Freezing Remains a Threat By Donna Aufdenberg In this issue: Freezing Remains A Threat 1,2 Hot Topic! Pests Get a Jump Start! 2 April Gardening Calendar 3 Composting Tips 3 Garden with Youth in Mind 4 Free Range Poultry in Gardens 5 Tree Wound Care 6 Composting Issues 7 Native Plants - Garden Phlox 8 Spring Flowers Circle a Word 8 Group News - What’s Happening! 9 Editor’s Corner 10 A monthly Gardening Publication of the University of Missouri Extension -- Southeast and East Central Regions April 2012 The Garden Spade Canada this winter.” Guinan also cautions that freezes can vary across local terrain. Low temperatures can vary by more than 10 degrees from the bottom of a valley to a nearby hilltop. Urban areas tend to be warmer than rural areas. A major concern is the fruit trees and small fruit crops. A freeze at this point would eliminate the chance of having even a decent crop this year. “There’s a problem with that beautiful scene of the fruit crop blooming. There could be a lot of dead flower buds with major crop loss if temperatures plummet,” Michelle Warmund said after working with her fruit trees and berry brambles at the MU horticultural plots. Most cool season plants such as cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach and radishes are traditionally planted during this time and can handle a frost and some freezing. Warm season crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, corn, and beans are commonly planted in the latter part of April into May and they can’t tolerate a frost not to mention a freeze. Gardeners need to consider University of Missouri, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating equal opportunity/ADA institutions The weather has been amazing during the last several weeks especially when you consider it’s only March! It has many of us gardeners asking “Could we have another freeze or frost event?” With daytime temperatures in the 70-80s and lows in the 50s, it makes a gardener tempted to go ahead and plant garden! Our last average frost date for Southeast Missouri is April 15, but freezes and frosts are not unheard of past late April. They are still very possible, so we are definitely not in the clear of the danger. Who wouldn’t love the beautiful blooming trees and the lush green growth of perennials, shrubs and trees. While all gardeners welcome these wonderful signs of spring, we have to keep in mind that a freeze at this point might prove devastating similar to that of the Spring Freeze of 2007. Many dollars in crop loss hit orchards, grape growers, and blueberry growers as well as agricultural farmers with hay fields and newly sprouted corn. MU Extension Climatologist, Pat Guinan states “Arctic blasts could return with a slight shift in the jet stream, which has stayed well north in Freeze Damage on Oak (Picture from the University of Tennessee)
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Freez ing Remains a Threat
B y D o n n a A u f d e n b e r g
In this issue:
Freezing Remains
A Threat
1,2
Hot Topic! Pests
Get a Jump Start!
2
April Gardening
Calendar
3
Composting Tips 3
Garden with Youth
in Mind
4
Free Range
Poultry in Gardens
5
Tree Wound Care 6
Composting Issues 7
Native Plants -
Garden Phlox
8
Spring Flowers
Circle a Word
8
Group News -
What’s Happening!
9
Editor’s Corner 10
A monthly Gardening Publication of the University of Missouri Extension -- Southeast and East Central Regions
April 2012
The Garden Spade
Canada this winter.” Guinan also
cautions that freezes can vary across
local terrain. Low temperatures can
vary by more than 10 degrees from
the bottom of a valley to a nearby
hilltop. Urban areas tend to be
warmer than rural areas.
A major concern is the
fruit trees and small fruit
crops. A freeze at this
point would eliminate
the chance of having
even a decent crop this
year. “There’s a
problem with that
beautiful scene of the fruit crop
blooming. There could be a lot of
dead flower buds with major crop
loss if temperatures plummet,”
Michelle Warmund said after working
with her fruit trees and berry
brambles at the MU horticultural
plots.
Most cool season plants such as
cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach
and radishes are traditionally planted
during this time and can handle a frost
and some freezing. Warm season
crops such as tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant, corn, and beans are
commonly planted in the latter part
of April into May and they can’t
tolerate a frost not to mention a
freeze. Gardeners need to consider
University of Missouri, Lincoln
University, U.S. Department of
Agriculture & Local University
Extension Councils Cooperating
equal opportunity/ADA
institutions
The weather has been amazing during
the last several weeks especially when
you consider it’s only March! It has
many of us gardeners asking “Could
we have another freeze or frost
event?” With daytime temperatures in
the 70-80s and lows in the 50s, it
makes a gardener
tempted to go ahead and
plant garden!
