The calendar says its spring but the weather does not agree. The snow is slowly melting and it won’t be long when gardeners can get outside and start doing your outdoor spring cleaning. There are a few things that can be done already.

 

All the protective material such as burlap, or old reemay should be removed from tender trees and shrubs. Cedars that were tied with rope or string to prevent snow damage, should now be untied. If you leave it too long there could be a problem later with fungus and mold which is caused by warm air temperatures and poor air circulation.

 

Mouse guards which are the plastic strips that wrap around the base of trees to prevent the mice from eating the bark over the winter months, can also be removed after the snow has disappeared.

 

It won’t be long before it is time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs. Pruning is done when you can see the buds on the tree/shrub begin to swell. Every year I like to remind people that not all deciduous trees and shrubs are pruned in early spring. Never prune Birch, Maple, or Walnut trees in the spring because the sap is still flowing on these trees. If you were to prune them now you could cause serious injury or even death to the tree. These are pruned later in the summer when the sap has stopped flowing. It is always to be better safe then sorry, so I suggest that before pruning a Birch, Maple or walnut you cut just a small branch off first to check if the sap is flowing. If it is not flowing then you can carry on with the pruning.

 

Another set of shrubs that are not pruned now are the early flowering shrubs such as Lilacs, Forsythia, Purple leaf sand Cherry and the Double flowering Cherry. These early flowering shrubs set their flowers last year and if you were to prune them now you would be removing many of the flowers. These shrubs can be pruned after they have finished blooming.

 

There may still be snow on the ground but when you look at flowerbeds that are under eaves, or near foundations the soil is already dry. If there are perennials, bulbs, trees or shrubs planted there they could use a good drink of water. Moisture is very important to keep plants healthy and strong.

 

I have noticed that there are already a lot of gardeners going through the seed racks. This is a good time of year to be choosing your seeds even if it is still too early to be planting them outdoors. Purchasing your seeds now will help avoid disappointment later when seed displays get picked over and some off the popular varieties get sold out. It is also one of those chores that can be done now, giving you more time to do other chores when the weather warms up.

 

This is a good time to ‘spring clean’ the greenhouse.

 

Benches, pots, flats, and the greenhouse can be washed with a mild solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Use a good brush and make sure that you get into all the nooks and corners. This should help to kill any overwintering pests and disease. After washing everything rinse it off with clear water and then air out the greenhouse so that things dry quickly.

 

 

 

Art Knapp’s Plantland is holding its annual Tree Pruning Clinic next weekend with professional pruning experts. The clinic will be held at the West store location on Kimball Road only. Times are Saturday March 31, 2012 at 10: 00 a.m or Sunday April 1, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. There is a $10.00 charge that will be donated to the ‘Child Development Centre. Everyone is welcome but if you call the garden Centre this week at (250) 964-6056 we can save you a spot.