Spring Gardening

March Madness with Groucho Marx

The incomparable English writer Roald Dahl had his take on springÌs arrival as allegedly it does on 20th of the month. In his rhymed version of Hansel and Gretel in Rhyme Stew (1989), the parents prepare their perky progeny for a sylvan perambulation:

Even in all but the southernmost England, March might be a trifle early for anemones. Perhaps in southwest coastal B.C. but in much of the rest of Canada, sterner tasks await us.

If you have grapevines, donÌt delay Ò get out and prune right away (sorry Îbout that Ò blame Dahl). Left any later than early this month, and theyÌll ÏbleedÓ profusely from any cuts. Yes, even if snow is up to the ootzits. And forget the Ïspecial salesÓ of hand pruners and similar tools at the big box stores. These are products similar in origin to ChinaÌs famed business ethics. Look for high-quality North American or European tools. Favourite suppliers are Lee Valley and Rittenhouse. The latter has been in business since 1914, which should tell you something.

Foliage of tulips, daffodils and other spring-flowering bulbs appearing a mite early? DonÌt worry about it. Simply leave to Mother Nature. They will not come to any harm. At least not until later when the flower buds appear and the squirrels wreak their annual havoc . . . More on Sciurus carolinensis, deterrence of, next month.

Urban myth notwithstanding, there is little else to practice the art of horticultural cut-ups this time of year. Fruit trees and bushes yes, along with summer-flowering bushes such as shrubby cinquefoils (no longer Potentilla but Dasiphora, according to taxonomists, may they all contract crown rot). Leave large trees to professional dendrological surgeons. Even they have been known to fall out of their patients.

Later this month, or even early April when daytime temperatures reach 10C or so, most trees and shrubs will benefit from the application of a dormant spray. Regarded as environmentally friendly, it smothers overwintering bugs, their nymphs and eggs before they can emerge to create havoc in the garden. Combine dormant oil and lime sulphur in a spray tank and apply as a drenching spray early on a mild morning. It is essential to have the liquid run into cracks, crevices and undersides of branches and twigs. Apply also not only on the trunks but heavily at their base. Shake the spray tank frequently to assure proper blending.

Some trees are sensitive to oil/sulphur and should not be treated. Many evergreens fall into this category. So do the popular Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) and their Canadian cousins, sugar and red maples (A. saccharum and A. rubrum). These and other sensitive souls will be listed on the pesticide containers. Jennifer Llewellyn, OMAF Nursery Crops specialist, listed some others in the trade publication Horticultural Review as:

• Carya hickory
• Cryptomeria
• Juglans sp. walnut
• Juniperus (blue cultivar selections)
• Picea pungens glauca blue Colorado spruce
• Pinus strobus white pine
• Quercus rubra red oak
  

She also notes that the following Ïhave some sensitivity to dormant oil treatmentsÓ:

• Cercis canadensis redbud
• Fagus beech
• Ilex crenata Japanese holly
• Picea abies Norway spruce
• Picea glauca white spruce
• Pseudotsuga menziesii Douglas fir
• Taxus yew
• Thuja cedar
  

Later this month, rake away the remaining mulch that protected perennials, bulbs and hardy bulbs overwinter. Add to the compost heap to complete breaking down, spread under shrubs, or dig into the vegetable patch. This latter chore is also best done in March. Good digging weather an old-time professional used to call it, as his crews had to keep spading to keep warm. Rototillers are no substitute. They pound just the top few centimetres. Old gardeners, it is said, never die Ò they just spade away. It is doubtful if one will be received enthusiastically by St. Peter at the Pearly Gates accompanied by a rototiller.

Groucho Marx may have had a better take on springÌs arrival, at least southern Ontario style, coupling it as he did with manÌs oldest pursuit. ÏLove is not something that you can learn from books,Ó he wrote, Ïfor love is an elusive sprite that laps from nook to cranny and taps you with its magic wand, then flits away like the first hounds of spring.Ó

Finally, according to one Allen Klein www.allenklein.com, a Ïjolyologist,Ó March is International Mirth Month. But why would one want to limit laughter to a single month? Besides, this is the home and hothouse of the Happy Horticulturist. What say you, Bessie Udderton, "The Poet of Innerness" of the Saskatchewan School of Seven, (with apologies to Prof. Hiebert)?