April 2024 Tips

Dear Gardening Friends,  Hopefully this week will be the REAL start of spring. As I write this (Mon 25th) the snow is starting to melt and I can see ground in a few places. There are things to be done in the garden but patience is still required. Don’t remove your leaves or winter mulch just yet. There are a lot of beneficial insects that overwinter in the ground duff (leaves and plant material on top of the soil). If some spring bulbs are trying to push through just rake some away and leave a light covering that the shoots can grow through. If you’ve left plant stems up from last fall don’t be in a hurry to cut them back. Many beneficial insects overwinter or lay their eggs in the stems and litter around the crown. There is still plenty of time to prune thanks to the slow down of budding during the cold last week. Remember not to prune any spring blooming shrubs until after they bloom. If you need advice on pruning, call for a consultation. We can work through it together and you will learn proper pruning techniques for the future. Before starting any pruning chores clean and sharpen your tools. It makes a HUGE difference. Be mindful not to walk on the soft wet ground. If you leave a footprint, stay off. Whatever it is can wait till the soil dries out a little. Rake or sweep up the road grit from driveway and road edges. You can also rinse it down with a hose to dilute the salt and road chemicals. There seems to be a lot of black knot fungus on flowering cherry and plum trees. It can affect ornamental and fruit bearing trees. The affected sections look like swollen black knots on the branches and should be pruned out 8 inches away from the “knot”. This is a highly contagious fungal disease so don’t ignore it. Disinfect your tools after working on an infected tree. For information go to:      http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/blackknot.pdf Ornamental grasses should be cut back before the new growth starts so now is a good time. Wear long sleeves as they have “razor” edges which is why deer don’t eat them. If the freezing temps last week browned the tips of perennial foliage like day lilies that may have started growing, you can just cut the tip off. The new foliage should be OK. Don’t be in a rush to divide or move perennials. The soil should be above 50 degrees and form a loose clump in your hand before you start any moving or dividing. Again, patience pays off in the end. It’s doubtful we will be able to do anything other than clean up for the next few weeks. A lot will depend on how much rain we get and how wet the soil is. If you’re dying to do some gardening, work on your houseplants. This is a good time to repot, trim and give them a good washing/dusting. If there is a whitish/yellow crusty surface on the top of the soil, it’s a good clue to repot and replenish with fresh soil. The buildup is a concentration of salts which is not good for the plant. This can also occur on the outside of the pot. If so, it can be scrubbed off with a wire scrubber or brush. Check your houseplants for any insect or disease problems. Identify what the problem is before trying to treat it. An easy way to ID the problem is to GOOGLE possible problems on that specific plant. Select a “.edu” site to do the research. That way you’re getting scientific results.   Garden Consult:   It’s not too early to start planning changes, and improvements for your garden. Just contact me for an appointment to get a head start on the season.   I’m also available for a pruning consult. You can learn proper pruning techniques so you can do it yourself in the future. A garden or pruning consult will save you time and money in the long run.   Lessons from Nature and Amanda’s Garden Perennial Plant Sale will be Saturday, May 18th 9:00- 2:00. Put it on your calendar so you won’t miss it. More details will be in the May Garden Tips. Happy gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 [email protected] 716- 652-2432   Copyright © 2023 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. You're receiving this message because you requested to receive Lessons from Nature newsletters. unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences