NOT FOUND: plant lady1.jpgWell, hello there everybody. March is when many of our beautiful springtime friends awaken from their winter nap. It all begins with a big stretch from underground and a reach upward with their delicate new shoots, then the big open yawn with a bloom. These sleepyheads are now ready to have their winter mulch blanket thinned or pulled back. We are often tempted after a few warm days to remove all of our winter mulches from our beds, but as you can see how fickle March and April’s weather is please “DO SO WITH CAUTION.”
Remember a few months ago I wrote about “up heaving”? That is, in short, when drastic temperature changes occur resulting in bulbs, plants, roots, etc. being forced to the top and out of the soil. Winter mulch, in all actuality, protects the soil so the soil can protect the plant from sudden changes in temperature and chilling winds. Keep in mind we’re still experiencing some late winter weather with chills and spontaneous rain storms. That being said, we want to pull off the mulch gradually as we begin to see their little arms and legs sticking up and saying "Hi! Here I am!" Think about what a shock we would give a sleeping baby (or anyone, actually) if we just ripped the warm covers off them before they even opened their eyes. Yeah! So let’s acclimatize them back slowly by removing the mulch cover over a period of days, maybe leaving just a thin sparse cover over the root zones. Once the bulbs have emerged and bloomed, hit ‘em with a nice dose of bone meal. Just wait till they are in bloom. Once we have cleared back the mulch, throw it in the veggie garden along with the BBQ ashes (I did) and use it to build our soil mass. A while back, I wrote an article just on soil. In it I explained the importance of avoiding soil compaction. So keep in mind as you go out here and there, we do not want to walk all over it compacting it and displacing the oxygen/water. When you can form a loose ball out of the soil, it’s safe to trample.
NOT FOUND: plant lady2.jpgAlthough we are being cautious with clearing back the mulch, now is a good time to clear off all the unsightly debris in the yard, including fallen branches. Now is also the best time to inspect tree branches for disease, malformed growth, emerging insects or bore holes. It’s so much easier to do this without the leaves on. I’ve noticed a lot of crepe myrtles in the area have sooty mold on them. Most is on the spent bracts from last years blooms. Simply cut them back. It won’t hurt and will only help. I just went out front and guess what?! Mine are moldy, too! It is easy enough trim those old bracts off. Be sure to clean the tools you use with bleach water. I'll hit my roses next, and then simply apply the same fungicide for both.
The year before last I seriously cut back my ash tree. I’m talking, I made it look like a dormant rose bush. Well, last year it came back with a fury. Branches, limbs, twigs and leaves everywhere. Only one problem, the new branches grow in every imaginable direction. What a mess! So I told myself that before the leaves return this year I would remove all the branches growing downward or sideways and definitely thin out the crown. So take a look at your yard. Could it use some thinning or shaping? Are there any broken or diseased or gnarly branches? Remember trees full of leaves are great for shade and birds, etc; but when they are too full and windstorms come they act merely as a sail in the wind, resulting in broken or uprooted trees.
Do you remember a couple of years ago all down Antelope Rd, Roseville Rd, and Auburn Blvd the poor little trees laying there on the ground after being ripped out by the wind? Of course some improper planting and shallow root systems were to blame, but some of those trees were years old. Even with adequate root systems, some of them came right out of the soft, wet soil. Some were split or snapped right in half. We’ve all heard the old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” right? Well, there is no cure when a tree gets fatally torn up or snapped. As you’re out there pruning, cutting back and thinning in the garden, make sure to bleach the blades every time you change from one plant to another to keep from spreading any unseen diseases or fungi that lay hiding. We won’t know it until it’s too late that we’ve spread infection everywhere. Spring with caution!
Well guys, I gotta go get Hunter and Harlie from school now. Before I go, I want to say thank you for the emails and love; and remember I’m still here. Thank you for your patience in my answering your emails. Until next month, Happy Spring and Happy Easter - in the true glory of Jesus.
Love always, your plant lady.