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Resist, resist
urge to 'fix'
the garden
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
The tough winter calls for a new tool in the gardener's toolbox: A bit of string to tie your hands behind your back to keep from "fixing" your lawn and garden.
Certainly cabin fever is at a fever pitch. And one nice spring-like day belies the fact that the growing season is a ways off.
Kimberly Kelly, the Master Gardener coordinator at the Windham County Extension Center in Brooklyn, cautions gardeners chomping at the bit, "take a deep breath."
Gardeners need to leave the lawn and the garden alone, she said.
Although the stacks of snow have finally melted away, revealing much damage, now is not the time to jump in and garden.
Kelly, who handles educational outreach for the center, said gardeners must wait for new growth to appear before trying to trim.
"Go ahead and clean up debris and sweep up abrasive sand and salt that could desiccate the garden beds, but wait for new growth before doing anything beyond that," she said.
What's happening out there, according to Kelly:
--- Assess winter damage on your trees and shrubs should happen when you start to see some new growth. For mechanical damage due to snow, assess the damage, and prune accordingly; smart pruning cuts encourage good air circulation and prevent weak or narrow angles. In some cases you may have to cut more material than you want to encourage the right growth. Be sure to know the growth habits of the tree or shrub you are pruning.
--- Winter desiccation( burn), can be seen on ericaceous plants such as Rhododendrons and azaleas, as they exhibit browning or even total leaf scorch depending on the extent of the injury. This injury is due to water lost through leaves via transpiration and the inability of the roots to replace it as they are frozen in the soil.
--- Rodent Damage: Voles can wreak havoc on small trees and shrubs when the snow pack is deep for long durations. Staying ‘under the radar’ they form tunnels in the snow and can completely girdle the tree or shrub.
--- Frost cracks, winter sunscald are two conditions that occur with sudden drops in temperature causing splits in the bark and wood of a tree.
--- Bulbs that have heaved over the winter may not survive, which is why the planting depth is so important, but those last-minute fall plantings may have succumbed to the freezing and thawing, causing them to heave. If the bulb is no longer firm to the touch, it would suggest tissue damage. If a bulb has heaved out of the ground, but it feels firm, try pushing it back into the ground.
"Unfortunately, we're not through with winter yet," she added.