April 2017 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends,   Spring has arrived and things are really growing. When all of a sudden there is so much to do in the garden, I call it “triage gardening”. What that means is assessing what needs to be done and prioritizing the chores since you can’t do everything at once. My priorities always start with, what will be harmed or harder to do later if it’s not taken care of soon. Some suggestions:   Rake up leaves that may be covering spring bulbs. As I raked the other day I was surprised at how much was growing. I should have done it a little sooner as there were some bulb sprouts that were already yellow from lack of sun. They greened up in a few days.   Uncover perennials that come up early. It’s good to leave some loose leaves around the crowns for protection against low temps and events like the snow that is predicted on Friday.   Salt and grit covered leaves or accumulations along road edges and driveways should be raked up. The rain we’ve had will help wash off & dilute the road salt accumulation. If we don’t continue getting a lot of rain you can wash the soil down with a hose.   The window for pruning some trees and shrubs before their buds open is closing. Remember not to prune spring flowering trees and shrubs until after they bloom.   Weeding is so much easier now when the soil is moist and the weeds are small. Well worth the time spent.   It’s safest to wait until the soil warms up to transplant and divide perennials. Right now the soil is way too wet anyway.   Don’t be tempted to put out tender vegetable plants, like tomatoes until the end of May. Studies show that waiting makes for a healthier and better producing tomatoes.   If you’ve never done a pH test on your soil, now is the time. You can get kits or bring a sample to the Master Gardener Hotline Office in E. Aurora. There are also many outreach soil clinics being offered. Check the Cornell website erie.cce.cornell.edu/gardening or call; 652-5400, ext137 for details and schedules.   Nutrient soil analysis is also available through the Cooperative Extension.   Keep in mind, a healthy soil is the most important part of gardening. One of the ways to keep it healthy is by not walking on it when it’s too wet.   With our gardens starting to come to life, it’s an ideal time for a Garden Consult. Contact me if you have questions, concerns, need help identifying what you have, would like to make changes, or need to know what to divide, plant, etc.   Upcoming Gardening Events:               Annual Lessons from Nature Perennial Sale:                    Saturday, May 20, 9:00 -2:00 (at my home, see address below)   I will have an extensive variety of native and non-native perennials dug from my gardens. In addition. Ellen Fultz, from Amanda’s Garden will be returning with her outstanding collection of self-propagated natives. More information and a list of available plants will be in the May Garden Tips. Save the date!   Earth Day’s March for Science:           Saturday, April 22, 1:00, Soldiers Circle in Buffalo   This is the local event organized in support of the major March for Science at the Mall in Washington DC. Major scientific groups are organizing the march to show support for scientific research and specifically how it impacts the climate. All of us concerned about the Earth should consider attending.                 Happy Gardening!   Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 [email protected] 652-2432       Copyright © 2014 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. You're receiving this message because you requested to receive Lessons from Nature newsletters. Our mailing address is: Lessons from Nature 37 N Union Rd Williamsville, NY 14221 Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences