February 2022 Tips

2/3/2022

Dear Gardening Friends,

Looks like winter has taken hold for now. The consistent snow cover while you may not enjoy shoveling it does provide a wonderful insulating factor for your plats. For those of you longing for spring there are some great gardening events coming up. Details are at the end of this newsletter.

Garden Chores:

If you collected pine boughs for winter plant protection and there’s too much snow to put them out, just save them in the garage or a pile and put them out when the snow melts.
If you are having ice build-up in driveways and sidewalks, be cautious of what you use to melt the ice. Salt can be very damaging to the soil, plants, and the environment in general.
It would be wise to shovel the black nasty salt laden “gunk” in the driveway somewhere other than garden beds. My back garden abuts the driveway, so this is always an issue for me. I used to wonder why the plants along the drive never did well! It’s a little more effort, but worth it.
We’ve had a lot of wind lately so it’s a good time to pick up sticks and debris.
If you didn’t clean and sharpen your tools last fall now is a perfect time. They will be ready to go when you need them in the spring.

Pruning:

This is a good time to prune. First check for wind damaged branches. It’s best to remove torn branches. A nice clean pruning cut is much easier for the tree/shrub to heal in the spring.
The ideal time to prune non spring blooming trees & shrubs is while they are still dormant, and their buds have not begun opening. Anything that blooms in the spring should be pruned AFTER they bloom.
Usually, spring pruning can be done well into March. Once the buds start to open it’s past the ideal time. Some years that was May! It all depends on the weather.
The basic pruning rule is don’t leave stubs. Make clean cuts close to a bud, branch divide or outside the branch collar on the trunk.
For details on pruning specific plants check online at an “.edu” site or contact me for a pruning consultation.

Houseplants:

Now is a good time to spend some time with your houseplants. A mid- winter “shower” in the sink or bathtub will wash off the accumulated dust and make for a healthier plant. If a plant is too large to move, you can use a damp cloth or soft sponge to wipe down the leaves.
Now that the days are getting longer you can resume a light plant food application. If you use fertilizer look for a natural rather than chemical formula. Just read the ingredients and follow the directions. I tend to use half strength.
You can also start spring repotting houseplants that have become pot bound. If the water drains right through when you water it or if the roots are pushing the plant out of the pot, those are good signs that the plant is pot bound.
Another sign to indicate repotting is crusty salt build up on the top of the soil. This residue may be on the outside of terra cotta pots as well. The pots can be scrubbed off before repotting. If the soil crust isn’t severe the top few inches of crusted soil and be removed and replaced with fresh potting soil.
Also check for aphids, mealybugs and other houseplant pests. Feeling a sticky residue around a plant is a good sign there is an insect problem. A good soapy water bath is a solution to many problems.

Annual Tree and Shrub Seedling Sale:

The Soil & Water Conservation annual seedling sale is available for ordering now. This is a great way to get inexpensive tree and shrub seedings. The sale runs through May 13^th with pickup mid April-May. Order early as some things sell out. Go to their website for order forms and compete information on what’s available and how to plant seedlings.

https://www.ecswcd.org/html/treeshrub.html

Educational Opportunities: There are lots of events coming up that will help you learn and get into the mood for spring.

Annual Spring Bloom Classes:

Saturday, February 12, 9:00-11:45 - Backyard Gardening, Food and Flowers. Two sessions to be held on Zoom.

Saturday, February 26, 9:00-11:45 - Pollinators and the Plants They Love – Two sessions to be held on Zoom.

Cost will be $20/day. For details go to http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/events

MG Education Day:

MGED is Saturday March 12, 2022 at Classics V Banquet Center on Niagara Falls Blvd.. At this point we are planning an in person day but that may have to change to Zoom depending on the Covid situation. Right now, there is no way to definitively plan for that.

Those of you who have attended in the past know what a fun and educational day this is. The day includes a fabulous basket raffle, AM snack break and a hot buffet lunch. It’s a wonderful day with likeminded gardeners. There are 2 outstanding presenters:

Joseph Tychonievich, rated one of the best gardening speakers in the country and noted author will make two presentations:
            Rock Gardening, Reimagining a Classic Style for Today’s Garden
            Great, Non-Wimpy Plants that You Don’t Already Grow

Joseph Han, owner of The English Gardener Landscaping Company will present on:
            Floriferous Design

Registration will begin Febuary 1^st. For details go to http://erie.cce.cornell.edu/events Trust me, you won’t want to miss this amazing and fun day.


Presentations on Gardening Topics:

There is a full listing of the presentations I do for Garden Clubs and other groups interested in gardening topics on my website: lessonsfromnature.biz, or let me know and I will send you a copy.


Garden Consultations:

If you want to tackle that pruning project but just not sure how to go about it, call me for a consultation.

Happy Gardening!
Lyn Chimera
Lessons from Nature
170 Pine St.
E. Aurora, NY 14052
lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz
652-2432

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