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What's happening??
Spring!!! Finally the world awakens!! Are you ready for this year's garden? Check out these great tips to get you going on making this the best year yet for your gardens, yard, and wildlife!
CLEAN UP
Now is the time to cut back or burn off all of last year's growth if you haven't already! It is VERY important if you are burning to do so before any wildlife might be using the cover to nest in. I have heard too many horror stories of people finding turkey or pheasant nests after they burn. Please don't wait!! Unfortunately even many State and Federal agencies wait too long to do this. You should complete all burning before much new growth has begun. Right after snow is gone is the best time! I see many people burn yearly also. This simply is not necessary. Every 3-5 years will suffice. If you are tending to a home garden, or have a small place, cutting back is recommended, Be careful to not cut off this year's new crown! Many species such as the asters and Solidagos will have a basal rosette that stays green all winter. Be careful to not cut this off. Grasses should be trimmed off no less than 6" high. Cutting too low will damage the growing point. Remember, most prairie species are warm season grasses, and will not green up until the days are longer and warmer. Don't give up on them!
Divide
Dig up and divide your perennial species now, before new growth begins. Most prairie species are easy to divide. Simply stick a spade in the crown. After digging them up, sort into divisions, or for a large rplant, use a large clump. Simply replant them and water in well. I recommend doing this on a cloudy cool day if at all possible. Heat and sun can shock divisions and set them back, or kill them. Cool weather will minimize shock. I also like to wait for a day when rain will be forecast in the next 24 hours just to give a little extra help in the moisture department. Keep new divisions well watered for a week or so, then begin cutting the water back as they become rooted. Bulb or rhizomatous plants that more commonly bloom in spring should be divided in the fall after they have gone dormant. This includes plants such as Mertensia, Uvularia, Dodecatheon, and Trilliums. If you can catch them in the spring before they have sprouted, you should be able to divide them also. It is not recommended to disturb them while blooming.
Maintenance
Now is the perfect time to check your garden structures for damage and do any repairs. Check arbors and trellisses now before the plants they support get too large. Repair any loose slats, missing pieces. Also be sure to check any furniture that was lefr out side such as benches. Look fro loose nails and screws before someone gets hurt! Make sure to get out and maintain your birdhouses BEFORE the birds come back! Check for nesting material, and make sure they are watertight if possible. Repair any damage, and remove any old shells. Try to have any new ones put up before the birds arrive as well. In addition, be prepared to get the hummingbird and oriole feeders out as soon as you think they will be arriving. Frequently, there is not enough food available for them in spring, and it will help them greaty to be prepared with food!
WEED
Ah, a gardener's work is never done!! As soon as the snow clears, it seems the weeds start to show! The evil garlic mustard seems to be able to grow under the snow. Begin eradication efforts on this beast as soon as you can! You must get to it before it flowers. It has the ability to set seed after being pulled if the flowers are mature. Now is also a good time top get ahed of the dandelions! Many weeds are biennial, and youwil be able to find their rosettes easily when the other plants are still beat down from snow cover or dormant. Seek them out now to make your job easier later! I would not recommend using chemicals until the weather has warmed and there is active growth, other wise the plant will not take it in, and you risk wasting it.
Featured Plant
Garlic Mustard
Alliaria petiolata
This highly invasive menace is destroying thousands of acres of woodland across the country. It fastly displaces native species such as columbine by outcompeting it, and allelopathy. Eradicate this monster as soon as you discover it! It is best to catch it in the spring before it flowers, as the flowers can mature into seeds even after being pulled. I'm not a huge proponent of chemicals, but for large scale invasions, Roundup or any other glyphosphate works well. Smaller properties can be maintatined by pulling. They become harder to pull in their second year when they have a solid root system. Pulling of next year's flowering plants that appear in summer can be done until frost. New research is being done on a weevil that will eat garlic mustard. We can only hope it works!!!
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