SPRINGTIME

If you are anything like me (and everyone I’ve talked to), you’ve had it with winter. So let’s forget about it and talk about spring!!

Each season (spring in this case) has both a meteorological start and an astronomical start. The astronomical start has to do with the position of the sun in relation to the earth. It normally falls on or around March 20. This year the spring equinox falls on March 20 at approximately 5:58 P.M.  The Spring Equinox is when the sun passes over the Earth’s equator, making night and day approximately equal lengths of time all over the world. It is also only one of two times of the year that the sun rises due east and sets due west for everyone in the world. The other time is the fall Equinox.  And if you were to be standing at the equator during this time, the sun would pass directly over your head.

The Meteorological spring always starts on March 1^st.  This date is based on seasonal weather and temperature patterns.  Because the Astronomical spring doesn’t always fall on the same day, due to the amount of days in a year, leap year etc., it makes it much harder to compare weather data from year to year. So spring, by meteorological standards, always starts on the first day of March and ends on the last day of May. It is then based on annual temperature cycles using the Gregorian calendar.

So now you know the difference between meteorological spring and the astronomical spring. But I found some other facts about spring you may or may not know, and thought I would share some of them with you.  Because it’s all about springtime!!!

Spring, referring to the season not the other meanings of the word, during the 14^th century was called Springing-Time. That came about because it was the time of year when the plants began “springing” up from the ground.  It was then shortened to “Spring-Time”, in the 15^th century, to finally just simply “spring” in the 16^th century.

The first spring flowers to come up are Daffodils, Crocus, Tulips, Iris, Lilacs and the dreadful Dandelion (sorry about that last one).

Spring fever, fact or fiction… Well spring fever is any number of behavior, mood or physical changes that actually coincide with the arrival of spring. Oh and don’t rule out laziness, restlessness and that feeling of “amorousness”! And yes it has been deemed a fact.

Kids actually grow a little faster in the springtime.

Tornado Alley is the most active in the spring. The heart of which include parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Eastern Colorado and South Dakota.

According to Face book, Couples are most likely to break up in the spring, oh and the 2 weeks prior to Christmas.

In the South Pole, the first day of spring marks the beginning of six months of uninterrupted darkness.  In the North Pole it marks the beginning of six months of uninterrupted sunshine.

If Pope Gregory XIII did not establish the Gregorian calendar in 1582 (which most of the world now observes), Then every 128 years the vernal Equinox (spring) would come a full calendar day earlier. This would mean that eventually, Easter would fall sometime during midwinter.

A large scale study shows that those born in spring have an increased risk to develop serious depression. This also seems to have a significant peak during the month of May.

The first day of spring in the Southern Hemisphere is also the first day of fall in the Northern Hemisphere.

Studies also show that sperm quality (specifically sperm concentration) is highest in the spring and lowest in the fall. That would explain a lot as far as the mating rituals of most species.

Spring also ushers in a new year of allergy fun, starting with tree pollen, then grass pollen, to moulds in soils, compost and on grasses etc. A survey by Johnson & Johnson suggests that as many as 10 million Canadians suffer allergy symptoms.

The Early Egyptians built the great Sphinx so it points directly towards the rising of the spring Equinox sun.

According to the National Association of Realtors, spring is the most popular time to buy/sell a house.

The first day of spring is also the Persian New Year, or Nowruz, (meaning first day).  It is a celebration that lasts for 13 days and is celebrated in scattered populations in Central Asia. Places like Iran, North Caucasus, Kurdish parts of Turkey, Northern Iraq and Afghanistan to name a few.

Honeybees are more likely to swarm in spring. This is the way they start new colonies from successful ones. Oh and don’t worry, generally they are too busy to pay attention to you as they are actually the most docile and friendly at this time.

Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon, after the spring equinox.

Hurricane season is most active in late spring.

Holidays that occur in spring include International Women’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Passover, April fool’s Day, Earth Day, Arbor Day and Mother’s Day, as well as many other ones.

So now you know a little bit more about spring, it’s not only about the nicer weather, though that is definitely a big part of it!!

Happy Spring!!

