March
It’s Maple Syrup time. If you own a few acres and have several Sugar Maple trees, then a fun thing to do is tap your trees to produce Maple syrup. To identify a sugar maple tree click here. The best website I found for information on tapping sugar maple trees is here, or visit one of our local farms that produce Maple syrup, their addresses can be found here.
Now is the time to look for the Hemlock Woolley Adelgid (HWA) on your Hemlock trees. This insect is tiny, but its presence is very conspicuous as a white cottony sack on the underside of the Hemlock needle. HWA is somewhat controlled by cold winters, and some natural control may have occurred this winter but the population is growing. The HWA can kill hemlock trees within a 1 to 2 year period if left uncontrolled. An application of Dormant oil in mid April to May is an effective control, for more information click here.
Now that the winter snows may start receding, leave any winter mulch on your beds until the warmer sun of April. Rake up and remove any leaves that may have blown into and matted down on lawns, and flower beds. Otherwise stay off of lawns and flower beds during the “mud season” Any damage done now to the roots of plants will have a detrimental effect as they start to grow in April – May.
If you didn’t have your lawnmower or garden tractor serviced last fall, now would be a good time to get that done.
The 2007 Cary Award winners have been selected; you can visit the winners here. The Cary Award, administered by Tower Hill Botanical Garden and the Worcester Horticultural Society, are plants that are chosen for their hardiness, uniqueness, and ability to extend the New England growing season. Keep these plants in mind when visiting your local gardening center or nursery as you landscape your yard.
Now is the time to survey your yard for winter storm damage to trees and shrubs. Removing broken, cracked limbs can be easier accessed while the ground is still frozen, than later in the spring. If you can’t safely reach it from the ground, consider contacting a Certified Arborist to do the job.