In March the catkins of Salix discolor are one of the first signs of spring. The catkin is the furry swelled bud of the Pussy Willow. A walk through the swamp in mid-March, the Pussy Willows natural habitat, will reveal this handsome bud. By the end of the month these furry Catkin buds will open and expose tiny yellow flowers. These willow flowers are the first of many spring flowers to nourish the early season pollinating insects, spring has sprung!

After a long winter season plants, insects and animals come alive again as they do each year at this time. Spring seems to begin in the bottom land swamps. Many birds, absent from the landscape in the winter, show up at different intervals throughout the month. The return of the Robin standing erect in the lawn reminds me of a soldier standing guard. The reason for this posture is they are hunting. They are listening and feeling the slightest vibration under foot. Insects and worms are working their way to the surface and their movement attracts the attention of this hungry hunter. Redwing Blackbirds are back and you can’t miss their chatter, especially early in the morning. Bluebirds show up on the post and rail fence at the garden center, busy checking out the nesting boxes. They are making sure the boxes are clean and ready for this year’s family. All birds are singing their spring song. Some of the best bird songs can be heard around sunrise. Here in the northeast we have some of the most beautiful bird songs on the planet.

March is mud season. Melting winter snow and heavy spring rain saturate the soil. Be careful not to start working the soil too early. Be patient and let the warm late March sun dry the soil. By the end of the month the soil should dry out enough for planting peas, radishes and lettuce. We have a wide variety of soils in our region. Many areas are sandy, some are rocky and dry out quickly. Heavy clay soils are found in isolated areas and require more time to dry out. Proper timing can make a big difference between success and failure. When planting the spring vegetable crop, follow nature’s rhythms for optimum plant success.

March is a windy month. The battle between warm tropical air and cold polar air can set up some very powerful late winter and early spring storms. Heavy wet snow and ice storms are common this time of year. It’s important to finish up winter pruning this month so tree and shrub branching can tolerate heavy ice and wet snow loads. Sap flow is running heavy and aggressive pruning of live limbs this time of year can cause plants to bleed. Healthy trees and shrubs can tolerate pruning this time of year and have the ability to seal open wounds quickly. Weak plants may suffer if extended live wood is pruned during heavy sap flow. It’s best to get the opinion of an expert before heavily pruning live branches from trees and shrubs in early spring.

March 11th begins daylight savings time when we move the clocks ahead one hour. March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. We all turn Irish on this Kelly Green holiday. Good luck to those who prefer the traditional corned beef and cabbage diner. On March 2oth the sunrises due east and sets due west, this is the Vernal Equinox or the first day of spring and the first day this year with 12 hours of sunlight. At about the same time the spring peepers are working their way out of the mud, their chores has been caroling in spring for centuries, one of nature’s rhythms that usher in another growing season.

Posted by Pete at 11:00 AM | Permalink

It happens every seven to eight years and it’s happening again this year, the year without a winter. Many long range forecasters predicted a tough winter after the Halloween snowstorm. They predicted heavy snow and cold for November and December with a seasonable January and February. It’s been an extremely mild winter through January with very little snow. January 2012 is the second warmest January on record in our area. Ponds and lakes did not freeze so no ice skating, ice fishing or snowmobiling thus far. It’s an unusual weather cycle this winter with cold weather lasting a few days then rain and warm temperatures. This persistent freezing and thawing is not good for plants. Trees and shrubs in our region prefer gradual change not abrupt temperature and weather swings. Keeping our cultivated and natural landscapes mulched helps during these weather fluctuations. This strange weather stresses plants and many fruit gardeners are concerned as flower buds swell during these warm spells. If this weather continues through February followed by cold in March and April fruit production could be greatly effected as the flower buds will be damaged.

February starts with Ground Hog Day as our local woodchucks study their shadow to predict the end of winter. Our shadows get shorter as we gain an hour and a half of light this month. February is a fickle month as the sun works north and the warm southern air starts battling the dense winter cold. It’s the classical spring verse winter snow when one day we are out pruning shrubs in the warm late winter sun, the next day we’re scraping ice or snow of the front walkway.

February is the first signs of spring in the garden and in the woods. Early spring bulbs are poking their heads through the soil checking on the temperature. Pussy willow buds are swelling and waiting for the right moment to open. Skunk cabbage is working its way up through the mud along the edge of the swamps. This year’s growing season is just getting started. Chickadees, Cardinals, Woodpeckers, Owls, Hawks and Eagles are scouting out this year’s nesting sites. They are all looking for a safe location with adjacent food plots and hunting grounds. Chickadees and Cardinals are looking through the Gray Twig Dogwood patch for tight branched area where they will be camouflaged from cats. Woodpeckers and Owls are scouting out the tree hollows that are just large enough to fit through but not big enough for raccoons and skunks. Hawks and eagles are cruising around the skies over meadows and waterways for good hunting and fishing to feed their young. In the past year I have seen Bald Eagles over Whaley Lake, the Ten Mile River and the north flow of the Great Swamp. It’s encouraging to see these birds in the trees around our waterways and meadows. It’s a good sign.

February is the hunger moon as the last full month of winter is here. Animals living in our yards and in the deep woods continue scouting their hunting grounds for a berry, bud or mouse they may have missed during an earlier visit.

February is the sugar sap flow; I’ve seen Silver Maples, Red Maple and Sugar maple tapped for syrup in our region. Sugar Maple has the highest sugar content in its sap and is the most widely tapped tree. Early sap is always the sweetest and maple syrup is one of the healthiest natural sweeteners to use in cooking and baking.

Plant life begins a new season as the sap begins to flow in most trees and shrubs by the end of February. As plant life wakes up so does animal life, a correlation we need to understand for our own wellbeing. The warm sun is welcome and not only does it start the sap flow, it also begins to get our warm blood flowing. It’s valentines season, each year at this time nature suggests we court. Let us not forget that we are part of nature and not something separate. Somewhere deep down inside us there is still a primitive instinct in place to reproduce. Catching the eye of our mate is just what the doctor ordered to get the winters cobwebs out and put us into a spring frame of mind. Happy Valentines Day with lots of love.

Posted by Pete at 09:12 AM | Permalink