March '23 Tips

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Dear Gardening Friends,   This sure has been an interesting winter. So mild for January and February yet overall, so damaging from the various ice and snow storms. Due to so much winter damage to trees and shrubs pruning should be on your mind. The following are some pruning tips:   Before starting any pruning chores clean and sharpen your tools. It makes a HUGE difference. If pruners and loppers are sticky and don’t open and close smoothly rubbing alcohol will loosen and remove the gummy substance. If the pruners/loppers come apart easily that is the best way to clean them. Sharpening pruners/loppers is also essential for clean cuts that don’t damage or tear the branches. Most blade sharpening tools will work although there are sharpeners made specially for pruners and loppers. Steel wool helps remove rusty sections on pruners and shovels. Try using the blade sharpener on your shovels. It makes a huge difference.   It’s not too early to prune non spring flowering shrubs. Personally, I’m waiting a bit so my hands don’t freeze.  Spring flowering shrubs should be pruned after they bloom. If some of your trees or shrubs are still bent over from the snow and ice wait till it warms up a little and they straighten out. Broken or snapped branches should be pruned off back to the main trunk or nearest branch. DON’T LEAVE STUBS. That’s a basic rule of pruning. Make cuts just over the place where a bud is coming out or if it’s a branch make the cut just outside the branch collar. (a rough section of bark where one branch joins the trunk) Dead or damaged branches can be removed anytime along with branches that are in the way. Also check for branches that are crossing each other and creating a wound from the rubbing. 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   Other timely tips:   Rake or sweep up the road grit from driveway and road edges. Gently rake up mulch/leaves that may be over areas where bulbs and early perennials like daylilies are poking through. I always leave some leaves as protection for late season snow & frost. We are bound to have some of both before consistently warmer weather arrives. 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. This is a perfect time for “wishful thinking”. What changes do you want to make, plants to add, move, divide, or remove? First consider the site, light, type of soil etc. THEN research plants suited to that site. Consider a native plant for the site. 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 by the end of the month. If you’ve left plants 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. The same goes for leaf litter in the garden. There are a lot of insects and larva living in the ground litter. Just let it be for now. If you need advice on how to transplant, divide, prune, what to plant etc. contact me for a consultation It’s going to be interesting to see what March brings. It could be Spring or Winter. Patience is the basic recommendation. We’re all anxious to get going but doing things under the wrong conditions can cause damage.   Educational Opportunity:   Master Gardener Education Day, The annual MGED is Saturday March 11, 2023 from 9:00am – 3:00pm at Classics V Banquet Center on Niagara Falls Blvd. Those of you who have attended in the past know what a fun and educational day this is. We have 3 outstanding presenters:   Paul Zammit – Back by popular demand, one of the top garden speakers in the country will present on Container Gardening Tim Boebel – Author of the definitive book on hydrangeas will speak on Growing Hydrangeas and Flowering Shrubs. His books will be available for sale.  Dr. Allison Chatrychyan – from Cornell University will talk about Climate Smart Solutions for the Home Gardener   There are a limited amount of seats left. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this amazing and fun day. Just thinking of spring and seeing beautiful plant photos is uplifting for winter blahs.   To register contact Cornell Cooperative Extension 652-5400, ext:176 or online at: mgerie@cornell.edu.   Garden Consult:   It’s not too early to start planning for spring gardening, changes and improvements. 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 consult or pruning consult will save you time and money in the long run.   Happy Gardening! Lyn Chimera Lessons from Nature 170 Pine St. E. Aurora, NY 14052 lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz 652-2432 Copyright © 2014 Lessons From Nature, All rights reserved. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* *|LIST:DESCRIPTION|* Our mailing address is: *|HTML:LIST_ADDRESS_HTML|* *|END:IF|* unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences  *|IF:REWARDS|* *|HTML:REWARDS|* *|END:IF|*