Pt AN
NEWS photc Terry Peters

SHIFTING TEMPERATURES have no doubt heaved some small or self-seeded bulbs planted close to the surface out of the ground. Bulbs that have been
exposed or partially heaved should be replanted as quickly as possible before the roots dry out or the bulb becomes sunburned.

OUR COLD appears to
be over and Spring
should be just around
the corner, so if you
haven't been out in the
garden recently it’s
probably a good time to
check for frost damage.

Roy

Smal] or self-seeded bulbs
planted close to the surface
may have been heaved out of
the ground by frost action.

Bulbs that have been exposed

or partially heaved should be replanted as
quickly as possible before the roots dry out or
the bulb becomes sunburned.

As with bulbs, many small perennial plants
wre also prone to lifting and shifting during
freezing weather conditions —- particularly if
they have not been mulched in the fall. If they
appear to be sitting too high or are ionse, they
may require replanting. Frost damage of this
type is a good indicator that a winter mulch

_ should be applied next fall,

In areas of the garden where bulbs or plants
are growing up through the lea! mulch. it is
wise to clear the mulch from new leaves and let
them unfold freely. Tightly bunched emerging
bulb leaves can lift clumps of suil, so this mate-
rial should also be removed

With the exception of woodland garden
areas where there is a covering of moss, the
jeaf mould or mulch material should be left in
place as long as there is a threat of heavy over-
night frosts.

Remember, it only takes a few warm, sunny
days to tigger rapid weed growth, To avoid at
second crop from newly germinated seed it is

JONSSON

J sow it grows

for

best to clean the weeds out us
soon as possible.

Plants are not the only thing
that may have been heaved by
the frost. Patio or sidewalk
bricks will usually settle back
in place after winter frost, but
wooden edging beards that are
secured with stakes won't set-
Ue as readily. Using a piece of
limber or a sledge hammer,
knock the boards back into
place before the soil settles in
underneath.

Such maintenance may also be
necessary around flower beds if they are edged
with

wood, brick or plastic. Mowing the grass
where the edging material is too high is a nui-
sance.

Some tender or marginally hardy plants will
no doubt be damaged or lost as a result of the
recent cold snup. Check the stalks and crowns
before you cut or remove any plants that
appear dead. Using the blade of your clippers,
start at the top of each stalk and gently scrape
fo see Hf there is any live (green or white) Us-
suc, ;

Hits only brown then keep testing as you
move down. Even though all the stalks are
dead there may still be fife in the crown or root
structure and new sucker shoots will develop.
An old crown with a good root structure will
usually regenerate quicker than a new plant, so
don’t replace the specimen until the plant has
had time to declare itself one way or the other.

Your regular pruning program should be
well under way. [1 is too late to prune grapes
and some maples as they will bleed sap. Other
shrubs and (owering bushes such as rhodo-

dendrons. azaleas. camellias, forsythia, lilac,
etc, have already set their buds for this year and
should not be pruned until after flowering.
Hydrangeas (both tree and bush), roses, hardy
fuchsia, etc. can be done anytime now.

For most trees and bushes there are three
simple rules to follow when you start to prune:

I. Prune out dead or diseased wood.

2. Cut out ali the branches that are growing
to the centre or are crossing over each other.

3. Shorten back the branches to the appro-
priate length. There are three possibilities here:
a) cut old stalks to the ground to generate
renewal; b) cut back to the third or fourth bud

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to promote flower or fruit buds: and c) cut back
a third to a half of the new growth to develop a
frame or structure for the tree. 3

March is a good time to set up 2 cold frame
for early vegetables or to harden off plants that
can be moved out early.

Setting up a cold frame as soon as possible
for growing has several advantages. First, it
will allow the soil to dry out and warm up.
making it easier to work and better for grow-
ing. The additional warmth will cause most of
the weed seeds to germinate and show them-
selves before planting begins. The warmth also
allows the microbes to actively break down the
compost or manure that has been added to the
soil.

Also, sweet peas and early peas can now be
germinated in the house or greenhouse and
then planted out in a sheltered location.
Provide a little cover (plastic) for them if they
are out in the open.

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