trim back the dead growth.
Actually, the dead growth acts to protect the new growth from frost and cold--so you can see why you don’t want to be too anxious.
This is a great time of the year to walk around the yard and see what new plants have started to emerge from the ground. The crocuses are already popping up and the buds on bushes and trees are getting larger. The finches in our yard are turning to their colors of red and yellow.
March is the ideal time to get your seeds potted for frost-tolerant vegetables.
Cauliflower and other cold crops like Chinese cabbage and herbs are good ones to start now. Prepare for small fruit season by reading circulars.
Update your garden diary. Cover and make ready the greenhouse and hotbeds. Sharpen garden tools. Locate a source of equipment, fertilizers, and pesticides. Order seeds and plants.
If you haven’t done so yet, you might consider collecting soil samples for testing when conditions permit.
For more information about collecting samples, call the University of Illinois Extension Office in Coles County.
If you want to raise your soil ph say, from a 5.0 to 6.5 you must apply lime in granular form as ground limestone at a rate of 4 to 5 pounds per 1,000 sq. feet.
Repeat in about six months; season is unimportant since lime (calcium) won’t burn the plants. It takes a year or so to raise the ph to the desired level, and gradual application works better than one heavy treatment.
Keep the bird feeders full, there’s still more cold weather to come.
Heavy pruning of trees should be completed while they are still dormant. Avoid pruning while new leaves are growing. But, whatever you do --do not top your trees!
Maple sugar time is here. Freezing nights and mild days make sap flow.
Inspect fruit trees, birch, or any other tree with a past history of tent caterpillars. Look for the egg masses which appear as dark brown or gray collars that encircle small twigs. Destroy them by pruning or scratching off with thumbnail.
Rake leaves, twigs and debris. You know and I know some of our worst winter weather can be in March and or April, but it doesn’t hurt to daydream--right?
Garden questions for central Illinois
Q) Do perennial flowers need any attention this time of year?
A) Carefully remove any mulch that was placed around perennials to protect them during the winter. Don’t be alarmed if no new growth is evident; many plants are slow to emerge in the spring.
Unprotected plants or those sensitive to temperature extremes may have damage to the crowns or the plants may have “heaved” from alternate freezing and thawing.
Before removing any plants, wait for temperatures to warm to see if any growth appears.
Q) Why do the flowers on my daffodils become smaller each year?
A)The plants are over crowed and need to be divided. The daffodil produces many new bulbs each year and after four or five years becomes overcrowded.
Q) Should I have fertilized my spring bulbs last fall when I planted them, or should I do it now?
A) You should have mixed five tablespoons of 10-10-10 soluble fertilizer (or equivalent bulb fertilizer) plus two cups of bone meal per 10 square foot area into the soil at planting time in the fall. As soon as the shoots break through the ground in the spring you can repeat the above soluble fertilizer application.
Do not fertilizer spring flowering bulbs after they start flowering. This tends to encourage the development of bulb rot and sometimes shortens the life of flowers.
Q) My tulips and daffodils have some disease and the tips are turning brown. What should I do?
A) It’s kind of early in the growing season for disease. The leaves were probably damaged during one of our recent cold snaps. However, the bulbs should have escaped damage and ought to flower normally.
Q) What’s the difference between a narcissus, daffodil and jonquil?
A) Narcissus is the botanical name for daffodils. Daffodil is the common English name for the genus narcissus. Narcissus and daffodil can be used interchangeably. Jonquil is one small group or type of daffodil bulb in the genus of narcissus.
Q) I need to move some of my spring bulbs. When can I do that?
A) Anytime in the spring is good if you are careful to dig a large enough root ball so as not to disturb the threadlike roots. However, it’s usually best to wait until the foliage dies back naturally. The dormancy period for spring bulbs is summer, not winter.
Q) What shall I do for soil that grows annuals and perennials too large and weedy, but weak-stemmed?
A) It probably would be best if you used less nitrogen in the soil and more phosphorus and potassium. Use a 0-10-10 fertilizer, or something similar, 2 lbs per 100 sq. ft. for one or two applications. Excess nitrogen usually disappears rapidly.
This column is based on information and materials available at the U of I Extension office, located at 707 Windsor Road, Suite A, Charleston, 61920. Master Gardener volunteers are available on an “as needed” basis during the winter months. If you have any questions about yard, garden or indoor plant care, call (345-7034) or stop by the Extension office. Additional information is available at http://coles.extension.uiuc.edu/
Marsha Overton is a University of Illinois Extension master gardener and co-president of the Pleasant Prairie Garden Club.
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