By Nancy Bauer
March Landscape Tips
You know that March has arrived, ‘when the sun shines hot, and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light and winter in the shade’! With spring around the corner, here is a landscaping checklist:
- If a heavy snowfall occurs this month, use a broom to lift branches and gently shake off the snow. Don’t press down on the branches because this pressure plus the weight of the snow could cause them to break.
- Rake leaves and remove old fruit from fruit and deciduous trees.
- If you don’t cut back perennials and clean up flowerbeds in the fall, begin to do these tasks this month before new spring growth appears. If you wait too long to begin clean up tasks you are likely to damage delicate new growth.
- Check evergreens for browning and deciduous trees for buds that have died, and deep water.
- Water your lawn if you see evidence of spider mites; thinning grass, soil exposed, excessive yellowing or browning of grass blades
- Spray dormant trees and shrubs for oyster scale, repeat application, before plants bud out.
- Winter months are a great time to prune many trees and shrubs. Dormant pruning is beneficial because a tree’s branch structure is readily visible and there are fewer disturbances to gardens. It is advantageous to thin shrubs during the winter to encourage healthy spring growth
Snow Mold
Gazing at the frozen tundra that our yards have become, the coming of spring must seem a distant dream. Months after the first big storm, the white stuff continues as snow mold. Though it kills grass blades, it rarely kills the crown and your lawn should grow back healthy this spring. Before spring arrives, give your grass an assist in getting rid of its fungal fuzz. Rake the grass, fluffing the blades and exposing the area to air and sunlight.
Mites
At the same time, the exposed areas of your lawn (especially south and west facing) are at risk for heavy mite activity. Part of the reason for this is that the moisture content from our snowfalls has been low. This means the snow melts rapidly when the sun hits it, but it doesn’t provide enough moisture to the lawn to make up for what the mites are stealing.
Solution: Watering part of the lawn a couple of times a month on warm days (even though parts of your lawn are still snow covered) is a very good idea. Remember, sun exposed areas of your lawn are drying out and may have any moisture reserves drained by feeding mites.
Right Tree Right Place
As the spring planting season approaches it is interesting to note that trees properly placed around residences and buildings can save up to 30% on heating and cooling costs.
Summer Cooling
“West is Best” planting trees on the west side of your home will provide the greatest summer cooling benefits. Second best place is the east side.
Winter Warming
Evergreen trees should be planted on the north and northwest sides of your home to block cold winter winds. Avoid planting on the south side, which can block the winter warming sun late in the day.