As we transition from late winter into early spring, the question of pruning comes up. Some plants can be pruned now, but others cannot. Here is a list to help you decide.
Plants to prune now:
Deciduous trees (except those that are bleeders-maples, elms and birches)
Shrubs that bloom in late summer or fall
Plants to prune later:
Evergreens (pruning of these plants usually coincides with new growth)
Shrubs that flower in spring (prune them within two weeks after they finish flowering)
Weird Weather
This has certainly been anything but a normal northern Illinois winter; a really warm November, followed by a bitter and snowy December and then a return to above normal temperatures in January. How will the weird weather affect this coming gardening season?
This is something that no one will be able to predict with any accuracy, but let's look at the situation as it stands now. At this point, we should not be worried about major losses among our garden plants. Only a few plants have tried peeking through the soil and the late January snow provided some insulation.
At this point, our trees and shrubs may be most at risk. Woody plants need a certain number of hours of chilling to overcome their winter dormancy. Each species varies in the number of hours needed. These chilling hours are accumulated, not in the coldest days of winter, but in the days when temperatures range between 32 and 45 degrees F. This year, many of our trees and shrubs are well on their way to getting their chilling requirements met. The problem arises when the chilling requirement is met early and the leaves and flowers start to emerge from the buds earlier than normal. Once these buds begin to open, they are at the mercy of changing spring temperatures. A frost or freeze could be quite damaging to young leaves and flowers.
So what can we look forward to? Again it is hard to predict. If our weather stays somewhat constant, we may have relatively few problems. Unfortunately, northern Illinois winters (and springs) seldom have consistent weather patterns. Often many plants make it through winter to be killed or damaged by wildly fluctuating spring conditions. Stay tuned to your local weather station and keep your fingers crossed. Spring is just around the corner.
Remember the Drought...
....it is still here. Northern Illinois is still considered to be in a drought situation and a fairly serious one at that. What does this mean for gardeners? As spring comes, we may need to do some supplemental watering if the spring rains are less than usual.
How will you know what the situation is so you can know whether to water or not? There are several ways to get that information. The meteorologist on your local news often gives information regarding how much rainfall is below normal. NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration) has a great website with a lot of weather information including links to drought monitors. Their site is www.noaa.gov/
On a more local level, put a rain gauge in the yard, so you can monitor spring rains. Sometimes we have several cloudy days in a row with little or no rain. These cloudy days leave us with a false impression that we had rain. A rain gauge will tell the truth.
As spring arrives, don't automatically fertilize everything. If a plant is stressed, fertilizer can make things worse. Evaluate plants and fertilize on need. If your plants showed stress from drought last summer, water them first. If they respond well to that, then water was really what they needed. Fertilizer only solves the problems of nutrient deficiency, it can't fix drought.
It's March, Let's Start Seeds Indoors
Mid-March is a good time to start seeds indoors. Most annual and vegetable seeds need from 6-12 weeks to grow to be full size transplants. If we start in mid-March, the plant will be ready mid- to late May.
1. Be sure that all containers (flats, cell packs, etc.) are clean.
2. Fill containers with potting mix. Potting mixes are often dry, so moisten them before use. If using peat pellets, soak them in water so they expand. The side with the indentation is the top of the pellet.
3. In flats: make shallow rows and plant seeds in the rows. In cell packs or peat pots: put 1-3 seeds per cell or pot. In peat pellets: put 1-3 seeds in the indentation. For all, cover seed at a depth 2-3 times the diameter of the seed.
4a. The pots and flats can be placed in clear plastic bags to form mini-greenhouses. The plastic bag will help retain the moisture in the potting mix. Keep the plastic bag in a warm site (65-75 degrees), but out of direct sun.
4b. If the pots are not placed in a plastic bag, check daily to see if the potting mix needs additional water. It should be consistently moist, but never wet. Keep seeds at 65-75 degrees. Place in direct sun or under fluorescent lights.
5. Good light is needed to produce strong seedlings. Fluorescent lights are very beneficial. Special grow lights are NOT needed. Regular fluorescent tubes can be used. Lights should be on 14-16 hours each day and kept about 2 inches above the tops of the seedlings. If fluorescent lights are not available, place seeds in a sunny window.
6. Harden off the seedlings before transplanting outside. This acclimates the seedlings to their new environment. A few days before transplanting, put the seedlings outside in a shady, sheltered spot for a few hours. Increase the length of time each day, gradually raising the time to 24 hours a day. At this point, seedlings are ready to transplant. This process will be governed by the weather. Do not put tender seedlings outside, if the weather is too cold or windy.
Are your garden tools clean? If not, spend a little time in the garage getting them in shape for the coming season. Then when the weather is right, you will be ready.
As we spring into March, start looking for new growth on ornamental grasses. We need to get the grasses cut back before the new growth really gets going.
