March came in like a lion, bringing four Nor’easters our way. Even if March decides to go out like a lamb, it’s still too early to start cleaning up garden beds. There are a couple of important reasons to leave the soggy mess a while longer.
First, tramping on wet soil compacts it and damages its structure. The beloved garden guru Elsa Bakalar recommended testing soil by taking a handful. It should hold together in a soft ball for a few seconds and then crumble. If it remains in a ball, leave it for a few more days. Second, waiting to start cleanup until we have had a week or so of temperatures above 50 degrees supports beneficial insects, like native bees, moths and butterflies. They need time to get moving before we disrupt their overwintering spots in mulch, leaf litter and dead plants.
But just because it’s too early to work in the garden, there are other tasks you can tackle. In case you didn’t get around to cleaning and sharpening your tools last fall, do it now. Use linseed oil to clean old, sticky sap from pruners and saws. You can use a simple metal file or whetstone from a hardware store to sharpen blades on pruners and shears. Garden stores sell special tool sharpening files, but they’re more expensive. Sharpen by running your tool toward the cutting edge, following the angle of the blade. Rub the blades with a little 3-in-1 oil when you’re finished.
While you’re checking out your tools, mark them with some brightly colored duct tape or ribbon so you won’t lose them so easily in the garden. Wash muddy old garden gloves and have them ready when you’re ready to wear them. Throw out the ones with holes in the fingertips. Get flat tires fixed on your wheelbarrows and garden carts. You will be so glad you took care of these chores ahead of time. There’s nothing like a well-organized garden bench (or shed or wall rack) stocked with sharp, clean tools to inspire you at the start of the gardening season.
Another thing you can do is to prepare a cozy home for bluebirds, who are heading back now. If you already have bluebird houses, it’s time to clean them out. Use a stiff brush to remove old bird droppings. There are several reasons to do this. Even though birds will make new nests on the old nests, there is danger of disease and pests lurking in the old nests. Also, as the nest and eggs are settled closer to the opening of the birdhouse, predators can get at them more easily. Mice like to overwinter in bluebird houses, so you want to get rid of all their debris. When the bluebirds arrive, a nice, clean house signals to them that it’s free for occupancy.
If you don’t have bluebird houses, this is a great time of year to put them up. You can buy them at garden stores and bird specialty stores. You can even make them yourself if you are handy with tools and wood. If you have young children, you might buy a kit with pre-cut parts so that the kids can help with assembly. When the houses are occupied, you and your brood can check on the birds and their brood periodically. Make sure to peak in only on mild, calm days, once a week or so. Bluebirds have two or three broods per season. It’s never too early to instill a love of nature in your young’uns!
This is also a good time to give birdfeeders a thorough cleaning. Empty them, soak them in hot water and soap and scrub with a stiff brush. If there is mold or debris, soak them in a diluted bleach solution of 10 parts water to one part bleach. Rinse well and let them dry completely before filling with fresh seed.
Now is also the time of year for forcing branches of forsythia, magnolia, witch hazel, and flowering fruit trees. Wait till the buds are full and ripe, choose several well-shaped branches that will make a pleasing arrangement (keeping in mind the overall size and shape of your plant!). Stick the branches in a vase filled with water in a warm place and watch them unfurl. Some witch hazels have a bewitching fragrance as well.
Get busy!
Unlike for ornamental woody plants, pruning for fruit is a special science that is designed to maximize fruit production. On April 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, there will be a demonstration and workshop on the principles of pruning for shape, size and, most importantly, fruit production. This will focus on the specifics of pruning stone and pome fruit trees and some small fruits, including cane fruits and ribes (Ok, I had to look that up! Ribes are currants). There will be a structural pruning demonstration on newly planted fruit trees, and semi-dwarf orchard trees will be available for pruning. Presenter Steve McKay is the former Grape and Small Fruit Specialist for Cornell Cooperative Extension in eastern New York State. He owns Micosta, a fruit nursery located in Hudson, New York, and specializes in traditional and unusual fruit tree and small fruits. Participants should bring pruners and work gloves; dress for the weather. Members: $45/nonmembers: $55. For more information and to register, go to: berkshirebotanical.org
April 7, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, Mark Richardson, co-author of Native Plants for New England Gardens, will give a talk and book signing. The book is a guide to more than 100 great native perennials, trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses and vines. It features practical information accompanied by beautiful color photography. Richardson will share his knowledge about native plants and all their garden uses — from plants to use in place of mulch to those that attract and support pollinators. He is director of the Botanic Garden of the New England Wild Flower Society. He studied ornamental horticulture at the University of Rhode Island and holds a master’s degree from the University of Delaware’s Longwood Graduate Program. Members: $5/nonmembers: $15
Spring is a great time to assess woody shrubs for shape, structure and winter damage. Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge is holding a hands-on workshop on April 14 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. led by Ron Yaple, owner of Race Mountain Tree Services in Sheffield. He will demonstrate how to renovate, rejuvenate and shape shrubs and small ornamental trees for structure, health and optimal growth. Plants covered will include viburnums, lilacs, witch hazels, deciduous azaleas, sweetshrubs, crab apples and ornamental cherries. Participants should dress for the weather and bring pruners and work gloves. Members: $25/nonmembers: $35
For more information and to register, go to berkshirebotanical.org
Timber rattlesnakes have been getting a lot of bad press lately in our area, and for no good reason other than ignorance. Anne Stengel, a graduate researcher at the University of Massachusetts, will give a presentation about this much-maligned and important member of the ecosystem on April 12 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Hitchcock Center for the Environment in Amherst. Stengel has been surveying timber rattlesnake populations in western Massachusetts. She will talk about the life history and adaptations of this reptile and share images of the snakes she has located. She also will explain how she tracks individual animals. Free, but registration and donations are appreciated. For more information, go to hitchcockcenter.org.
Mickey Rathbun can be reached at mickey.rathbun@gmail.com.