MARCH IS TOMORROW, and I know you want your to-do-list for the new month.
Now that the last several weeks of wicked wind storms, torrential rains, snowfall and ice forming temperatures have come to pass — and certainly now that February is almost a fleeting memory with springs arrival a few weeks away — let’s not dally another moment and get
to one of my infamous
“13 things to-do-list.”
1. Blowing in the wind. Prune away bent, cracked, splintered or mangled plant parts after storm damage. Left unkempt, these damaged areas cause problems as they provide the perfect habitat for disease and insects.
2. Cold to the bone. Frost damage is another concern. If cold weather killed buds or disfigured leaves, cut them out immediately because this lush, succulent material is highly prized by molds and mildews — this is an insect’s perfect breeding ground.
3. Don’t leave the old stuff. With heavy rains, cold temperatures and longer daylight, old leaves, perennial stalks and last year’s organic material are rotting away. If this festering goo is touching living plant material or is on top of newly emerging growth and sprouts, then that new growth will also start to rot away due to contact with it. So clean up ornamental beds.
4. A tuberous aptitude. These next several weeks are a perfect time to buy fleshy root, corms, bulbs and tubers for indoor forcing only! Items like canna lily, dahlias, calla lilies, tuberous begonias, tuber roses, caladiums and…
