Spring is Here Early...Now What ?

Phenology is the study of recurring biological phenomena and their relationship to weather. Bird migration, blooming of wildflowers and trees, are examples of phenological events. We have all observed that plants bloom earlier in warm springs. Insects also emerge earlier when it is warmer than in cooler seasons. Because the development of both plants and insects is temperature dependent, plants can accurately track the environmental factors that determine when insects are active. For this reason, plant phenology can be used to predict insect emergence. Accurate timing of pesticide applications is best for the environment because this can reduce the number of applications required for control.

Most of the weather people are telling us that we are about 20 days ahead of our normal spring temperatures and plant development. This means that many of our spring chores will likely have to be done earlier which would include our dormant spray and application of pre-emergent weed controls including crabgrass control. Remember that these "tools" take a lot of the work out of gardening. Timing is critical and one of "nature's clocks" is the Forsythia shrub's bloom time. When you see the yellow flowers it is time to have your pre-emergence weed control products applied to your landscape and lawn. [pre-emergence refers to weeds that sprout from seed i.e.; crabgrass, not be confused with perennial weeds like dandelions and others]



Another important item to take care of right away is testing your garden soils for nutrients and pH if you have not done this for a year or so. Fall is actually a better time to do this but like many of us, that didn't happen so now is the time. There are a couple of ways to test;
• One is to purchase a soil test kit and do it yourself. The problem is that when you get the results...what do I need to do to make the necessary corrections?
• The other approach is to get a Free Lab Kit from your local garden center or nursery and follow the directions for sampling and send your soil to the Lab for analysis and recommendations for correcting any deficiencies. The fee for testing and recommendations is determined by the type of test requested, charges average about $15.00.

Regarding the subject of last week's comments on mulches: Remember, when you are cleaning up your flower beds to keep the depth of mulch no more than 2", you may not need to add mulch, just fluff up the mulch that is there. One of the best mulches available that will actually act as a soil conditioner is aged pine bark fines known as Growers Secret Pine Soil Conditioner. Look for this when you are out shopping, it's a winner.

Send any questions or comments to info@meadowview.com and we'll get back to you promptly.

Meadow View Growers
Growing since 1984

www.meadowview.com.

More Resources

Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting

More Landscaping/Gardening Information:

Related Articles

Pine Furniture Care Guide
First, some background on PINE WOOD. Pine is a naturally soft wood which continues to "breathe", based upon changes in the local (home, office, store, etc.
How to Grow Cooking Herbs
Grow your own cooking herbs to add fresh zest and flavor to your menus year-round!Is It a Cooking Herb or a Spice?The first thing to know in selecting which herbs to grow is the difference between cooking (culinary) herbs and spices. The cinnamon stick you put in your hot chocolate or apple cider is a spice while the parsley on the edge of your plate is an herb.
Why Should You Create A Butterfly Garden?
Have you noticed you do not see as many butterflies as you once did? It is sad that we do not see as many butterflies as we might like. You can change that by planting a butterfly garden.
Pond Construction
The location of your pond should be decided. You've picked a good spot in your yard where you can see the pond from different places, and it's near enough to the house so you can see it from a window.
Winter Pruning Tips - Shade Trees
Now that winter is here there is a limited amount of outdoor work we can do so we'll spend a little time talking about dormant season pruning.
Set Out a Feast for Your Feathered Friends
February is "Feed the Birds" month in much of North America. And what great timing! If you're going through a cold winter, you can help the wintering birds that are going through it with you.
Adirondack Chairs - How to Choose One
In Blue Mountain Lake, New York, you will find a unique museum called the Adirondack Museum. According to the experts that run this museum, the Adirondack chair was originally called the Westport chair, named after a small town located nearby Adirondack Mountains.
Roses and Juniper Rock Gardens
Wide circle driveways don't happen much anymore, but when they do, what do you do with them? Clear out the grass, mound up some soil, and park a few boulders in strategic positions and you've got the perfect spot for an artistic rose garden. Plant some dark green Juniper and a few golden-tipped junipers for background color before adding your roses.
Edgeworthia Chrysantha
Although it is a member of the Thymelaeaceae, the family that includes the daphnes, it would be hard to imagine a plant less like a daphne at first glance. However, if you are familiar with the deciduous Daphne genkwa, there is some hint of resemblance there.
Keeping the Balance of Nature: Pond Water Maintenance
You might be tempted to let Mother Nature, tend to your backyardpond, and who could blame you? After all, she does a pretty goodjob of taking care of really big ponds, so why would yourbackyard ecosystem pose much of a challenge to her?Unfortunately, the fact is your backyard pond is only going toget some cursory attention from Mom; the rest of the work isgoing to be left up to you.In the "real world" chlorinated water doesn't find its way intoponds very often.
How to Rid that Lawn of Thatch!
You know that brown patchy debris in a lawn that accumulates ontop of the soil but below the grass line? That's thatch.Thatch consist of grass clippings, grass stems, roots, and otherdebris that either decomposes or accumulates on a lawn over time.
Growing and Preserving Cut Flowers
There is nothing more cheerful than vases full of fresh flowers placed around the house that have been grown and cut from your own garden. A cut flower is one that has been cut at the stem and placed in a vase of water.
Landscape Wallpaper
Landscape wallpaper can be a great addition to your computer's desktop. Since most of us always have our PCs running, it is refreshing to see a beautiful masterpiece on the display when the computer is not in use.
Should Gardeners Be Trying to Eliminate Every Bug in the Garden?
There are a number of insects that can injure the plants in our gardens but it is important to know which ones just cause cosmetic problems vs. those that actually destroy our flowers, shrubs and trees.
Greenhouse Calamities - Thoughts from a Novice Gardener
Greenhouses are a great addition to anyone's garden. They come in all different sizes and you can nestle them right where you want them and with smaller versions of greenhouses you can move them quite easily.
Gardening This Fall Season
It is just around the corner! Yes, it will soon be the Fall season and that means we are all getting back to the routine for one of the best seasons of the year and then come the winter months.
Daphnes for Scent and Colour
Anyone with even a passing knowledge of plants knows that daphnes have wonderfully fragrant flowers. And because some of them - usually the most scented - flower in winter, they're the sort of must-have plants that are usually among the first planted in any new garden.
Cat Repellent or How to Keep Cats Out of Your Garden
Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from using garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out of my garden. These are common questions of concern to all gardeners but is there a real answer?The first line of defence is to ensure that your yard boundaries are secure.
Care of Dendrobium Orchids
DendrobiumsThis month I am focusing our attention to the care of Dendrobiums. These are one of the most popular of retail orchid plants.
Gardenscape On A Shoestring
Many of us flip through garden magazines, all the while thinking that it takes years, a professional, or tons of money to landscape the gardens featured in the glossy pictures. This isn't necessarily true.