Spring Things

Hello!

Well, it looks like we'll get some moderation in temperatures this coming week, but there's a chance of rain on Tuesday and again on Friday. Our lettuce and spinach plants survived the cold very well, but they sure could use some good bright sunshine to perk them up! There was definitely some damage to the exposed bulb plants. Our daffodils and hyacinths suffered with spotted leaves and burned tips. The cold in the City of Lancaster was not as severe as that in the western suburbs

Reader Nadine K. sent pictures of her suburban hyacinths and asked if they might die from the icing they received last week. Although I thought they might be damaged, I felt they would not be completely ruined and "die". They are, after all, bulb plants and the bulbs survive in the frozen ground over the winter, only to pop up right on time each spring. And I recalled the fact that citrus growers in FL spray water on their orange trees when there's danger of frost. The ice actually provides some insulation from below freezing temperatures.  At the worst, the leaves might be badly damaged. In that case it would be a good idea to feed them some "bulb food" or bone meal in order to insure the bulbs get enough energy stored up for next winter/spring.  After the thaw, Nadine reported that the plants had survived without a great deal of damage. Hooray!

Leggy seedlings?  This is a term used for seeds gardeners try to sprout at home, perhaps in peat pots, that tend to grow tall and thin, but never develop more than those first two leaves.  This problem is caused by a lack of sunlight (or a very pricey indoor lighting system generally used to grow....nevermind). In order to prevent this, plants must be moved outside on a daily basis as long as temperatures allow. If temps are too low, the plants must be moved from sunny window to sunny window as needed during the course of a day.

The spinach seedlings above show the long primary leaves that develop at sprouting. In the center of the seedlings, the secondary leaves are developing which indicates the plants are receiving adequate sunlight.

                         Ewwwwwww!

The warming this coming week will bring out the slugs and snails. They will be foraging for a meal. Right now, however, there's little in your garden they can damage. It certainly won't hurt to put out some diatomaceous earth in the appropriate spots, or spread some of the slug bait I mentioned in the March 23 post "Infamous Garden Guests, Part 2".  Better to get them now than it will be later when they've had time to lay the eggs for a future generation!

If you didn't do it last fall, it's time to sharpen shears and trim dead wood from roses, trees and bushes. Also, the same should be pruned as needed if you didn't in the fall. Rake up dead leaves and other vegetation debris and add it to your compost heap. Do not put any plant debris in the compost heap that may have been diseased during last year's growing season. Also, avoid putting any debris that might contain weed seeds in the heap.

And after you get done all that work, take a nap wherever you feel comfortable. A sunny spot on the courtyard table works well for Mica! He does get a bit tired after following me around all day.

I hope to see you again soon!