Is This Winter for Central New York Gardens?

As the so called winter continues to proceed, we need to think about the living things that are outside and in the ground. Many of us have been very happy with the winter thus far. There has been very little snow and no considerable accumulation even when it did snow. Not even taking the snow into consideration, we have not had very many bone chilling days as of yet, have we?

The winter does  many things but one main accomplishment that most people do not take into consideration as they bask in the very easy winter we have had so far. The winter cold and the snow cover are two of the main factors in the growth of many plants and also and more importantly the live or die situation for many bugs and insects. The sub-freezing cold over a prolonged amount of time helps to control the eggs and embryos that have been laid by insects in the fall. When the temperature dips below freezing and into the single digits and stays there over a prolonged amount of time it actually kills many of the spring hatching eggs of the mosquito, tent caterpillars, gypsy moths and other not so nice insects. Because we have had a very mild winter we can expect to have a larger amount of these insects in our spring happiness.

Along with doing a little bug control, the cold temperatures help many of the spring bulbs set buds for flowers that will appear as the weather gets warmer and the sun gets higher in the sky. Without this natural reminder that they need to get ready to flower some of the beautiful spring bulbs that we have all learned to love will not produce flowers for us.

So, as we revel in the warmer than usual winter we need to remember that for everything that happens there is yet another thing that will be effected by it. I am not trying to rain on any one’s happiness with the winter thus far but just trying to put it into perspective so that when the complaints start with too little flowering or too many bugs we can reflect on our very mild winter. As we approach the spring solstice let’s get the ball rolling with getting seeds ready and checking the bulbs that we dug and brought in.  It is a good time to start thinking about where you are going to plant things and what you need to purchase for fertilizer. Speaking of fertilizer, while the ground is bear it is a good time to get some compost delivered, if possible or visit your local horse farm and ask for some manure to get onto the ground right now. The longer it can sit on the top of the ground and get snowed on or rained on the better. This year is a bonus year in that aspect. For all the people that didn’t get their fertilizer on before winter set in you have a reprieve!! Use it to your advantage and get it out on the garden now so the spring snow can get it leached into the ground and it will be softer for you to turn in before you put your plants out.

Just a reminder to those that love the dahlias, start getting them out of the storage area and get them planted into pots in a bright window. The sooner they can get started the sooner their beautiful flowers will grace your garden.

Until next time, enjoy the light winter and get planting!