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.

by Pete | Permalink

On October 29th, around noon, it began to snow. By three that afternoon, almost six inches had accumulated and it began to snow harder. It was a heavy, wet snow so limbs began breaking and power lines started to fall. By midnight, the heavy snow was tapering and our area had received fourteen to twenty three inches. It looked like a war zone with trees, branches and electric poles snapped and down everywhere. On Sunday, the clean up began.

What was unusual about this storm was how fast the snow accumulated on the very warm ground. The dense snow fell heavily and contained a very high water content. If this storm had been all rain, we would have received four inches of rain. Most of the damage occurred at lower elevations where the snow was the wettest and the trees still had more leaves. The landscape was massacred in many areas.

I did some research to see what trees were hardest hit. The trees most damaged were deciduous trees that hold on to their leaves later into the fall season. The trees incurring most damage were the Norway maples and Bradford pears. In fact, Dalton Farm in Poughquag lost every one of their Bradford pears in the landscape. My findings were that native species faired better than exotic species. In all fairness, there was also damage to some weak crouched native species. However, for the most part, our natives held up better and non-natives were more heavily damaged.

This storm was reminiscent of the October 4, 1987 storm that dropped about a foot of heavy wet snow. There are some distinct differences between these two storms. The 1987 storm was more localized and occurred earlier in the month. The trees were still in their summer green canopy and the damage was much more severe in our area. The damage from the ’87 storm was primarily confined to the Hudson highlands and the Berkshires. This year’s Halloween storm was more wide spread. A storm we will not soon forget.

As November turns into December, we begin to focus on keeping warm. Out of the hope chest comes the red union suit, wool socks and mittens. Mittens are much warmer than single finger gloves. By keeping our fingers together in one mitt, it helps prevent frost bite when the temperature drops below zero. Keeping our toes warm is just as important as fingers. Stay away from steel toe boots and go with a heavy insulated boot with traction. If your fingers and toes start to burn from cold, keep them moving. Steady blood flow from movement will prevent frost bite.

The landscape is as different now as it was in early October. Plants such as winterberry, partridge berry, running pine, mountain laurel, sycamore and Christmas fern have a uniqueness and stand out in the winter landscape. It’s time to mulch the garden just as the ground freezes with a mix of native composted roots, leaf mold, shredded bark and chips. Begin pruning the landscape now in preparation for future growth and structure. Don’t be too tidy in the garden. We need to leave some seed heads for the hungry critters.

December is the start of winter. As a kid, I remember winter being my favorite season; following animal tracts in the snowy woods, sleigh riding on the backyard hills, all day hockey out on Wolf Lake, and making a few bucks shoveling neighborhood walkways. Winter has become more of a chore these days. I wonder if it’s age or attitude? I’ll give that a bit more thought during the next blizzard.

It’s December, the holiday season. Hooray! A time to give thanks and praise. Tradition is this year’s theme for me and my family. Simple and festive, where less is more. A gift from the heart, not the pocketbook. Where faith and trust in one another will help us through another season. May the festival of peace, hope and understanding be wrapped under your tree this special season. Happy holidays!

by Pete | Permalink

Long range forecasters are sticking their necks out once again, as they do every year at this time, to give us an indication on what this year’s winter weather might look like. Most long range forecasters are predicting a colder and snowier start to the winter with more normal conditions finishing the season. The reason for this they say is because a strong La Nina, or blocking pattern, is setting up over Greenland. For the northeast, that means more frequent coastal storms with heavy inland snow.

Conversely, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a milder than normal winter with the coldest weather forecast for November and December. Last year, the first major snowstorm hit the day after Christmas when over two feet fell in our area shutting down roads and transit systems. The heavy storms continued through January and when it finally stopped, over ten feet had fallen in parts of our area. And, was it cold! If you remember, many of last year’s long range forecasters called for a mild, wet winter. Who should we believe?

Some of the most accurate weather wisdom comes from Mother Nature and here is what she is revealing. Like most long range weather forecasts, Mother Nature is a bit fickle. Acorns, which are a staple food for most woodland creatures, are very light or non-existent in some areas and heavy in others. Wooly bear caterpillars are mostly brown in some woods and black in other areas; the blacker the caterpillar, the tougher the winter. Bee and wasp nests, which tend to be higher off the ground when heavy winter snows are coming, are high in some areas and low in other areas. My conclusion is a cold, snowy start and a mild finish. It’s anyone’s guess in this period of climate change.

November begins the deer rut season, so be careful driving around sunrise and sunset. This is the time deer activity picks up. November is finishing up fall cleanups and composting your leaves. Decomposed leaves are an excellent soil conditioner for the garden and to use when transplanting. November is the time to prune trees and shrubs because most insects and fungal diseases have gone dormant. November is the month most animals fortify their winter home and start insulating their dens with material like milkweed, cotton-like seeds. This is one of the reasons I don’t mow my meadows until late winter or early spring. November is the Leonid’s Meteor Shower which peaks between the 13th and the 20th. November is hard frost, the owl hoot and long shadows.

Kicking off the holiday season, smothered in brown gravy with all the trimmings, the roasted turkey gets my vote as top bird on this family holiday of giving. Pardon my halftime nap. Happy Thanksgiving.

by Pete | Permalink

Why are there worms in the soil? One of the many questions I have asked myself in the course of a day. Everything in the natural world usually has a function. Worms create tunnels in the soil. These tunnels act as a pathway for roots to travel. Worms ingest decomposed leaves and organic matter. This is probably why they stay within one foot or so of the earth’s surface. We very seldom find worms in clay or very sandy soil; places roots don’t like to hang out. Worms also aerate the soil. Their travels create small air tunnels just under the soil surface. Our native earthworms are small one inch creatures; very narrow and delicate. Large earthworms or night crawlers are slimy worms from other continents. They accompanied the soil from roots of plants brought from other lands. When trees, shrubs and perennial roots use these earthworm holes to wander through the soil, there is an air transfer at work that’s keeps our landscape healthier. Soil that has been compacted through super saturation can choke plants and create an unhealthy environment. I mention all these factors because I am seeing some very strange plant phenomenon in the woods.

Since mid-August we have had almost thirty inches of rain. The unusually heavy rain occurring this time of year has stressed many trees and is drowning many plants in the landscape. I’m seeing yellowing and browning on leaves and leaf tips on some maples are turning that characteristic black when plants get too much water. These conditions are most pronounced in heavier soils that tend to drain much slower. It’s all a function of climate change. What’s next? I don’t believe any one knows, but stay tuned as I plan on following these changes very closely.

Don’t fret, it’s October, one of our favorite times of the year. It’s the season to put away the mower and get ready to compost the leaves. October begins green and ends gray; but in between, we have some of the greatest color on the planet. October is the time of year to relax and smell the apple punk. October is long hikes in the deep woods to enjoy the maple, hickory and birch hues. October is our first frost. October is the beginning of the fall rainy season....uh-oh! October is stacking up the wood pile. October is windy. October is the hunter’s moon. October is geese flying south before winter sets in. October is the night sky full of stars. October is good eats. October is getting out the long johns and feety pajamas. October is grrrrrrrrrreat!

by Pete | Permalink