What you  need to do to prepare your garden for winter

Well its fall once again, which means winter is not very far away. And as always, there is much we can do in our gardens to prepare for winter, as well as get a jump on even some springtime work.  Now I realize that most people don’t have an extensive vegetable garden. Maybe you don’t even have a large flower garden. Perhaps you are fortunate enough to own only a few flower pots and window boxes. None the less, I will try to touch base on a bit of it all.

Vegetable gardens

Now is the time to clean up your garden. Remove all the plants that have finished producing for the year. You may still have fall crops like brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage etc, those are probably not done yet, and can handle a light frost or two.  If you’ve had any problems with bugs/insects, make sure you do not compost your spent plants as you will end up increasing your problem the following year. So pull them up by the roots and discard them properly. Also remove all the weeds you can find, this way they don’t get an early start in the spring.

If you have any herbs in your garden, the best thing would be to bring them into the house for the winter. Simply dig them up (make sure to go deep enough so that you don’t disturb the roots too much) and plant them into a pot. They should be placed in a bright sunny spot inside, and then you can enjoy fresh herbs all winter. There are some herbs that may come back in the spring if left outside; those are mint, chives, thyme, oregano, sage and parsley. I can attest to the chives, oregano and parsley as those have come back in my garden often. It’s never a 100% they will come back, and it will also depend on the kind of winter we have. Either way, you should cut them down before the cold sets in and enjoy them while you can!

Once you have cleaned up your garden, you can add your compost, fertilizer, mulch etc. Whatever your normal routine is for the springtime, you can do in the fall. By doing this, the nutrients have time to break down enriching your soil and it becomes “biologically active”.  Also if you till your soil in the spring, you can certainly do so in the fall instead (though I would probably do it once again in the spring).  By doing all this, you will save time in the spring when you want to get in there and start planting as soon as you can!

Flower beds, window boxes, potted flowers

If you have a flower bed, or window boxes, or pots outside, it is also time to clean those up as well. I know it is the end of September, and you could probably wait another week or two, but if you want to keep any of your outdoor flowers, you have to make sure to do so before we get a good frost. Not all types of flowers do well over the winter inside, and I am sure that unless you have a greenhouse, you probably have limited space in which to keep them.  Here are some popular plants that do fairly well inside over the winter: Coleus, Fuchsias, New Guinea Impatiens, Begonias, Oxalis and Geraniums.  There maybe a few other types, but these are the most common ones. When you transplant these, make sure to wash off the plants (not the roots) gently with a garden hose (or in the sink/bathtub under a tap). You merely want to make sure you don’t bring in any pesky insects or bugs that may be hiding on your plants. Be sure to wash the leaves off, on top and underneath where insects tend to hide. They will do best placed in a bright window (south facing or east facing windows if possible) Do not fertilize during the winter as your plants are dormant and do not require it. Watering will depend on the size of pot, and how hot and dry your house is. Just remember that less is usually better, so as not to rot the roots, and you can always add water if needed. Keep them inside until spring and the risk for frost is gone, then plant back outside.

Once you have removed the plants you wish to keep (if any), then it is time to remove all the rest of them. Again, you can add them to your compost if you are sure they do not have any infestations on them. Or simply get rid of them, roots and all.  After all the flowers and weeds have been removed, add some compost, fertilizer etc and turn the soil. This will enrich your soil and come spring time you’re good to go. If you have window boxes, or pots, I would suggest that you remove all your plants and the soil as well, thus allowing you to clean the boxes/pots properly of any fungus or insects that may be lurking there.  Also the soil that is in your window boxes or pots, probably have a much depleted supply of nutrients. This way, come springtime, a fresh batch of nutrient filled soil can be used making your flowers happy and strong.

  

Dealing with trees, shrubs perennials and bulbs

Fall is the perfect time for planting new trees and shrubs.  The weather is cool and the ground still warm enough for your roots to develop.  You should check with the place you buy your tree or shrub to find out the size (depth and width) needed for that particular plant as there are many factors involved with that. As with all new plantings, make sure it gets adequate watering until the weather gets too cold to do so. By planting in the fall, you have less worry about the plant drying out, wilting in the heat, and even the bugs/insects are diminished.