Our last average frost
date for Southeast
Missouri is April 15, but
freezes and frosts are
not unheard of past late
April. They are still very possible, so
we are definitely not in the clear of the
danger.
Who wouldn’t love the beautiful
blooming trees and the lush green
growth of perennials, shrubs and trees.
While all gardeners welcome these
wonderful signs of spring, we have to
keep in mind that a freeze at this point
might prove devastating similar to that
of the Spring Freeze of 2007. Many
dollars in crop loss hit orchards, grape
growers, and blueberry growers as
well as agricultural farmers with hay
fields and newly sprouted corn.
MU Extension Climatologist, Pat
Guinan states “Arctic blasts could
return with a slight shift in the jet
stream, which has stayed well north in
Freeze Damage on Oak (Picture
from the University of Tennessee)
The Garden Spade Page 2
Secondar y Stor y Head l ine
planting warmer season crops after April 15.
Trees and shrubs are blooming and leafing out way
ahead of schedule. They seem to be three weeks
ahead of what is considered “normal.” This can be
dangerous for many plants. After the freeze of 2007,
many plants showed evidence of
severe damage to the cambium and
bark, leading to dieback, bark splitting
and weak growth of buds and shoots.
Some trees and shrubs were killed
back to or near the ground, with
suckers arising from the soil line or
lower trunk.
So, what can one do to protect their
plants from a hard frost or freeze?
If you haven’t planted yet, begin by
planting only frost tolerant
vegetables and annuals this early in
the season.
Using a frost blanket can gain you 2-4 degrees F
(depending on the thickness). These thin white
spun bound covers are light weight and are laid
over plants. They utilize the heat that radiates
from the ground to keep the plants warmer.
Grandma’s old method of covering plants with
blankets and sheets can also work just as long as
the fabric remains dry.
A wall of water which is a cone-shaped ring of
connected tubes filled with water surrounding a
single plant can generate enough heat to
keep plants safe in below freezing
temperatures.
If using plastic to cover plants, it
needs to be held up off the plants or it
will freeze the plants where it touches
them. Plastic can be used over a wire
frame or over hoops to make a low
tunnel.
Unfortunately, if a freeze occurs, damage
will happen to many plants that we cannot
protect. We just have to hope for the best
and prune out the damage once growth
resumes.
With luck, hopefully a freeze will not happen and most
gardeners will be happy to have an extended Spring!
Freez ing Remains a Threat
b y D o n n a A u f d e n b e r g
Wall of Water (Picture from
Colorado Extension)
Frost Blanket (Picture from the
University of Maine Extension)
Hot Top ic ! Pests Get a Jump Star t !
b y D o n n a A u f d e n b e r g
Due to our unusually warm start to spring, we are
now starting to see an overwhelming amount of
various pests around flower beds and lawns.
This early warm up speeds up the
development of weeds as well as insects,
experts say. They are warning that extra
scouting will be needed to manage weeds,
insects as well as diseases during this garden
season.
Aphid populations are rapidly increasing on the new
succulent growth of many plants. Gardeners are
already seeing adult stinkbugs and squash bugs
emerging from their winter safe haven.
Many gardeners have been reporting
overwhelming amounts of henbit, deadnettle
and chickweed. Summer weeds such as
crabgrass have already been seen germinating
in lawns so if you’re late in getting pre-
emergent herbicide down, you might as well
forget it and take a post-emergent approach.
Gardeners who try to plant early gardens may not
be early enough this year to avoid some of the pest
Apri l Gardening Ca lendar
B y D o n n a A u f d e n b e r g
Page 3 The Garden Spade
Composting Tips
Don’t throw out
your kitchen scraps
- add them to your
compost pile!
Bigger is better!
Piles need to be 5x5
x3 feet high or
bigger to break
down organic
matter.
Aeration is
important! Make
sure to turn your
pile.
Don’t let the pile
completely dry out
but don’t keep it
too wet.
Too much of one
material will slow
the compost
process down. Mix
greens with browns.
Cut up large pieces
of kitchen refuge so
it is easier for
microbes to break it
down.
