Useful garden adages
By: Garden Gate staff
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Garden chore timing
Maybe you’ve heard the old adage: Plant corn when the oak leaves are the size of a squirrel’s ear. It may sound silly, but there is some merit to it.
Phenology is the study of periodic biological phenomena, such as flowering, germination or bird migration, as they relate to climatic conditions. So rather than checking soil temps regularly, all you need to do is look for these reminders to let you know it’s the right time to act.
If you enjoy looking for phenological cues, consider helping the USA National Phenology Network collect data through its Nature’s Notebook program. Go to www.usanpn.org to learn how you can help scientists gather observations of plants and animals to track climate changes.
Keep clicking for a few modern-day practices you might be able to use.
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The soil’s warm enough to plant perennials when you notice Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves beginning to unfurl.
The soil’s warm enough to plant perennials when you notice Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves beginning to unfurl.
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When dogwood (Cornus florida), at left, flowers in the South or forsythia (Forsythia spp. and hybrids) blooms in the North, apply pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn. Crabgrass germinates once the soil reaches a certain temperature, which happens about th
When dogwood (Cornus florida), at left, flowers in the South or forsythia (Forsythia spp. and hybrids) blooms in the North, apply pre-emergent herbicide on your lawn. Crabgrass germinates once the soil reaches a certain temperature, which happens about the same time these flowers are finished.
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If you notice chicory (Cichorium intybus) setting the sky-blue flowers at left, it’s time to inspect the undersides of squash and pumpkin leaves and at the base of stems for rust-brown eggs of squash vine borer. Crush the egg clusters with your fingers or
If you notice chicory (Cichorium intybus) setting the sky-blue flowers at left, it’s time to inspect the undersides of squash and pumpkin leaves and at the base of stems for rust-brown eggs of squash vine borer. Crush the egg clusters with your fingers or spray them with insecticidal soap.
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