This is also the time of year for splitting your hostas and peonies. I will tell you from experience, that this is hard work.  Both of these plants have somewhat shallow root balls, that when dug up, can be split (you may have to cut into them to divide them).  Hostas are very strong and are almost foolproof to deal with, but require more muscle to split. Simply figure out the size you want the new plant to be, cut them and plant them in a spot with bright – medium light. Water them well for the first few weeks, and even if they don’t look like they will make it at first, they more than likely will be just fine.

Peonies are also easy to transplant, but do not plant these more than 2” above the buds on the roots. You can clearly see the buds on the top of the roots once you have lifted it out of the garden. If you accidently burry them, no worries, the plant will survive, but you may not get any flowers for a couple of years, and who likes that idea!! So be careful on how deep you plant them. Also water these well, until the first frost.

Then of course we have bulbs, tulips, daffodils, crocus, hyacinths, etc.  These should also be planted in the fall. I suggest you do this as late in the season as possible, so that the squirrels and other critters have less time to dig them up. There is much literature on how to keep them from going after your bulbs, I personally have not heard of any that truly work well. Tulips are one of the more sought after bulb, while they normally stay away from daffodils and grape hyacinths as these bulbs can be harmful when eaten. As a basic rule for planting your bulbs, always plant pointy side up, and generally plant them 2-3 times deeper than the bulb size. So if your bulb is 1 inch, plant 2-3 inches deep (as an example). There are always exceptions, so be sure to check before planting. After planting, like everything, water the area well.

So that’s about it for now. I hope it helps some of you out there that love to garden as much as I do.

                                           Heat, Humidity and your Garden

Well here we are the beginning of summer and getting ready for our first heat wave. I have to say that although I love the summertime, I am not a big fan of very hot and humid weather.  Heat is ok, I mean it is summer after all, but when the humidity climbs, I find myself seeking refuge to a nice air conditioned place.

Unfortunately, our beautiful outdoor flowers, vegetable gardens and lawns can't escape it as easily.  Most of our gardens like a very warm temperatures, in fact the perfect temperature for optimum photosynthesis to take place is between - 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) - 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit). But over the next week they are expecting higher temperatures and a high humidity as well. So here are some things you can do to help your plants through the heat spell.

If possible do your watering in the morning. This is always a good idea, even for your lawn (if you can). By doing so, it allows time for the water to seep in, and excess to dry off. This is important as it helps keep your soil from getting too damp and allows time for the plant to absorb the water while it is in a more active state. It also gives your soil a chance to dry out and thus keeping away fungus growth.

 Because it is also going to be very humid as well as hot, it is even more important to water in the early morning, as the humidity level should be a bit lower at this time. The more humid it is, the harder it is for water to evaporate as the air is already saturated  with water. Although  our plants require water, they also need to expel excess moisture, so they can properly "breath" and do their magic.  So water is important, but getting rid of unused water is too.

Unfortunately, with a prolonged heat and humidity, there is always a chance your flowers will be affected. it is important that you try not to stress them out more than they already are. The more often a plant wilts, then perks up, then wilts again, the more it weakens its system. Not only does it make them weak, but more they become more susceptible to disease and bugs. So try to keep all of them happy as you can.

 If we were only getting a heat wave, you could put mulch around your plants to help keep in the humidity between watering. This will help your plants to not dry out, which, if it's very hot, will happen more quickly.   But with the air already saturated, it wouldn't be as good an idea to add to an already damp condition. If, how ever, you already have mulch down around the your plants, you can still water in the morning, just don't over saturate the area so it can still dry out between waterings.

It is also important to note that when you water you garden, you also wash away the nutrients in the soil around its roots. So if possible, it is recommended that you fertilize your garden every 2 weeks or so. This will help keep your flowers and vegetables strong and healthy. If you are the forgetful type, you can always get slow release pellets. You simply scatter them around your plants and they will slowly dissolve over time. How ever, you should avoid feeding your plants during a heat wave as they may be stressed due to the weather. I know, I know, you'd think that would be the best time to perk them up, but it will do the exact opposite. So best to wait til the heat spell is over and things are back to "normal" before treating them with some extra vitamins.

Hope this helps all you gardeners out there!