FIRST GLIMPSE OF SPRING 2010

March 19, 2011

Did you notice it? Did you catch that first glimpse of spring today?  Everything is flushing with soft, new, green growth, and even though we are still expecting some dips into the 40s, I have it on good authority that Spring has arrived.

How shall you greet Persephone’s caress?  With a hose and some pruners!

Get outside in the next day or so and take the time to offer your garden a long, deep drink of water. After the cryogenic effects of persistent cold, your plants break their dormancy activated by warmer temperatures. And they need water to fuel that re-ignition of their metabolism. As you water, take note of which of your plants will need further intervention in the next few days.

Be on the lookout for symptoms of disease. In particular watch out for soft, mushy foliage and stems that are yellowing and then browning. Also keep an eye out for leaf spots (on whatever leaves remain).  Avoid watering these diseased plants because the water will bounce off, carrying microbes to adjacent healthy plants. If you are going to cut the diseased segments off of these plants, remember to clean your tool between plants.  A 10% solution of bleach will kill most anything, but can be tough on your tools, so I use a flame.

For the treatment of fungal and bacterial infections in your plants, I recommend Serenade.  This OMRI listed organic solution is more effective than many conventional products I have tried.  (Check out the link below for more information). Once you’ve cleaned them up and treated the disease, you can water with SUPERthrive by pouring the solution directly on the root zone.

If plants are brown and dry, scrape back a thin layer of bark to see if the plant remains green underneath. If they are green, they are still alive and will likely sprout back. Prune any dead wood from these plants, and do one more clean-out of dropped leaves. I am going to start feeding my plants over the next couple of days using plant-specific feeds to support the flush of growth I expect is on the brink of emergence.  As I said-Spring has Sprung, and boy am I ready!

See you in the Garden!

terri

X