It's a great excuse for a western Pennsylvania winter, but Mother Nature may still have some sleet and snow up her sleeve.
This means that gardeners who want to get out there and plant will have to show some patience.
“The most important thing I can tell people is to slow down, which is hard for me to say because I make money off people who are in a hurry,” says Jason Wilkinson, owner of Jason Wilkinson Homes in Hempfield. "There will still be lots of frost and lots of frost."
Mandy Smith, coordinator of the Pennsylvania Rangers in Westmoreland County, said on average, the last winter in the area is in mid-May.
"I understand why people rush," Wilkinson said. "They stay in all winter and have house fever. They want to be out and about business, but they want to be careful they don't go down too fast."
Although it's still too early to plant, March is a great time to plan and prepare for the upcoming planting season.
The first step might be to make sure your gardening tools are clean and sharp. Then go around the grounds and gardens to assess what needs to be done.
"It's just a waiting game," said Jane Prozak of Ligonier, who shows some beds and vegetables with her husband, Vince. "We'll clean and prepare the beds and bury a layer of mulch now."
According to Smith, soil analysis is an important part of spring gardening. Fall is the best time to test the soil, but spring is second, so there's time to make the necessary changes before planting.
Soil test kits are available at certain district development offices and garden centers. Information is available at agsci.psu.edu.
"It's always safe to add chalk and lime because all the rain we get is naturally acidic," says Michelle Kubrick, director/operator of Kubrick Brothers Garden Center in New Kensington. "Lime will soften your soil depending on what you plant this season. Gypsum helps break up the clay. But in old Pennsylvania, we had a lot of clay.
"And we always recommend sand for drainage."
Too wet, too dry?
Moisture must be taken into account when evaluating soil, Wilkinson says.
"If the garden is in a very wet area, now is the time to think about drainage around it," says Wilkinson. “If it is difficult for them to protect with water, now is the time to think about the water situation in the area.
"It's something people probably don't think about until they're underground."
According to Smith, you can remove dead or damaged wood from shrubs and young trees before flowering. For larger trees, he recommends hiring a certified arborist.
The Arboculture International Society maintains a directory of tree care providers at treearegood.org.
"The only thing that doesn't need to be pruned is the early spring bloomers. They've had kidneys since last August or September. If you prune them, you'll be pruning this year's flowers," says retired senior gardener Elizabeth Pacey of Hempfield.
"If it flowers April-June, don't prune it until it flowers," he said.
If you haven't pruned your deciduous shrubs in the fall, says Kubrick, now is the time to prune them by a third.
"Don't wait too long or they'll start growing. We don't want them growing out of the ground."
When things start to grow, you'll see if the plants come back or die.
"Spring is a great time to evaluate why something isn't working or offer something else if needed," says Smith.
Check to see if the perennial has grown old and note what needs to be divided.
"Divide and plant perennials while they're still dormant because they won't be under as much stress as they are in their active growth phase," says Smith.
Caring for Perennial Plants
In recent years, experts have advised against picking up leaves and other debris in the fall, but instead recommend letting perennial flowers and stems dry until spring. The litter is used as a winter hiding place for insects and the flower seeds are used as bird food.
"A growing number of studies from various organizations show that shedding leaves and stems is good, especially for our pollinator friends," says Smith. "Wait until a consistently warm day to clear."
Many perennials have hollow stems that bees and other insects use as winter homes. Insects can feed at 70 degrees, but will need shelter when temperatures drop back below 30 degrees.
"If people could have access to consistent spring and warm days, that would be great for all these insects because they're moving around and not hibernating anymore," Smith said.
Leaves and debris provide freeze protection for early blooming flowers, Wilkinson says.
Pisces are among those who have shifted their eternal purification from autumn to spring.
"In recent years, we've become more aware that bees and pollinators are losing their habitat, as many native bees and pollinators overwinter in litter or on the ground," he said. "As we become more aware of it, I want to reduce the fallout.
"Whatever blooms first, I cut back in the fall. Things that bloom later I let the insects that live there do their work before I cut them back.
Brozac cares for perennials that fade in spring.
"I want to leave as much as possible for the little adventurers out there," he says. "Echinacea flowers will have little birds that peck at the seeds."
What you want to get rid of now are stubborn weeds.
"Weeds do well in the winter. Once the ground is no longer frozen, you can start pulling the weeds out," says Pacey.
Rashad's bitter love has become a problem in the region in recent years, according to Smith.
"You have two hot days and the flower will bloom, and within two days it will release seeds—and there are hundreds of them. Now is the time to throw them away."
He adds that starflower and mustard garlic are other invasive plants that must be eradicated before flowering.
Climb quickly
Prozac says it follows the ancient agricultural practice of planting peas on St. Patrick's Day. patrick
"We have early spring vegetables—peas, lettuce, Swiss chard, cabbage, beets—that I'm trying to get my hands on for St. Patrick's Day," he says. "I used an old contact and it seems to work, at least for me."
These cool-weather crops, including spinach, onions and radishes, can be grown indoors or directly in the garden, Smith said.
"If we have snow or freezing nights, people can use tarpaulins to cover the lines to protect themselves," he said. "Some people like to use a greenhouse to grow seeds. When it gets too hot, you just take the lid off and you can use it as a bed."
For other flowers and vegetables, Smith recommends checking the USDA hardiness zone map at usda.gov for average annual temperature information to help determine which plants will do well in their location.
"I recommend people wait until the last week of March, the first week of April, where they start looking at the forecast 10 days in advance and see what comes out," Wilkinson said. "If it shows high temperature, you can start cultivation.
"If the 10- or 14-day forecast still shows lows in the 20s, you want to avoid a dip," he said. "It's not unusual for the area to freeze on Mother's Day."
According to him, a few days will not significantly affect the final result one way or the other.
"If you plant tomatoes two weeks earlier than your neighbor, if they don't freeze, they will be ready at the same time as your neighbor."
Shirley McMarlin is a columnist for the Tribune-Review. You can contact Shirley at smcmarlin@triblive.com or via Twitter.
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