Vegetable and fruit
pieces exposed
generally do not
break down - cover
them up!
For more
information, see MU
Guide G6956
Outdoor Plants and Ornamentals
Winter mulches should be removed from roses.
Plants bought out of greenhouses need to be hardened off before planting.
Lift, divide, and replant mums as soon as new shoots appear.
Scatter annual poppy seeds in flower borders. The fine seeds need no
covering. The plants grow rapidly and provide colorful flowers in early
summer.
Plant dahlia tubers as soon as the danger of
frost is passed. Stake at the time of planting
to avoid injury to tubers.
Cut back blooming shrubs right after they
have bloomed
Vegetable Gardening
Plants started indoors should be hardened off outdoors before being
transplanted into the garden.
Plastic jugs make inexpensive and easy-to-use “hot caps” for your vegetable
seedlings.
Plant warm season vegetables in the garden after the chance of frost has
passed.
Make succession sowings of cool season crops.
Flower stalks should be removed from rhubarb plants, if they develop.
Keep your hoe sharp! Don’t allow weeds to get an early start in your
garden.
Fruits and Nuts
Plant bare-root or potted fruits as soon as the soil can be worked.
Remove tree wraps from fruit trees now.
Protect bees and other pollinating insects. Do not spray insecticides on fruit
trees that are blooming.
Indoor plants
Time to repot house plants and trim them if overgrown.
Prevent stem rot of house plants by potting up plants on a slight mound with
the soil sloping 1/4 inch lower at the edge of the pot.
Don’t overpot African Violets. They bloom better in small pots.
Don’t be too anxious to move your house plants outdoors. Even a good
chill can knock the leaves off of tender plants.
Turfgrass
Start mowing cool season grasses at recommended heights.
Aerate turf if thatch is heavy or if soil is compacted.
The Garden Spade Page 4 The Garden Spade Page 4
Secondar y Stor y Head l ine
There is not a garden club or society that does not
focus part of their educational efforts on youth. It is
true that habits established during youth will last for
a life time. The prospect of passing down garden
knowledge to a new
generation and seeing the
fascination that children have
with nature can inspire the
most experienced among us.
Children have an interesting
perspective when it comes to
the world around them.
Objects that an adult finds
ordinary a child may see as
‘larger than life’. Colors
excite children as do smell
and touch. Their imagination
can create a day of
excitement and adventure in
a garden, especially if it is
designed to catch their
attention.
When designing a landscape
for a child keep in mind that a shrub or perennial
that grows six feet tall may make a great hideout for
a toddler. Plants that are fuzzy will speak to a child
and ask them to touch so place them in easy reach
of children. A child may adopt a small plant just
because it lives in their ’space’ or is sized for their
hands. Fragrant plants encourage children to smell
and touch as they move around the yard.
If you don’t have enough room for a vegetable
garden then find small spots in your landscape to put
a few edibles that kids love. If tomatoes are hard to
grow then try a single cherry tomato. Children can
easily pick them off and try them and find it more
fun than eating them from a plate.
If plants with thorns are used they should have a
purpose such as keeping children from going in a
particular direction. Barberry are good for creating
a border that shouldn’t be crossed like those near a
road. Poisonous seeds should be excluded for safety
reasons. Castor bean is a plant that produces a seed
that might be appealing to a child visually but can
cause skin irritation or be harmful if ingested.
Children love to participate in
the garden. It is so easy to
have a child ‘help’ with
gardening at home. Don’t
expect them to be as devoted
to chores as an adult but if
they have a rake or shovel
they will help dig, plant, weed
and harvest right beside
anyone who takes the time to
teach them.
Another great thing about
gardening with children is that
if you don’t already know how
to do something a child will
not make fun as you learn it
together.
Plant seeds indoors or out,
help them to create a row in
the garden that is theirs, let them prune shrubs or
trees and show them why debris is placed in a
compost pile. Talk with them about composting and
show them what is done with the resulting organic
matter. They are like soil, they sponge up the
information like water and may pass it along to
others.
Sources for Youth Gardens:
My first garden (a guide to the world of fun and clever
Disclaimer: No special endorsement of mentioned products is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar
products not mentioned.
University of Missouri, Lincoln University, U.S. Department of Agriculture & Local University Extension Councils Cooperating equal opportunity/ADA institutions